Kassem Istanbouli: Pioneering Lebanese National Theatre's vision for artistic freedom

In the heart of the city of Tyre, two memories intertwine. The first is the memory of the Rivoli Cinema, which opened in 1952 and closed its doors in 1989. The second is the memory of young people from various regions who volunteered with the Tiro Association for Arts to restore the cinema and transform it into the Lebanese National Theatre, a stage for all. 

Since 2020, the theater has hosted a variety of activities and workshops in all artistic disciplines, from dance to acting. 

Kassem Istanbouli, an actor, director, and founder of the Lebanese National Theatre, believes that "a city without a theater has no life."
  
He envisions a project for everyone to have a theater and a cultural center, a library, a space for film screenings, and a place for freedom. According to Istanbouli, theater can play a role in mobilizing society and challenging the status quo. 

Recognizing the importance of old theaters as guardians of Lebanese and Arab memory, Istanbouli aimed to convert these cinemas into centers for the national theater in various regions. His project succeeded in Tyre and Tripoli but faced obstacles in Nabatieh. 

Istanbouli sees it as "a meeting between closed cinemas, the National Theater in Tyre, and the National Theater in Tripoli. It breaks the barrier of fear between regions, and we see that art can bring us together through love."  

He believes Lebanon can play a crucial role in the Arab theater, starting with storytellers, and that the country's rich Arab heritage allows it to be the starting point for the theatrical arts. 

Creating collaboration networks among artists in Arab countries led Istanbouli to receive this year's UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture.
 
His initiative catalyzes to expand of the scope of activities that produce positive societal change in the fields of creativity and freedom, not only in Lebanon but throughout the Arab world.