Abdel-Halim Nowira Arabic Music Troupe will perform a selection of popular song of Egyptian singing legend Umm Kulthum at the Cairo Opera House s Open Air Theatre 17 July. The concert will be conducted by Ahmed Amer, leading a repertoire that includes Ghannily Shway (Sing Some For Me) of composer Zakaria Ahmed, Ala Balad El-Mahmboub (To the Land of the Beloved) and Dalily Ehtar (Confused) of Riad El-Sonbaty, and Esa al Rouhak (Ask Your Soul) and Fakarouny (They Reminded Me) of Mohamed Abdel-Wahab. As part of their Kalthoumiat series, the troupe will feature talented singers Ghada Adam and Hasnaa in one of the earliest concerts in phase one relaunching public culture activities in Egypt after the Covid-19 lockdown. Egypt resumed public culture activities last weekend with all few events held under strict new precautionary measures, including social distancing, obligatory face masks, and sanitizing.

The UK could see about 120,000 new coronavirus deaths in a second wave of infections this winter, scientists say. Asked to model a "reasonable" worst-case scenario, they suggest a range between 24,500 and 251,000 of virus-related deaths in hospitals alone, peaking in January and February. To date, there have been 44,830 official deaths in the UK, but this has slowed with 1,100 in July. The estimate does not take into account any lockdowns, treatments or vaccines. And the scientists say: "The risk... could be reduced if we take action immediately". The report, requested by the UK s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, stresses there is still a high degree of uncertainty over how the coronavirus pandemic will play out this winter. But research suggests the virus can survive longer in colder conditions and is more likely to spread when people spend more time indoors. And experts are concerned the NHS will be under extreme pressure, not just from a resurgence of coronavirus but also from seasonal flu and a backlog of regular, non-coronavirus workload. How close are we to a vaccine? What progress are we making on treatments? Can you catch coronavirus twice? Could there be a second wave? The health service is already severely disrupted in the aftermath of the first pandemic wave, with a waiting list that could stand at 10 million by the end of this year, the report says. Prof Stephen Holgate, a respiratory specialist from University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust, who chaired the report, said: "This is not a prediction - but it is a possibility. "The modelling suggests that deaths could be higher with a new wave of Covid-19 this winter. "But the risk of this happening could be reduced if we take action immediately." With relatively low numbers of coronavirus cases at the moment, "this is a critical window of opportunity to help us prepare for the worst that winter can throw at us", he added. Less pessimistic winter scenarios are also possible, with coronavirus deaths in the thousands. The report makes it clear there is a high degree of uncertainty in the projected death figures. It is not a prediction of what will happen, rather what might. Researchers can model likely scenarios. But simulations rest on assumptions that do not always play out in real life. Change any of the parameters slightly, and you get very different projections. The overall message, however, is clear - prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Currently, coronavirus deaths and cases in the UK are down, which gives the nation a chance to reflect and plan for a second wave. Keeping infection rates low as Britain emerges from lockdown will be critical in controlling the disease. The virus has not gone away. And we do not have a vaccine for it yet. But there are things we can all do, including isolating and getting tested if we develop symptoms. Co-author Prof Dame Anne Johnson, from the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: "Faced with these potential challenges, and after an already tough year, it would be easy to feel hopeless and powerless. "But this report shows that we can act now to change things for the better." It recommends: increasing capacity of the test-and-trace programme, to cope with the overlapping symptoms of coronavirus, flu and other winter infections getting more people vaccinated against flu ensuring hospitals and care homes have enough personal protective equipment (PPE) creating coronavirus-free zones in hospitals and care homes, to halt infections Health Secretary Matt Hancock said planning was already under way for dealing with the expected surge in demand on the NHS this winter. The government had procured enough flu vaccine to roll out the "biggest flu vaccine programme in history" and was working on setting up a coronavirus vaccination programme should a successful vaccine be found, he added. A government statement said: "We remain vigilant and the government will ensure the necessary resources are in place to avoid a second peak that would overwhelm our NHS."

American actress Kelly Preston who has appeared in films including "Jerry Maguire" and "Twins", has died aged 57 after battling breast cancer for nearly two years, her husband, John Travolta, announced in an Instagram post late on Sunday. "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my beautiful wife Kelly has lost her two-year battle with breast cancer," the 66-year-old "Grease" actor said in his post. "Kelly s love and life will always be remembered. I will be taking some time to be there for my children who have lost their mother, so forgive me in advance if you don t hear from us for a while", Travolta wrote. Born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu on Oct. 13, 1962, she changed her name to Kelly Preston before securing her first film role in the 1985 romcom "Mischief," then appeared in another teen comedy, "Secret Admirer". In the next few years Preston starred in films such as "SpaceCamp" and then "Twins" with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. In "Jerry Maguire", she played Tom Cruise s fiancee Avery Bishop, then co-starred opposite Kevin Costner in "For Love of the Game". Preston last starred in the 2018 film "Gotti" in which she played Victoria Gotti, the wife of Mafia boss John Gotti, who was portrayed on screen by Travolta. Travolta, star of the hit dance movies "Saturday Night Fever" and "Grease", met Preston in 1988 when they appeared together in a film called "The Experts". They married on Sept. 5, 1991, in Paris. Preston is survived by her husband and their children - daughter Ella, 20, and 9-year-old son Benjamin. Their son Jett died at age 16 in January 2009 during a family vacation in the Bahamas. "I have never met anyone as courageous, strong, beautiful and loving as you," her daughter, Ella Bleu Travolta, wrote in a tribute posted on Instagram.

