North Central College has welcomed Riad Ismat as scholar-in-residence for the 2014-2015 academic year. Ismat will serve as visiting professor of arts and letters. He will teach courses in playwriting, acting and directing, besides lecturing on Syria, Arabic literature and drama. An acclaimed dramatist in the Arab world with 34 books to his credit, Ismat served as Syrian minister of culture from 2010 to 2012 and also served as Syrian ambassador to Pakistan and Qatar, director general of State Radio & TV and rector of Syria’s Academy of Dramatic Arts. He read English literature at Damascus University, Syria, earned a postgraduate diploma in theater directing at Cardiff University, United Kingdom, and received a certificate in television production and direction from the BBC. He was trained briefly at Drama Centre, London, as professional instructor of acting and was trained in mime. He was a Fulbright fellow and was awarded a doctorate in Shakespeare studies from Greenwich University. Ismat was awarded the Best Arabic Short Story prize from Germany’s Deutsche Welle and was honored at several Arab theatre festivals. Ismat directed extensively in Damascus, especially plays by Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams, and is noted for his adaptations of “The Arabian Nights,” “Shahryar’s Nights,” “Sinbad” and “The Game of Love & Revolution.” He also wrote seven television serials, broadcast from many Arab satellite stations, notably the award-winning “Holaco” and also “A Crown of Thorn.” In his career, Ismat has emphasized bridging the gap between cultures, drawing from Arab heritage in a modern approach, advocating humanitarian values that stress democracy and tolerance, while condemning totalitarianism that represses freedom and degrades the dignity of human beings. Ismat’s residence at North Central occurs as the College is establishing an innovative academic program in Middle Eastern and North African studies that will include language courses in Arabic. –News Bulletin news sources The post Ex-Syrian minister now NCC artist-in-residence appeared first on News Bulletin.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 07:30:32 +0000
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