Laziri: Art can reduce people's social pain and sadness

Tabriz- The supervisor of the judges of the 7th national street theater festival "Tabrizim" said: Art in the days of war and sorrow can restore hope and vitality to the society by reducing social pains.

In a conversation with Mehr reporter, Mehdi Laziri, referring to the holding of the 7th national street theater festival "Tabrizim", said: "Holding such events is one of the valuable cultural events of Tabriz, and I hope that this festival will continue with strength in the coming years and provide the opportunity for the participation of more theater groups from all over the country."

Appreciating the cultural, social and sports organization of Tabriz Municipality as the main trustee of the festival, he considered the presence of performing groups from different provinces of the country as one of the important features of this period and added: the presence of artists from different parts of Iran, especially the southern provinces that have experienced the difficult conditions of war, is promising and shows that art still has the capacity to create communication, empathy and hope in society.

Art is an opportunity to return hope in difficult times

The supervisor of the judges of the 7th "Tabrizim" national street theater festival, emphasizing the role of art in facing social difficulties, said: "Art can take people's minds away from the weight of war, pain and sorrow for a while and provide an opportunity to restore spirit and return to life."

Stating that the position of art becomes more prominent in critical situations, Leziri said: Wherever there is war and sadness, the absence of art creates a great void; Because art can heal part of this sadness and provide a basis for experiencing different moments in people's lives.

He continued: Artistic activities are not limited to entertaining the audience, but can be a platform for expressing social sufferings, reflecting people's common experiences, and strengthening communication between different sections of society. In such a situation, holding cultural events provides an opportunity for people to gather, experience empathy and strengthen hope for the future.

Referring to the capacity of "Tabrizim" festival to communicate with the audience in public spaces, this theater artist added: due to its nature, street theater has the possibility to be present in people's daily life and can convey social and human concepts in a language that can be understood by different audience groups.

The reception of Tabrizi citizens from street performances

Referring to the people's reception of the performances of this festival, Laziri said: "Tabrizim" shows have been performed in two urban areas, El Goli and Bagh Shamal Park, and the presence of those interested to watch the works is worthy of appreciation.

Stating that the works in the festival have gone through the stages of selection and review, he said: The shows of this period have been selected from among hundreds of submitted works and the groups that have reached the stage of performance present valuable works. Watching these works is also enjoyable for me.

The supervisor of the judges of the 7th "Tabrizim" street theater festival listed the thematic diversity of the shows as one of the characteristics of this period and added: In their works, the artists have addressed topics such as the martyrs of the Minab school, current issues of the country and war. These issues show that street theater can pay attention to the issues and concerns of the society in addition to having an artistic aspect.

Referring to the educational capacity of these works, he pointed out: street shows can be informative for children, teenagers, adults and even the elderly; Because in this artistic format, the audience encounters the works in a public space without the need to attend theaters, and they get the opportunity to communicate directly with their messages.

street theater; Art that goes to people

Emphasizing the distinctive feature of street theater compared to other forms of performance, Laziri said: Street theater is like a doctor who does not wait for people to come to his office, but goes to the community and is present in people's hearts.

He added: This feature allows the street theater to communicate with diverse social groups and deliver its message to audiences who may not have the opportunity or possibility to attend theaters. From this point of view, performing shows in parks and public spaces can increase people's access to cultural activities.

The supervisor of the judges of the "Tabrizim" festival, pointing to the importance of connecting art with future generations, said: This way of performing the show is important, especially for children, teenagers and young people; Because they are the future men and women of the country and encountering works of art can provide a good opportunity to learn about social issues and concepts such as empathy, sacrifice and resistance.

The necessity of the continuation of the "Tabrizim" festival

Appreciating the efforts of the organizers, artists and people of Tabriz to hold and welcome this cultural event, Laziri stressed the necessity of continuing the "Tabrizim" street theater festival.

He expressed his hope that this festival will be held in the coming years with the presence of more theater groups from different provinces of the country and with the improvement of the quality of the works and can play a more effective role in strengthening the relationship between art and society.

According to him, the continuation of such events can provide a wider presence of artists in urban spaces and benefit different groups of people from the cultural and social capacities of performing arts.