Synergy Films, New Century Production and Misr International Films gave a first glimpse into the new comedy film El Ghassala (The Washing Machine), with a teaser released this weekend on TikTok and posted by New Century on their YouTube channel on Saturday. The film is directed by Essam Abdel-Hamid and written by Adel Salib. According to Al-Ahram Arabic news website, the comedy fuses science fiction elements with a love story between the young protagonists. El Ghassala stars Mahmoud Hemida, Ahmed Hatem and Hana El Zahed, Muhammad Salamam, Bayoumi Fouad, Ahmed Fathi and Taher Abu Laila, with guests of honor Muhammad Tharwat, Mahmoud Al-Leithy and Ali Al-Tayeb, and a special appearance by Sherine Reda. As revealed on IMDb, the film is scheduled to be released during the upcoming Eid El-Adha, on 31 July, across Egyptian movie theatres. The comedy is the first new film production to see light after the four months of general lockdown during which all cinemas and other cultural venues were closed across the country.

Hollywood star Johnny Depp accused his ex-wife Amber Heard of lying about him beating her up, and told London s High Court on Tuesday that she had actually struck him. Depp, the 57-year-old star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, is suing The Sun s publisher, News Group Newspapers, and its executive editor, Dan Wootton, for libel over an article Wootton wrote in April 2018 calling him a "wife beater". The paper s lawyers said they would show the claim was true and that he had beaten actress Heard, causing her to fear for her life, during violent rages brought on by alcohol or drugs, sometimes when he had falsely accused her of infidelity. "For the avoidance of any doubt, I have never abused Ms Heard, or, indeed, any other woman, in my life," Depp said in a witness statement in which he characterised his ex-wife as a calculating, emotionally dishonest narcissist. Wearing a dark suit and glasses and speaking in a deep clear tone, Depp gave evidence at the beginning of the case at London s High Court. Heard, who arrived wearing a red scarf tied around her face, is also due to give evidence. In a written statement outlining Depp s case, his lawyer David Sherborne said Heard had first aired the abuse allegations in May 2016, saying it was hard to think of "more extreme or violent" claims of abuse than she would make during the trial. "The Claimant s position is clear; Ms Heard s allegations are complete lies," Sherborne said. "The Claimant was not violent towards Ms Heard, it was she who was violent to him." In papers submitted to the court, Depp s team also said Heard had begun an affair with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk in early 2015 shortly after they had got married and had engaged in at least one extra-marital relationship with her co-stars, with actor James Franco named. Appearing in the witness box, American Depp said he was the victim of attacks from his ex-wife and had himself sought to avoid confrontation. "I would try to go to my own corner as it were," he said. Asked about one argument, Depp said: "It escalated and it got physical ... Miss Heard struck me." THREE-WEEK CASE The couple met on the set of the 2011 film "The Rum Diary" and married in February 2015. Heard filed for divorce after 15 months, and days later obtained a restraining order against Depp. Their divorce was finalised in 2017 when the restraining order was dismissed. Cross-examined by lawyer Sasha Wass, Depp agreed he had taken "every drug known to man" by the age of 14 and said he had a difficult childhood and struggled to come to terms with his fame and success. "Even when I speak my own name it sounds foreign to me," he said. The court was shown mobile phone footage taken by Heard which showed an angry Depp slamming kitchen cupboard doors and pouring himself a "mega" glass of wine. "I can only say I was upset, very upset," he said, adding it was not a pleasant video to watch. Wass said he would turn into an alternate persona which he himself described as "the monster", which was brought on by anger, jealousy or drugs. He said "the monster" Heard referred to was when he yelled back at her in arguments. "It would become a screaming match and that was the monster," he said. "It s not Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde." Depp denied Wass s suggestion that he had a "nasty, angry side". Depp is also being sued by a crew member from one of his films in 2018 who accused him of punching him twice in the ribs, the court heard. Wass recounted a statement from actress Ellen Barkin, who said Depp had thrown a bottle of wine across a hotel room on one occasion and had got jealous and angry. "Untrue," Depp replied, saying Barkin held a grudge. "I do not have an anger management problem." In his witness statement, Depp said Heard had thrown a vodka bottle at him, severing his finger off, and that his ex-wife or one of her friends had defecated in their bed. The case is set to last for three weeks, the judge, Andrew Nicol, said. Also due to give evidence via videolink are Vanessa Paradis, Depp s former partner, and actress Winona Ryder.

Egypt s film Photocopy (2017) will open the ninth Arab International Film Festival which is scheduled to take place between 16 and 21 July at Busan Cinema Centre, Seoul, Korea. The festival will screen over 10 films by numerous Arab directors, with Photocopy being the only entry from Egypt. Directed by Tamer El-Ashry, Photocopy is written by Haitham Dabbour, and stars veteran actor Mahmoud Hemeida alongside Sherin Reda, Ali Tayeb, Ahmed Dash, Farah Yousef and Bayoumi Fouad. The film focuses on a retired man in Cairo who begins to learn about the extinction of dinosaurs. This sets off a series of events that will give his life renewed meaning. Photocopy garnered several awards, including the Gouna Star for Best Arab Feature Narrative from the El Gouna film festival where the film premiered. It went on to receive the best feature narrative award at the Tripoli Film Festival (2018) in Lebanon, best scriptwriting at the Ohran Arab Film festival (2018), best film at the Geneva International Oriental Film Festival (2019) and best film-audience award at the Malmö Arab Film Festival (2018), among several other recognitions. Apart of opening the festival, Photocopy will be also screened throughout the festival days. Among the highlights of the Arab films screened during the event are The Cave (Syria, 2019), Heritages (Lebanon, 2013), The Unknown Saint (Morocco, 2019), Haifa Street (Iraq, 2019), and It Must Be Heaven (Palestine, 2019). The Arab Women Filmmakers Now section of the festival will feature 17 (Jordan, 2017), Noura’s Dream (Tunisia, 2019), Scales (Saudi Arabia, 2019), The Perfect Candidate (Saudi Arabia, 2019), and Papicha (Algeria, 2019). The Korean Arab Film Festival is a non-competitive event hosted by the Korea-Arab Society with screenings taking place in cinema halls of the Busan Cinema Centre, a large complex that offers indoor and outdoor screening facilities. Launched in 2011, the centre is also an official venue for Busan International Film Festival (BIFF).

