TEHRAN- A total of 200 artists with disabilities are participating in the 44th Fajr Theater Festival, which is currently underway in Tehran. 

In this national event, 22 theater groups composed of artists with disabilities are taking part in various sections, IRNA reported.

These selected groups emerged from intense competitions held during six regional festivals for persons with disabilities in December, the report added. 

Among the top works, 22 theater groups succeeded in advancing to the festival, which includes performances in the stage section and in the street performance category. 

The groups are representing 15 provinces across the country, including Gilan, North Khorasan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Ilam, Khorasan Razavi, Isfahan, Zanjan, Kerman, West Azarbaijan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Yazd, Fars, Kermanshah, Alborz, and East Azarbaijan, coming to Tehran to showcase the artistic capabilities of the disabled community. 

The supervision of this competitive section has been entrusted to prominent theater scholars Shahram Karami, Shahram Zargar, and Valiollah Shali. 

The aim of holding the inclusive section at the Fajr Theater Festival is to create equal opportunities for artists with disabilities, promote social empowerment through art, and change societal attitudes towards the capabilities of these individuals. 

The opening ceremony of the 44th Fajr International Theater Festival, directed by Seyyed Vahid Fakhr Mousavi, took place on January 17 at the Culture and Art Hall in Kerman. During this event, winners of the photography, poster, research, playwriting, and radio theater sections were announced and honored. 

The 44th International Fajr Theater Festival will be underway in Tehran until February 1.

SAB/