Laayoune will host the fifth edition of the Bedouin-Hassani Poetry Festival from December 15-17, with the theme “Hassani Poetry: Values, Reflection, and Belonging,” according to the organizer’s statement.
The Youth Department of Ministry of Culture and Youth spearheaded–in collaboration with the Regional Cultural Direction, the Laâyoune-Sakia El Hamra Wilaya, the Agency for the Promotion and Social Development of the Southern Provinces, and the program officials themselves–this year’s iteration of the relatively recent addition to the region’s cultural and artistic scene highlighting the unique local heritage.
This event fits within the framework of constitutional provisions aimed at preserving Hassani culture, which is an essential component of the Moroccan people’s united cultural identity.
This festival also seeks to chronicle the oral Hassani legacy in the field of poetry, to strengthen contact among Hassani poets, and showcase Hassani poetic works.
It promises to attract Hassani poets from all three of the southern regions as active participants in the celebration, while also aiming to secure the role that Bedouin-Hassani poetry plays in the national cultural scene.
Professors, researchers, and poets will engage in discussions on the creation of Hassani poetry and will host poetic evenings and colloquia to shed light on the genre, with local musical groups taking the stage, as well.
The event will perhaps be culminated by a special tribute to various esteemed poets from the southern regions.