A performance made during the opening of the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center.

KUWAIT: Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Center chose the late Amir's quote 'From Kuwait We Start' as the theme of its first festival season, which kicks off today. The center intends to showcase the Kuwaiti cultural scene's cream of the crop to suit the venue, which won several international awards for its architectural beauty, the center's director-general for events Faisal Khaja said yesterday. The festival, which will continue until April 2018, will include theatrical, musical and debate-related activities.

The event will host local, Arab and international performers, Khaja said, including the center's proud achievement - an over 50-strong orchestra with a 70 percent Kuwaiti majority led by maestro Mohammad Baqer.

The activities will not be limited to the building's indoor theatres, but will stretch to its surrounding courtyards. Exhibitions at the event will focus on local heritage, with a touch of modernity, he said. These include 'Exhibition 1927', which celebrates 90 years since the release of the first Kuwaiti music single on vinyl.

Several original recordings, produced that year, will be on display by singers Abdullah Al-Fedhala, Abdullatif Al-Kuwaiti, Saleh, Dawood Ezra Al-Kuwaiti and Saleh Abdulrazzaq. Baqer also revealed a special exhibition dedicated to the late iconic Kuwaiti actor Abdulhussain Abdelredha, including several rare works of the Gulf legend. The event's schedule for the first half of the season, until December, is currently posted on the center's website. - KUNA