The inauguration ceremony of the fourth annual Talents of the Desert Festival, was held at the Help Center in Jeddah on Tuesday night. The festival was organized by VSA Arts-Saudi Arabia, a non-profit voluntary arts organization for disabled people, hosted and managed by the Help Center since its establishment in 1994. It is the official representative of VSA Arts International, an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts, based in Washington D.C. VSA has 66 offices around the world. Over the past 14 years, VSA Arts-KSA has developed, executed, and participated in more than 100 projects at the local, regional and international levels. A number of parincesses and artists, including Mohammed Hamza, a famous Saudi actor, attended the ceremony along with the parents of disabled children who performed in the festival. “The Talents of the Desert Festival marks 14 years of evolution of VSA Arts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” said Maha Juffali, Executive Director of VSA Arts-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “It is a platform for artists with disabilities, as well as persons with disabilities, their caretakers, VSA Arts representatives, volunteers and supporters of VSA Arts-KSA, as well as prominent members of the society, to exchange views and learn more about the potential of artists with disabilities.” The Help Center honored the 58 winners of the festival's competition. All those who were honored are disabled. The ceremony included performances by a number of talented artists with disabilities who were also rewarded during the ceremony. Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Musbah, from Kuwait, played two pieces of music to the audience. After that, a talented rap band performed a brief dance. The last show was a short comedy play performed by 11 actors to cheering audiences. The play was inspired by Nutty Boys School, an Egyptian play that was vastly popular in the 1970s. Today is the final day of the festival. Experts from all over the world held workshops and presented lectures, demonstrations, and stage activities. __
