Project for Inventorying Theatrical Groups, Folk Arts, and Their Practitioners

The Project for Inventorying Theatrical Groups, Folk Arts, and Their Practitioners is an initiative announced by the Theater and Performing Arts Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2022. The project aims to organize the work of these groups, create a database to support them and make their operations more organized and efficient, and assess the infrastructure and cultural activities of these groups.

The Project for Inventorying Theatrical Groups, Folk Arts, and Their Practitioners is implemented through two tracks. The first is a field track involving a team deployed across all provinces of the Kingdom to conduct the inventorying process and meet with troupes and practitioners. The second track is through an electronic platform promoted on the commission's social media accounts, enabling troupe leaders and practitioners to enter their data. This approach aims to design a comprehensive database that accurately assesses the current state of the troupes and practitioners.

The project consists of multiple stages through which the Theater and Performing Arts Commission aims to establish a database and reference for theatrical troupes, folk arts groups, and practitioners in the theater sector. The first phase, "Inventorying," includes several activities: creating comprehensive lists of groups and practitioners, including contact information; conducting an investigative report on the current state of theatrical groups, folk arts groups, and individual performing arts practitioners in the Kingdom, as well as their legal status; inventorying the types of plays presented by individual practitioners; and documenting the participation, achievements, and awards of groups and practitioners at the local and international levels. The second phase, "Technical Operations," will involve creating a comprehensive list of theatrical groups, folk arts groups, theater practitioners, and folk arts practitioners, developing an electronic application or website that includes inventorying information, and establishing a library of photos and videos for inventorying and documentation purposes. The third phase of the project focuses on preparing a governance model for managing and publishing data content, implementing governance for managing and sharing data on groups and practitioners, classifying descriptive and quantitative data, managing reference and master data, and managing content and documents.

The Theater and Performing Arts Commission, through the Project for Inventorying Theatrical Groups, Folk Arts Groups, and Practitioners in the Kingdom, aims to document an accurate reference that aligns with the commission's strategy. This includes listing and counting the troupes and practitioners, gathering their contact information, and inventorying various art forms. Additionally, the project will assess the infrastructure and cultural activities of these troupes, establishing a qualitative and quantitative reference to measure the current state of theatrical groups and folk arts in the Kingdom.

The Theater and Performing Arts Commission works on content creation and enhancing its quantity and diversity, covering all types of performing arts: theater, dance, circus performances, improv comedy, street performances, motion shows, ballet, and opera. The commission's work also includes activating theaters, ensuring content quality, encouraging prolific production, and promoting the culture of performing arts to become an essential component of national culture.