Veteran Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme mourned the death of Egyptian actress Ragaa El-Giddawy who died on Sunday following a 43-day battle with the coronavirus. On his Instagram account Van Damme wrote "I m in shock! It s very sad to read that legendary Egyptain actress Ragaa El-Giddawy has passed away after a brave battle against coronavirus. I met her a few months ago, she was so full of life, cheerful and majestic – I cannot believe she s gone… but, she will always live in my memory with her lovely spirit and beautiful laughs. May Allah bless her soul." El-Giddawy was hospitalised on 24 May after being infected with the virus, and had since mostly been kept in the intensive care unit (ICU) at an isolation hospital in Ismailia, east of Cairo. Nagaat Aly Hassan El-Giddawy, aka Ragaa El-Giddawy, was elected “Miss Cotton 1958”, giving her the chance to become a mannequin. El-Giddawy, 81, is one of Egypt’s most beloved and prolific actresses with a career dating back to the late 1950s. She was married to football player Hassan Mokhtar and had a daughter, Amira. El-Giddawy started acting in cinema and theatre with her aunt Tahia Karioka, an iconic belly-dancer in the history of Egyptian cinema. She appeared in hundreds of films, plays and TV shows throughout a fruitful six-decade career, collaborating with almost all of the country s best writers, directors and actors of successive generations.

BAALBEK, Lebanon (Reuters) — The usually grand Baalbek Music Festival, set among 3,000-year-old Roman ruins in Lebanon, was reduced to just a single concert this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. For maestro Harout Fazlian, however, it was one of the most special of his career. On a stage in the ancient temple of Bacchus, Fazlian conducted the Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra and three choirs in an hour-long concert that included works by the Lebanese composer brothers Assi and Mansour Rahbani, Verdi and Beethoven. There were no crowds due coronavirus restrictions, but the performance, captured by 14 cameras and drones, was broadcast live on almost all the main Lebanese TV stations as well as streamed online. “Every person will have a front row seat,” said Fazlian, who came up with the idea during Lebanon’s coronavirus lockdown two months ago. “This beautiful temple has gone through so much for 3,000 years, but it has survived, and we will survive.” Lebanon’s glamorous music festivals — which once attracted jazz legends like Nina Simone, and the great Arab singers Um Kulthoum and Fairuz — were already struggling. Economic woes and regional conflict hit organizers in recent years. Fazlian said he wanted to send “a message of hope and solidarity” as Lebanon sinks deep into the worst financial meltdown of its history, compounded by the global coronavirus pandemic. His was the only concert of the Baalbek music festival this year, Lebanon’s oldest, which since 1956 helped make the country a cultural lodestar for the region. Nayla De Freij, head of the Baalbek festival committee, said all the artists and technicians worked on Sunday’s massive project for free. “It’s like a big scream that we want life to go on,” she said. ___ Reporting by Issam Abdallah; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky Image: Musicians from Lebanon’s philharmonic orchestra are seen on stage before the start of “Sound of Resilience” concert of the Baalbeck music festival, which was broadcasted live with no audience, in Baalbeck, Lebanon July 5, 2020. (REUTERS/Aziz Taher)

Veteran Egyptian actress Ragaa al-Gedawy, 86, has died of health complications following her infection with the coronavirus. The staff of Ismailia’s Abu Khalifa isolation hospital performed Gedawy’s funeral rites on Sunday in careful accordance with coronavirus precautions. Staff at the hospital used plasma therapy in an effort to improve the actress’s condition, but it failed to stop her health from deteriorating due to her advanced age and weak immunity. A hospital source said that Gedawy died of a massive drop in blood circulation after she had trouble breathing and needed to be hooked on a ventilator while undergoing her treatment at the intensive care unit. Gedawy tested positive for the coronavirus back in May after wrapping up shooting for her role in the TV series “Lebet al-Nesian” (The Oblivion Game), and was quarantined at the Abu Khalifa hospital. An ambulance reserved for coronavirus deaths transferred Gedawy to her family cemetery in Cairo. Born in Ismailia in 1934, Gedawy moved to Cairo with her older brother and enrolled in Cairo’s Franciscan schools where she learned French and Italian at an early age. She then worked in the translation department of an advertising company, and later won the Miss Egypt Award in 1958. After working as a fashion model, Gedawy eventually moved on to a long, illustrious career in cinema.

Cairo’s Sawy Culture Wheel will resume performances on Thursday, starting with two puppet shows featuring the music of “Umm Kulthum” at 6 and 8 pm in the al-Nahr “River” hall, according to a statement by the center. Audience attendance will not exceed 25 percent, the events space said. The venue pledges to carry out protective measures against coronavirus and to prevent people without face masks from entering the shows. In order to encourage social distancing, the venue will place photos of veteran artists on empty chairs between audience members. Two songs will be performed by the puppet “Umm Kulthum,” accompanied by a complete orchestra. The puppet show will be performed on the first Thursday of every month.

