TTALKS Hosts Theatre Artist Georges Khabbaz in Its Second Session Inviting young men and women to discover their abilities and make use of them in the right place

TTALKS Hosts Theatre Artist Georges Khabbaz in Its Second Session Inviting young men and women to discover their abilities and make use of them in the right place

In the second TTALKS dialogue session launched by Safadi Foundation as part of “TARABUT” project, implemented in cooperation with the Spanish organization AIDA and funded by the European Union, the Foundation hosted theatre artist Georges Khabbaz in a discussion titled “The relationship between art in general and theatre in particular in building social cohesion among individuals”, held at Safadi Cultural Center in Tripoli.

The session was attended, in addition to the two representatives of the European Union in Lebanon, Ms. Tania Wehbe and Ms. Vana Manissian, by the Vice President of the Safadi Foundation and former minister, Ms. Violette Khairallah Safadi, as well as a number of directors of various universities in Tripoli and the North, accompanied by their students, along with young men and women from the city and its surrounding areas.

Khabbaz described art as the spearhead of human interaction, due to its ability to teach human emotions and thus distance the self from harmful behaviors toward oneself and others. He called for art to be made a core educational subject in schools and to be given the importance it deserves for its role in building promising generations.

He pointed out that theatre is a platform for communication, where the actor communicates with himself through the audience, who in turn chooses within themselves the character that resembles them, allowing them to laugh or cry at themselves through that character. He encouraged young men and women to search for their abilities and talents and to employ them in the right place and in the right way, for the good of both themselves and their society.

Khabbaz also confirmed that his concept of citizenship was strengthened through the great artists who have shaped the artistic journey in Lebanon, stressing his commitment to conveying this message to younger generations through his various theatrical and artistic works, whose largest audience segment consists of young men and women.

He also spoke about his experience with the film Ghadi, which attracted great attention upon its release, affirming that children with special needs are a gift from heaven and should be cared for and have their abilities developed rather than being marginalized.

The dialogue session, which received remarkable interaction from the audience, concluded with the presentation of a commemorative shield to Georges Khabbaz in appreciation of his artistic works and achievements, in addition to a piece of artwork from the association ‘Marsah’ as a token of gratitude for his contributions to enriching art and culture.