According to the Public Relations and International Affairs of the Kish Free Zone Organization, Mohammadhossein Hassani, at the press conference introducing the 1405 art festivals with focuses on theater, film, photography and music, held in the Khwarazmi Hall of the Kish International Conference Center, referring to the continuity of cultural and artistic activities on the island, stated: despite difficult economic conditions and the special atmosphere of recent months, Kish's cultural and artistic activities have continued strongly.
He added: the number of cultural and artistic events held in the first half of this year has equaled and even slightly exceeded the number of events for the entire last year; the exact statistics and the percentage increase in programs will be announced after the final compilation.
Hassani considered the presence of artists and cultural activists alongside the people to be one of the factors effective in strengthening the island's social resilience and said: cultural and artistic figures during this period, by continuing their activities, helped preserve psychological calm and hope in society, and the Kish Free Zone Organization also sought to facilitate their activities to enable the continuation of cultural and artistic programs.
The Cultural and Social Deputy of the Kish Free Zone Organization, referring to the impact of economic conditions on the island, especially because a considerable part of Kish's economy is linked to tourism, asserted: despite economic pressures and increased social responsibilities of the organization, activity in the field of culture and art did not stop and this sector remains a focus of the organization's management.
He, explaining the approach of the CEO of the Free Zone Organization, added: Mohammad Kabiri's view of culture and art is not merely an expense, and investment in this field is considered part of investment for the island's future and social development.
Hassani continued: this approach has also been pursued in educational and cultural areas and actions have been taken in schools, higher education and the development of cultural and artistic spaces. The commissioning of the Master Nasirian Theater and the improvement of cultural and exhibition spaces have also been carried out within this framework.
Impact on the local community; a criterion for evaluating festivals
The Cultural and Social Deputy of the Kish Free Zone Organization named impact on the local community as one of the main criteria for evaluating art festivals and said: merely holding an event, the presence of well-known figures or having extensive media coverage alone are not appropriate criteria for measuring a festival's success; rather it must be specified what each event has achieved for the Kish community.
He emphasized that by local community he means the indigenous people and other residents of the island, and added: it should be examined to what extent festivals have been effective in education, talent identification, creating motivation and increasing the participation of artists and enthusiasts residing in Kish.
Hassani, referring to the theater festival as an example, stated: if holding this festival leads to an increase in the number of students, the formation of more theatrical groups and a stronger presence of Kish artists in artistic events, it can be considered a sign of the festival's real and lasting impact on the local community.
He also listed strengthening hope, unity and social solidarity among the other expected functions of cultural and artistic events and said: artists, by utilizing various artistic capacities, can play an effective role in strengthening public morale, increasing solidarity and showing the dynamism of society.
The art economy; a path to diversifying Kish's economy
Hassani went on to describe the development of the art economy and creative industries as one of the serious missions of the artistic sector of the Kish Free Zone Organization and said: one way to get through the current conditions and diversify the island's economy is to reduce sole dependence on tourism and strengthen sectors that have connections and synergy with this industry; the art economy and creative industries are among the most important of these sectors.
He added: holding artistic events is a valuable action, but the effectiveness of these events increases when art enters Kish's economic cycle and, alongside cultural and social functions, helps create economic opportunities and improve livelihoods, especially those of artists.
The Cultural and Social Deputy of the Kish Free Zone Organization, referring to the capacities and infrastructures available on the island, stated: Kish has suitable potential for the development of the art economy and this capacity should be used with targeted planning and the presentation of specific and assessable plans.
Hassani emphasized: from this year, the art economy and creative industries must become one of the organization's clear demands of artistic management and the executive programs of this field should be designed so that their results are measurable.
He, referring to the senior management's support for this approach, added: the CEO of the Kish Free Zone Organization also pays strategic attention to the development of the art economy and the organization will support effective and executable programs to prosper this field.
At the end of this meeting, the appointment letters of the festival secretaries were presented to Hamid Hadi as Secretary of the Second Regional Women's Music Festival of Iran and Ritual Movements of Iranian Ethnicities; Abbas Najari as Secretary of the Kish Coastal Theater Festival; and Seyyed Hossein Tahouri as Secretary of the First Photo and Image Festival (Qais).