Egypt s Hurghada International Airport on Wednesday received the first foreign flight from Ukraine following the start of the country s gradual reopening and the resumption of tourism in the Red Sea, South Sinai, and Marsa Matrouh governorates. Egypt suspended tourism in March as part of measures to combat the spread of coronavirus. Tourism is a vital sector in Egypt, accounting for roughly 12 percent of Egypt s GDP. The flight carried 167 tourists, according to the airport s operational schedule. Airport officials applied coronavirus prevention measures in dealing with the passengers, including social distancing. The tourists also passed through thermal cameras to check their temperatures, and had their luggage disinfected. Egypt s Ministry of Aviation provided the airport with six thermal cameras as part of protective measures against coronavirus aimed at maintaining the safety of passengers, according to Adel Mahgoub, Chairperson of the Egyptian Airports Company. The cameras were installed at the new and old airport terminals, and at the entry gate allocated for the airport staff.

Renowned Lebanese actor Nicolas Mouawad has shared with social media users an official trailer of the US movie His Only Son, in which he portrays the protagonist Prophet Abraham. The Hollywood production chose Mouawad for the role in April 2019 from 1,700 candidates of numerous nationalities. The film was scheduled for release this year and set to be screened at numerous international festivals, but due to the coronavirus pandemic and the shutdown of cultural venues and festival postponements, the production company has refrained from setting a specific release date. Mouawad stars in the film alongside Sara Seyed, Ottavio Taddei and Nicolai Perez. The film is the debut feature by writer/director David Helling, and is Mouawad s first appearance in a US production. "Nicolas Mouawad is a Lebanese film and TV actor working in the United States and the Arab world," according to the actor s mini bio on IMDb. "Nicolas has starred in some of the most-watched and critically-acclaimed drama series in Egypt, Lebanon and the UAE, including Hagar Gohanam (Black Widows, 2017), Wannous (2016), and Abriaa Wa Laken (Innocent... However, 2015)."

Black power, suffering and the fight for justice took center stage at the BET awards on Sunday, the first Black celebrity event in the United States since nationwide mass protests broke out this month over systemic racism. The show, which celebrates Black excellence in music, film, sports and philanthropy, was filled with speeches, songs, images of protests and the names of dozens of Black men and women who have died at the hands of police in recent years. Beyonce, who was given a humanitarian award by former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama for her charitable initiatives, urged the Black community to use its vote in upcoming U.S. elections to dismantle "racist and unequal systems." "We have to vote like our life depends on it, because it does," the singer said. The awards show, broadcast live for the first time in its 20-year history on America s mainstream CBS channel, featured commercials from the likes of Coca-Cola, Ford, Nissan, P&G, L Oreal and Facebook that both celebrated the achievements of Black people and highlighted the challenges they face. A remixed version of veteran New York rap group Public Enemy s 1989 anthem "Fight the Power," featuring photos of this month s street protests, opened the show, whose slogan was "Our culture can t be canceled." Da Baby s performance of "Rockstar" began with the rapper singing while lying on the ground under the knee of a police officer, in a recreation of last month s arrest and death of George Floyd in Minneapolis that sparked the protests. Newcomer Roddy Ricch (eds correct) wore a "Black Lives Matter" shirt, John Legend played his ballad, "We Will Never Break," and Alicia Keys sang an emotional new song, "Perfect Way to Die," about the black lives lost over the decades. The show was a mix of pre-recorded performances and virtual appearances because of the coronavirus pandemic that shut down production of television shows in mid-March. Awards went to Ricch s "Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social," which won album of the year, Megan Thee Stallion for best female hip-hop artist and Lizzo was named best female R&B/pop artist. Gymnast Simone Biles and basketball star LeBron James were named sportswoman and man of the year respectively. Nigerian musician Burna Boy was named best international act.

Tunisian-Egyptian actress Hend Sabry won the Best Actress at 4th Annual Critics Awards for Arab Films at the Cannes Film Festival held this year virtually. Sabry s award comes for her role in the Tunisian film Noura’s Dream (Noura Rêve, 2019), directed by Hinde Boujemaa who also wrote the script together with Laurent Brandenbourger. Noura s Dream revolves around the hardworking protagonist, Noura, who tries to tap her unshakable will to fulfill her dream while striving against many challenges, her abusive husband in jail and a coveted divorce pending. The award at Annual Critics Awards for Arab Films is Sabry s third win for the role. She has been also awarded Best Actress for Noura s Dream at the Carthage Film Festival (2019) and El Gouna Film Festival (2019) Also competing for the Annual Critics Awards for Arab Films were Lubna Azabal and Nissrine Erradi, both for their performance in the film Adam (Morocco). The nominees are chosen by over 140 Arab and international film critics from 57 countries. Organised by the Arab Cinema Centre (ACC), the winners of the Annual Critics Awards are usually announced during a ceremony held on the sidelines of the Cannes International Film Festival. With this year s Cannes festival cancelled, the winner was revealed during an online Marche du Film (Virtual Cannes Market) held between 22 and 26 June. The Arab Cinema Centre was founded in 2015 with an aim to provide the Arab filmmaking industry with a professional window to connect with counterparts from all over the world through a number of events that it organises. The ACC s activities vary between film markets, stands, and pavilions, networking sessions and one-on-one meetings bringing together Arab and foreign filmmakers, welcome parties, as well as meetings with international organisations and festivals, and issuing the Arab Cinema Magazine, to be distributed at leading international film festivals and markets. In 2017, the ACC launched the Annual Critics Awards on the margins of the Cannes International Film Festival, co-organised with MAD Solutions. Sabry’s career began in 1994 at the age of 14 when she debuted in the Tunisian production Silence of the Palaces (Samt Al-Qosoor) by director Moufida Tlatli. Her first appearance in Egyptian cinema was in the 2002 production A Teenager s Diary (Muzakirat Murahiqua), a role that paved her way to stardom. Her later roles include starring in films such as A Citizen, a Detective, and a Thief (Mowaten we Mokhber we Haramy) in 2002, Downtown Girls (Banat West El-Balad) in 2005, and Ibrahim El-Abyad in 2009. She also appeared in The Yacoubian Building (Oumaret Yacoubian, 2006), alongside an extensive cast of Egypt s biggest stars. Her portrayal of an HIV positive woman in Asmaa (2011) brought her several awards. Sabry s more recent roles include films such as The Parrot (short, 2016), Life is Beautiful (2017), The Treasure (2017), The Passage (2017), Noura s Dream (2019), The Blue Elephant (2019) Apart from her many achievements in cinema, Sabry is active in social and humanitarian work. She has been working closely with the UN World Food Programme on raising awareness about hunger in the region since 2010.

