Watering intellects
Abdel-Moneim El-Sawy speaks to Sherif Iskander Nakhla about his cultural centre, Sakia, a new landmark of Zamalek
Against the busy backdrop of 26th July Street, Zamalek, in a relatively secluded spot underneath the bridge, a new, independent cultural centre named Sakia (Waterwheel), now adds to the neighbourhood's growing plethora of private-sector, culturally oriented activities. Sakia was founded three months ago by Abdel-Moneim El-Sawy, who discovered the location by chance while working on a project for his advertising company in the area; the accident proved prodigious. "We came across this large space in a tunnel that was filled with garbage," El-Sawy remembers, "and it was as if we had discovered the cave of Ali Baba. If it wasn't for the location," he adds, "I don't think I'd have carried on with the project." But carry on he did, fortunately, since the project proved extremely successful. Since its opening, in fact, Sakia has not endured a single dead night.
The complex consists of a garden and two multi- purpose halls, the Wisdom Hall and the Word Hall, as well as a book library, an electronic and musical library and a library for children. The halls serve as art galleries as well as venues for theatre and music performances. So far, musical events, especially those presided over by local jazz bands, have drawn in the largest crowds; El-Sawy believes that this is a consequence of such bands being in the spirit of Sakia, in that they put forth an articulate and cosmopolitan (musical) idiom that nonetheless does not lose sight of its Egyptian roots. Such would be the point of a bookshop like Diwan, for example, located on the same street: to provide a world-class cultural service that caters as much to Egyptian interests and tastes as to the need to be in touch with the West. And it was largely on this philosophy that Sakia will thrive.
The construction process proved unexpectedly smooth, involving minimal obstacles; thanks to Cairo Governor Abdel-Rahim Shehata's speedy response to El-Sawy's initial proposal. (The land in question, it is worth noting, is the property of the governorate.) "Without any conditions," El-Sawy gratefully points out, "he gave me permission to start working -- rent fee. The noise from the bridge was loud enough to upstage any type of performance," he adds, "but with a little extra effort we were able minimise the disturbance." Much attention was paid to maintaining a clean and comfortable atmosphere for the public; neither lib (sunflower seeds) nor chewing gum are allowed on the premises; smoking is strictly forbidden both indoors and outside in the garden. Sakia is one of the first venues to not allow outdoor smoking in Egypt. Further facilities include a cafeteria that offers snacks at the same price as the average kiosk. "I don't plan on making profit from the cafeteria," El- Sawy explains. "I just want to make sure that the guests are as comfortable with the atmosphere as they could be."
Sakia's main objective, El-Sawy insists, "is to make sure that our guests leave the centre with something useful. Even if we only reach one per cent of them, we are less worried about hosting the top artists than about giving the puplic something useful. I'm quite happy with Sakia's current atmosphere," El-Sawy adds. "I don't feel that it only belongs to me any more. We have many regulars now who care for the centre as if it were their own. They stay at the centre until the doors are shut." Auditioning for performances was not initially undertaken, something that became apparent in some performances. Following the disappointment of these shows, it has now become an essential part of the process. "Our doors are open to any artist," El-Sawy explains. "But we have to see the work before we give our approval. In the case of a play, for example, we check the text for explicit language and we attend one rehearsal. If we feel that the performers have something useful to offer the audience, then we allow them to use the space."
El-Sawy's interest in theatre began at an early age, while he was still at the German School in Zamalek (it has now been relocated to Doqqi), his principal hobby being puppetry. "I learned so much from my previous theatrical experience. The puppet theatre upholds all the artistic elements and conventions of the normal theatre, with the added benefit of the technique needed to handle the marionettes," he explains. "It is a very intimate type of performance. It allows you to see a play inside out even as you play a single character in it." El-Sawy's strongest influence was his father, an artistically conscious and culturally committed personality. "He always kept me in touch with the world of art. In my childhood he was always taking me to galleries to see exhibitions, and whenever we travelled abroad he would make sure that we visited museums and such places," El-Sawy recalls with a smile. "He was always on my mind as the centre came into being. And I know he would have liked to see and partake in the project."
The international-cosmopolitan orientation of the cultural centre is an important aspect of the endeavour. Unlike most other such venues in Cairo, Sakia is decidedly anational; it aims to reach not only Egyptians but the full range of the city's still varied human composition. "We promote human culture," El-Sawy declaims. "Having a variety of perspectives on human nature could be useful to the audience regardless of their nationality or of the cultural background of the project. Any person with a mature character and a lucid mind will tell you that human benefit is a far higher virtue than patriotism." Another, interesting aspect of the centre is the relationship between guests and management -- interactive, friendly and positive enough to make for enduring bonds. The centre does its best to abide by the requests of its members, providing all that they require from computer to dancing lessons. The management provides the space, while members and teachers sort out money among themselves.
A few (successful) months on, the government has given El-Sawy permission to build an extension, which will occupy the other side of the tunnel near the Nile; the new space should be available for use by the end of the summer. "I think Cairo can handle a few more culture centres still. The number we currently have is only a fraction of what this city requires," El-Sawy goes on to say. "I have never sensed any competition between us and any other cultural centre, but I think that as a group cultural centres should be more cooperative and help each other express new ideas and undertake innovative projects. Time is of the essence, the most valuable commodity in this business of ours. I feel very disheartened when I see teenagers do nothing but smoke shisha all day. Our challenge is to reach out to and involve them, and it requires as much serious effort as we can muster. "
