NAWA KARIMIAN

PIRANSHAHR_Actrees Samaneh M.concrimed that women’s presence in street theater is not measured by their field presence, but by their empowerment in production and artistic decision-making, amid limited women’s participation in directing and judging at the fourth “Zab" Festival in Piranshahr city.

The city of Piranshahr and Lajan in eastern Kurdistan hosted the activities of the fourth edition of the "Zab" (or "Zi") Regional Street Theater Festival, amid a celebratory atmosphere represented by a popular carnival that launched on the first day and received wide audience interaction. Despite the shy presence of women in Kurdish dances and accompanying field activities, women formed a fundamental pillar of the audience of theatrical performances interested in following this cultural event.

According to the organizing committee, the festival seeks to empower street theater artists and elevate performing arts, alongside shedding light on the cultural and artistic components that the region abounds with, and opening new horizons for exchanging expertise and experiences between participating groups.

The festival activities launched on 19 October and continue until the twenty-second of the same month. The festival included 12 plays from the cities of Urmia, Tabriz, Sanandaj, Hamadan, and Razavi Khorasan. Despite the brilliance of female actresses' names alongside male actors' names, the directing section includes only two works: "The Moneyless Inventor" directed by Nazila Amini from Saqqez, and "Shoes of Dreams" directed by Behnaz Qartasi from Sardroud. As for the judging committee, Nazila Iranzad is the only female member among the five judges.

Street theater in Iran is considered one of the ways to connect art with public space and societal problems. However, it remains unclear to what extent the "Zab" theater addresses these issues, especially regarding women's issues.

Theatrical actress (Samaneh M.) believes that mere female presence is not enough. "Women's presence in street theater is not measured by merely appearing in the performance arena, but by the extent of their participation in choosing topics, directing, and making artistic decisions. Street theater can be a platform for presenting women's experiences and criticizing gender inequality, but this art cannot achieve justice except when women are given equal opportunities in its production structure, narration of its stories, and performance."

On the other hand, economic and political issues have cast their shadows on performing arts in eastern Kurdistan in recent years. Therefore, organizing the fourth Zab Festival is of great importance for artistic activists, especially after the postponement of some important international festivals, such as the Saqqez Kurdish Theater Festival this year.

According to the festival's secretariat, the main performances and the performances subject to judging will be held in Piranshahr Children's Park, while public performances will be held in Niloufar, Farhang, Laleh, and Khayyam parks. An exhibition of local arts and handicrafts was also held on the sidelines of the festival.