Egypt s Ministry of Culture is preparing to resume cultural activities starting July 15, or possibly before that date, Minister of Culture Enas Abdel Dayem announced on Wednesday. The ministry, Abdel Dayem said, has set up two open-air theaters to allow events to resume while maintaining social distancing precautions, but plans to keep Cairo Opera House s main hall closed until further notice. During a phone interview with the television program “Al-Hayat Al-Youm,” Abdel Dayem said that the two theaters are located in the Cairo Opera House complex and al-Hanager Theater Square. The theaters will host daily performances and ceremonies at a capacity of 25 percent, she added. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced in a press conference on Tuesday that new precautionary measures will be implemented starting June 27. These measures include reopening restaurants and cafes at 25 percent customer capacity, a first step toward a gradual reopening. Shisha smoking, however, will remain banned. Hotels will be reopened at 50 percent occupancy rates. Shops and commercial malls will close at 9 pm while restaurants and cafes will close at 10 pm. Public parks and beaches will remain closed for the time being. Mass transportation will operate from 9 am to midnight. Houses of worship will reopen for daily rituals, with precautionary measures such as closing toilets and affiliated events halls, but weekly collective rituals such as Friday mosque prayers and Sunday church prayers will remain suspended. Clubs, youth centers, cultural facilities and cinemas will also be allowed to reopen at 25 percent capacity.

A partnership between Egypt s Ministry of Culture, headed by Enas Abdel Dayem, and the Cairo Opera House, headed by Magdy Saber, will present a series of star-studded concerts throughout July, on a new stage constructed in the Opera Square. Ninety percent of the stage was constructed over the past few days, and is just awaiting the installation of its lighting system. According to Al-Masry Al-Youm, concerts will at first be held without an audience, despite the fact that the new outdoor theater can accommodate approximately 1,000 seats, while still adhering to the spacing between seats. The theater is nearly 70 meters wide. The Opera House has been taking measures to ensure the safe resumption of cultural events, including purchasing seven disinfection corridors, as well as infrared thermometers for all theaters in Cairo, Alexandria and Damanhour. A schedule for the concert series has already been prepared, and after being approved by Abdel Dayem, it will be sent to the prime minister for his approval. Bands and singers on the list include Mohamed Mounir, Sherine Abdel Wahab, Mostafa Haggag, Mohamed Hamaki, Medhat Saleh, Ali al-Haggar, Hisham Abbas, Dina al-Wedidi, Massar Egbari, Wust El-Balad, Black Theama, and Marimba player Nessma Abdelaziz. Eight concerts are planned per month, a number that may increae to include two or three concerts per week. The concerts will be limited to the Cairo Opera House and so far there is no plan to hold concerts elsewhere. The Opera House management has also offered the new theater for rent to bands and singers wanting to record concerts that will later be displayed on their own social media channels. It has also carried out construction work on the open theater, with the aim of enlarging its area to maintain social distancing between the musicians on the stage. For his part, Egyptian singer Mohamed Mounir said that the aim of the concerts is to delight the Egyptian people. He emphasized that art is an effective way to express thoughts and feelings and carry out purposeful messages, in addition to promoting a sense of belonging to homeland and loyalty.

