Kennedy Center in Washington mounting major arts festival with 22 Arab

KUN0052 4 GEN 0425 KUWAIT /KUNA-JTY2 CUL-U.S.-ARTS-KAISER Kennedy Center in Washington mounting major arts festival with 22 Arab countries WASHINGTON, Dec 8 (KUNA) -- The Kennedy Center is mounting a major Arab arts festival with 22 Arab countries in 2009, center President Michael Kaiser announced during a speech at the National Press Club. Beginning in spring 2007, the center will hold annual symposia on arts management in the Arab countries, Kaiser said. "We have begun by surveying a large list of Arab arts organizations to determine their chief concerns," he said. "Just last month, I visited Cairo, Amman, Riyadh and Damascus to discuss our plans with government leaders, arts managers and artists." The response was very positive from all sectors, and the press he received while in the Middle East was encouraging, Kaiser said. "On numerous occasions during my trip, I heard enthusiasm for our idea of helping Americans understand Arabs as people rather than as political entities, " he said. "And the training we are offering is seen as an act of generosity by people who do not always think of Americans in that way. " Kaiser said he was convinced that this project, the center's "most ambitious to date," will have the dual benefits of educating the American public, while also creating stronger cultural institutions in the Arab world. "We hope this will allow these institutions to play a more vital role in their countries, and will foster relationships between Americans and Arabs that will help to unite and bring understanding and peace," he said. "This is an ambitious goal. Some would call it naive, but it would be impossible for us not to try." Describing himself as "a non-political person" who does not personally engage in discussions about political issues when he visits other countries, Kaiser nonetheless said he believes cultural exchange can influence politicians and politics, "because to the extent that we can make people understand each other better, collaborate with each other better, I believe we have a real opportunity to create political change." Kaiser said he believes the discussions he had in Damascus with the Syrians "can hopefully lead to a better understanding between peoples." "For example, the Syrian Symphony asked if they could have an American conductor come and work with their symphony and train their symphony," he said. "I think it is a wonderful idea, and in fact, the Syrian government officials were very excited by that idea as well." (end) rm.ajs KUNA 081740 Dec 06NNNN