
The She Arts Festival's 5th Edition to Take Over Three Egyptian Cities
Jul 15, 2025
The fifth edition of the women-led She Arts Festival was officially announced at the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek. The festival—which champions women's contributions across music, film, theatre, and visual arts—will take place from October 2nd to the 5th, 2025 across three cities: Alexandria, Cairo, and the New Administrative Capital. This year's venues will be the French Institute in Egypt (Alexandria), the American University in Cairo (AUC), and Madinat al-Fonoun (City of the Arts) in the New Capital.
Festival founder Niveen Qenawy spoke about growing She Arts' global reach while keeping local voices at its heart. Soprano and board member Farrah El Dibany highlighted the festival's cultural diplomacy, while RMC CEO Ahmed Obeid emphasized the need for more platforms supporting women in the arts. Dr. Maurizio Tagliatti, Italy's cultural attaché, celebrated Egypt–Italy collaboration, and filmmaker Hala Khalil closed by calling for deeper networks between women artists.
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CairoScene
5 days ago
- CairoScene
The She Arts Festival's 5th Edition to Take Over Three Egyptian Cities
The fifth edition of the women-led She Arts Festival was officially announced at the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek. Jul 15, 2025 The fifth edition of the women-led She Arts Festival was officially announced at the Marriott Hotel in Zamalek. The festival—which champions women's contributions across music, film, theatre, and visual arts—will take place from October 2nd to the 5th, 2025 across three cities: Alexandria, Cairo, and the New Administrative Capital. This year's venues will be the French Institute in Egypt (Alexandria), the American University in Cairo (AUC), and Madinat al-Fonoun (City of the Arts) in the New Capital. Festival founder Niveen Qenawy spoke about growing She Arts' global reach while keeping local voices at its heart. Soprano and board member Farrah El Dibany highlighted the festival's cultural diplomacy, while RMC CEO Ahmed Obeid emphasized the need for more platforms supporting women in the arts. Dr. Maurizio Tagliatti, Italy's cultural attaché, celebrated Egypt–Italy collaboration, and filmmaker Hala Khalil closed by calling for deeper networks between women artists.


Al-Ahram Weekly
7 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
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CairoScene
30-05-2025
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MENA's Only Art Festival for Women, She Arts, Returns This October
'She Arts Festival directly challenges systemic imbalance in the cultural sector,' says founder Neveen Kenawy. May 30, 2025 In a region where women artists are too often pushed to the periphery, She Arts Festival is refusing to play by inherited rules. Returning from October 2nd to 5th, the festival is expanding its footprint across the New Administrative Capital, AUC Tahrir in Cairo, and Alexandria, bringing its message across Egypt. She Arts is still the only art festival of its kind in the MENA region, one dedicated entirely to spotlighting women in the arts. From contemporary dance and music to visual arts and panel discussions, the festival unapologetically centres women's voices, stories and creative legacies. 'By consistently creating space for women, the festival directly challenges systemic imbalance in the cultural sector,' Neveen Kenawy, Founder & Director of She Arts Festival, tells CairoScene. This year's edition will see a packed multidisciplinary programme featuring rising names and established figures from across the region. But sustaining a women-led initiative in an industry still dominated by mainstream, and often male, priorities remains a fight. 'Our biggest challenge has been securing consistent funding for a women-focused initiative in a space that often prioritises mainstream narratives,' Kenawy says. Now in its fourth year, She Arts has become a signal to the region that women aren't waiting for permission. They're making their own stages and filling them.