Joel Schumacher, the eclectic and brazen filmmaker who dressed New York department store windows before shepherding the Brat Pack to the big screen in "St. Elmo s Fire and steering the Batman franchise into its most baroque territory in "Batman Forever and "Batman & Robin, has died. He was 80. A representative for Schumacher said the filmmaker died Monday in New York after a yearlong battle with cancer. A native New Yorker, Schumacher was first a sensation in the fashion world after attending Parsons School of Design and decorating Henri Bendel s windows. His entry to film came first as a costume designer. Schumacher dressed a pair of Woody Allen movies in the 1970s: "Interiors and "Sleeper. He also penned the screenplays to a pair of musicals: "The Wiz" and "Sparkle." As a director, he established himself as a filmmaker of great flair, if not often good reviews, in a string of mainstream films in the `80s and 90s. To the frequent frustration of critics but the delight of audiences, Schumacher favored entertainment over tastefulness _ including those infamous sensual Batman and Robin suits with visible nipples _ and he did so proudly. "A movie that s in a movie theater that runs at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 and there s no one in the audience when that movie runs _ what s the point?" Schumacher once told Charlie Rose. The success of his first hit, "St. Elmo s Fire," with Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy not only helped make a name for the Brat Pack but made Schumacher in-demand in Hollywood. He followed it up with 1987 s "The Lost Boys," with Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Kiefer Sutherland and Corey Feldman. A vampire horror comedy, it gave a darker, contemporary view of the perpetual adolescence of "Peter Pan. Schumacher was sometimes regretful that he played a role in hoisting fame on his young stars and "the two Coreys. Before dying in 2010, Haim struggled with drug addiction and said he was sexually assaulted in the film industry. Feldman on Monday recounted on Twitter trying cocaine during "The Lost Boys as a 16-year-old. When Schumacher found out, Feldman said, Schumacher temporarily fired him. "He tried to prevent my descent, said Feldman, who continued to struggle with drugs. Schumacher then made "Flatliners, about morbidly obsessed medical students, and a pair of John Grisham adaptations in "The Client and "A Time to Kill. "Falling Down, with Michael Douglas as a Los Angeles man whose anger from minute every-day interactions steadily builds in violence, was maybe his most critically acclaimed film, though its depictions of minorities _ particularly a Korean grocer _ were from the start hotly debated. On its 25th anniversary, April Wolfe of LA Weekly wrote that it "remains one of Hollywood s most overt yet morally complex depictions of the modern white-victimization narrative, one both adored and reviled by the extreme right." The slickness of those productions helped Schumacher inherit the DC universe from Tim Burton. In Schumacher s hands, Batman received a garish overhaul that resulted in two of the the franchise s most cartoonish movies in 1995 s "Batman Forever and 1997 s "Batman & Robin. The first was a box-office smash but the second fizzled and remains most often remembered for its infamous suits. "It was like I had murdered a baby, Schumacher told Vice of the response to Batman & Robin." Yet it, too, has developed a small cult following for those who prefer the antithesis of Christopher Nolan s more grim Batman movies. "He saw deeper things in me than most and he lived a wonderfully creative and heroic life, said Jim Carrey, who played the Riddler in "Batman Forever. "I am grateful to have had him as a friend." Schumacher, born on Aug. 29, 1939, to Francis and Marian Schumacher, was raised in Queens by his mother after his father died when he was four-years-old. As a youngster, he quickly became enmeshed in the city s nightlife. "The street was my education, Schumacher told Vulture earlier this year. "You could ride your bike over the 59th Street Bridge then. So I rode my bike everywhere. I was in Manhattan all the time and all over Queens. If you re a kid on a bike, anything can happen, and predators come out of the woodwork, my God. I looked very innocent, but I wasn t. Schumacher would often say he was fortunate to have survived the `60s at all. He made habits of liquid Methadrine, acid and sex. Out long before many in Hollywood, Schumacher pegged his lovers in "the double-digit thousands. He was a warm and gossipy raconteur though Schumacher said he "never kissed and told about anybody who gives me the favor of sharing a bed with me. "I don t not like talking about it, I just don t believe it matters," Schumacher said of his sexuality in a 2000 interview with the Guardian. "I ve lived my life very openly. I started drinking at nine. I started doing drugs in my early teens. I started smoking at 10 and I started sex at 11. So I m not hiding anything. But I am totally and completely against labels. After "Batman and Robin," Schumacher turned to lower-budget thrillers: "8mm, with Nicolas Cage; "Flawless, with Robert De Niro; "Phone Booth, with Colin Farrell. Schumacher, behind the beginnings of so many careers, gave Farrell his first led role in 2000 s "Tigerland. In 2004, he took on Andrew Lloyd Webber s "Phantom of the Opera," a late, gaudy flourish that combined Schumacher with perhaps his Broadway equivalent in the spectacle-making Webber. Most recently, he directed two episodes of Netflix s "House of Cards in 2013. In his last interview, with Vulture, Schumacher reflected on a show at London s National Gallery of the now highly regarded works of James McNeill Whistler and John Singer Sargent. "They did a brilliant thing. Right next to them on the wall, framed right next to the paintings, were all their horrible reviews, said Schumacher. "Who remembers these reviews?

International music and film stars will headline a globally televised and streamed fundraising concert on Saturday to help fight COVID-19 as part of a joint initiative by the advocacy group Global Citizen and the European Commission. The initiative, called "Global Goal: Unite For Our Future," is aiming to raise billions of dollars in private and public donations to help lessen the impact of the pandemic on marginalised communities. Speaking at an online panel ahead of the event, pop star Miley Cyrus said the pandemic was hitting the world s poor and marginalised people the hardest. She urged donors committing funds for tests, treatments and vaccines to ensure they are developed in ways that everyone everywhere has access to them. Researchers and drugmakers across the globe are working on more than 100 potential vaccines against COVID-19, which has so far killed more than 463,000 people. Hosted by actor Dwayne The Rock Johnson, the virtual concert will feature Cyrus, Chloe x Halle, Christine and the Queens, Coldplay and Shakira and others, and include actors Charlize Theron and Hugh Jackman as well as retired soccer star David Beckham. "We need our world leaders to commit the billions of dollars needed to develop and equitably deliver testing, treatments and vaccines,” said Hugh Evans, Global Citizen s chief executive. European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen said the concert would coincide with a pledging summit, at which artists, scientists and world leaders will "commit to helping the world end coronavirus, while leaving no one behind." The EU is increasingly taking a role as a champion of global cooperation in efforts to control and end the pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus, while the United States and China are focused more on national initiatives

In an exclusive interview with Ahram Online, Egypt’s culture minister Ines Abdel-Dayem discussed the current situation of Egypt’s cultural scene which remains on standstill since the 9 March announcement of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly putting off all large gatherings. By the middle of the fourth month of the general cultural shutdown, thousands of Egyptian artists are finding it difficult to make ends meet as their income is closely linked to popular attendance of cultural events and the dynamism of the scene in general. “The situation is extremely difficult for everyone, artists, technical crews, the whole cultural infrastructure,” Ines Abdel-Dayem comments to Ahram Online. She continues: “Though some artists are on the payrolls of cultural institutions and have their basic salaries secured, we all know that they cannot depend on them only. They generate numerous extras each month, whether inside their institutions or outside them, and this income is completely frozen now. On the other hand, there are thousands more who do not even have basic salaries and operate in a completely independent manner.” Abdel-Dayem went on to underscore that the ministry is making great efforts to open work opportunities for artists. She pointed to the ‘Culture Between Your Hands’ online initiative launched in March on YouTube with the aim of bringing cultural activities to audiences at home. “On the one hand the initiative brought arts to people’s homes and has created much needed documentation of the cultural wealth that Egypt has in its reservoir. On the other hand, in recent weeks, the same online channel began creating work opportunities for artists.” Abdel-Dayem referenced projects such as Laugh, Think, Know, a new series of plays inspired by short stories penned by famed Russian playwright Anton Chekhov and posted on YouTube. “Such initiatives help a lot of artists, not only actors, but also the whole technical team that is behind those productions and video recordings. They all receive compensation.” “We will initiate more opportunities for a variety of art fields, including musical performances and literary forums, in the coming weeks,” Abdel-Dayem assured. Meanwhile, Abdel-Dayem is also preparing to launch open-air venues, which operations will largely depend on the government’s decisions related to the potential gradual reopening of cultural activities. Unable to provide any specific dates, Abdel-Dayem revealed that she wants to be ready with open-air stages as soon as possible. “We are working on three open-air stages at the Cairo Opera grounds. One will be in front of the Hanager Theatre, one in the large open area near the fountain and entry to the Opera’s Small Hall, in addition to enlarging of the already existing open air-theatre inside the Opera building. They will serve for music and theatre performances. I expect the stages to be operational in the first week of July.” The open-air theatres can operate on two levels: they can serve as venues for live-streamed or pre-recorded performances without an audience, or can welcome audiences who in number will be reduced at least in the first weeks of operations, all depending on directives from the cabinet.“At this stage the most important task for me is to continue with activities and open up opportunities for all artists, whether on the ministry’s payrolls or independent. It is hard to talk in parameters of a new season; we need to erase this concept from our minds, at least for the time being. What we should do is to keep the activities going. The season is ongoing. On the other hand, we need to bring some valuable and not necessarily heavy repertoire to the public. People are exhausted and we need to lift their spirits. This is where so many interesting artists from a variety of fields can step in, whether those linked to the ministry or independent,” Abdel-Dayem said, giving the example of the Summer Festival which each year hosted scores of Opera artists as well as independent musicians. She also added that there is a whole repertoire of Egypt’s theatre and music that has not been documented well. “We might re-stage and film those performances. We have some older videos, but usually they were not shot with a purpose for online screening.” And while the audience will gain access to well presented material, artists will continue working. Season is ongoing: challenging cultural habits Among the annual activities organised by the culture ministry is the Citadel Festival for Music and Singing taking place in July and August. Since its launch in 1989, the highly popular festival brought crowds to open-air venues located at the historic Salah El-Din Citadel area, presenting several performances per evening while providing a stage for hundreds of musicians. “This year, the festival’s 29th edition will not take place,” Abdel-Dayem said without hesitating. She takes a moment and continues with clarification: “It is very hard to hold this festival and assure health safety of the attendees. The festival is an audience magnet; many generations attend it, children run between the seats or simply join their families gathered on the lawn while listening to music or just chatting. While this unique atmosphere is part of the festival’s success, the very same spirit makes it impossible to impose physical distancing or assure that all precautionary measures are respected.”Meanwhile, a number of other festivals have been postponed. The first preys of the pandemic were the inaugural Eazees International Women s Theatre Festival (23-29 March) and 5th Sharm El-Sheikh International Theatre Festival for Youth (1-7 April), followed by many others including the new Alexandria Francophone Film Festival whose inaugural edition was set for 12-17 June. The situation is also challenging for other festivals scheduled to take place in the coming weeks or months, such as the Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theatre, planned for the first days of September, but whose destiny is not clear, Abdel-Dayem revealed. She commented that her strategy with any festival is to establish a Plan A, B, and C. “We might have an option of holding the festival as is (especially those with dates further in the future), or we can modify it and shift to an online format. The third option is postponement.” Abdel-Dayem pointed out that, “Some festivals lose their charm, purpose or strength when moved online. Hence we might think about modifying some, while postponing others. We might also need to reassess the festivals’ agenda and their distribution throughout the year,” pointing to the international scene in which many events opted to reschedule or at least modify their plans. Abdel-Dayem is already considering moving the International Festival for University Theatre, headed by Khaled Galal, Egyptian theatre director and head of the Cultural Production Affairs Sector, online. The preliminary preparations for this festival took place at the end of 2019, but the launch was delayed and then interrupted by the pandemic. However, when discussing upcoming plans, Abdel-Dayem reiterates that holding events online or in open-air theatres (and with reduced audiences) tops her priorities as this would help artists generate income. She avoided stressing terms such as ‘festival’ or ‘season’, so as not to create boundaries that might conflict with the concept of an ongoing flow of events, or might be interrupted should the pandemic situation suddenly worsen. “In the difficult months we are in, it is important that we remain positive and cooperate. Let’s forget about boxes, old habits and bureaucracy. We need to adapt ourselves to the circumstances and do whatever is needed for the activities to see the light.” Abdel-Dayem explained that this is not the time to insist on a specific number of performances, whether in theatre or music, but rather to focus on how to fuse cultural dynamism into the present reality. As such, she might, for instance, challenge troupes used to staging one production dozens of times, or with a certain degree of grandiosity. She also points to the audience, saying “we cannot guarantee attendance for all those nights or all formats we are used to. Even if we return to activities in open-air venues and assure all precautionary measures, it is expected that in the first weeks the audience might be very hesitant in attending anything. We have to be realistic, monitor the situation and act accordingly. We have a budget we can utilise, but I also need to distribute it wisely. To me, it is important that we continue working and hopefully expanding activities as much as the general situation of the pandemic allows.” With open-air theatres about to launch, Abdel-Dayem wants to make sure that all operations are put in place in Cairo before moving to other governorates. She clarifies that the Mohamed Abdelwahab Theatre in Alexandria, which was renovated and reopened in September 2018, is another location that the ministry is eyeing for potential open-air events. “The ministry’s team needs to thoroughly check on the venue. Let me finish with Cairo, and Alexandria will follow straight away.” Other governorates will have to wait for the time being. “I am sure that once we kick off with open-air venues, the wheel will start turning better. We will see a flow of new ideas and hopefully more opportunities opening up for artists,” Abdel-Dayem concluded.

Hisham Kharma, the Egyptian composer of the soundtrack of The End television series which aired during Ramadan, met the winners of a contest in which music producers and remixers were invited to create a remix of the series theme music. The first prize winner is a creative duo 7aviators (Ahmed Hassan and Amr Abdelrahman); second prize was awarded to Mostafa Ghazal and third prize to Moaz Abdulnabi. Their wins come as a combination of public voting and a panel of judges that alongside Kharma included also music producers Sary Hany and Sherif Mostafa, and DJs Ahmed Eid and Mohamed Mohasseb. The contest was announced mid-May with music creatives invited to submit their works between 19 and 28 May."We received over 130 remixes, many of which were great! And on a personal level, I was surprised and super happy seeing this number of exceptionally talented producers. Keep going!" Kharma wrote upon the close of submissions. The most coherent tracks were then chosen by the panel of judges and posted online for public voting held between 29 May and 2 June. The panel then chose the winners from the tracks that gained the best public response. With the announcement of the winners, Kharma commented: “Congratulations to 7aviators for their groovy Oriental deep house remix; Mostafa Ghazal for his remarkable fusion remix; and Moaz Abdulnabi for his electronically cool production." The winners were announced 8 June and the distribution of awards took place earlier this week. Listen to the winning tracks below:The contest was held in cooperaion with Synergy, Gamma Music and Alfanny. Born and raised in Cairo, Egyptian composer, music producer and creative director Hisham Kharma lived in Miami, Hamburg and Dubai, where he has gained a multicultural experience in music and arts at large. He has released a few albums in which he mostly fuses ethnic, electronic sounds with lounge and funk. His albums include First Voyage, released by Virgin Megastore and Hybrid records; Arabesque by Sony Music in which he cooperated with Grammy-award winner Yanni and Can Atilla; and Al YaQeen. Recently Kharma has also embarked on live concerts attracting large scores of listeners to his electronic / funk performances. He has composed a soundtrack to the highly popular television series The End (Al Nehaya) which aired during last Ramadan. ​Directed by Yasser Sami and produced by company Synergy, ‘The End’ stars Youssef El Sherif, Nahed El Sebaie, Sahar El Sayegh, Ahmed Wafik, Amr Abdelgelil. The sci-fi series takes us one hundred years into the future where we meet an engineer who has to deal with the technology which appeared 50 years from now and proved damaging to the humanity.

Saudi Arabia s Minister of Culture Badr bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan Al Saud announced yesterday that the Kingdom is preparing to add music, theatre and art departments in its universities. The decision, the first of its kind in the Gulf country’s history, was revealed by the minister on his Twitter account. The minister said that the inclusion of art departments at universities is an important step in Saudi Arabia s cultural renaissance. The initial steps in the initiative involve launching an Arts and Culture Department at the King Saud University (Riyadh), a Bachelor of Science in Cinematic Arts at Effat University (Jeddah), and a Master’s in the Literature of Theatrical Arts at King Abdulaziz University (Jeddah). This is the second big move to include arts in Saudi curricula. In November 2019, the minister announced the introduction of music, theatre, and art lessons at public and private schools across the country. Art education is part of the Kingdom s larger “cultural renaissance” initiative implemented in recent years, which has included cultural activities being held in numerous Saudi cities. Before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia had announced its first ever film festival, the Red Sea International Film Festival, which was scheduled to take place between 12 and 21 March 2020 and featured hand-picked local, regional and international films and filmmakers. The festival has been postponed due to the general shutdown of activities to prevent the spread of the virus. Between December 2019 and March 2020, Saudi Arabia s Al-Ula governorate held "Winter at Tantora", a large-scale music carnaval featuring musicians including Enrique Iglesias, Lionel Richie, Yanni, and the Caracalla Dance Theatre. In late 2019, the two-month-long Riyadh Season festival gave the capital a variety of entertainment activities, including music, exhibitions, and culinary showcases. The event brought to Jeddah the biggest names in the Arab music industry as well as numerous international performers.