Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at 12:47
Fez – The Mohammed VI Foundation for the Promotion of Social Works in Education-Training inaugurated, on Monday, its fourth “IKLYLE Cultural Center” in Fez.
This opening is part of the Foundation’s 2018-2028 ten-year action plan, aimed at developing and promoting socio-cultural services for the Education-Training family.
The inauguration of the center, carried out for an investment of more than 37 million dirhams (MDH), was marked by an official ceremony co-chaired by Mr. Chakib Benmoussa, Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, and Mr. Youssef El Bakkali, President of the Foundation.
In a statement to the press, Mr. El Bakkali stressed that this new center offers a place of exchange and discovery for members of the Foundation, as well as for residents of the region.
“The center has a media library including a documentary collection of 12,000 physical resources and more than 68,000 digital resources. It also houses spaces dedicated to reading and cultural activities,” he said.
With more than 540,000 annual beneficiaries for its first three centers, the Foundation continues its commitment to expanding the “IKLYLE” network across the Kingdom. In this regard, Mr. El Bakkali reported that 19 new openings are planned by 2026, thus covering the 12 regions of the Kingdom to promote access to culture and education for all.
For his part, Hassan Ez Zaim, director of Art and Culture at the Mohammed VI Foundation, underlined the importance of the cultural pillar in the services offered by the Foundation.
He recalled that the Foundation is committed to offering a range of services to families in the areas of education and training, while making culture a central element of this mission.
It is in this context that the Foundation has set up a network of “IKLYLE” cultural centers, already present in Rabat, Tangier and Tetouan.
For Mr. Ez Zaim, the inauguration of the center in Fez marks a new stage in the development of this network, offering residents of the region access to a space dedicated to discovery and artistic creation.
He stressed that the Foundation, in collaboration with universities, institutions and professionals from different artistic fields, is committed to guaranteeing the quality of the programs offered and to offering members access to culture and education in a stimulating and enriching environment.
In addition to its different spaces, including “readers”, “braille for the blind and visually impaired”, “youth”, “music” and “art”, the center offers the possibility of practicing several artistic disciplines, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, photography, musical awakening and dramatic arts.
According to foundation officials, the center’s artistic workshops will be led by artists and specialists recognized in their field, thus offering a rich and diverse cultural program. Activities such as manual workshops, audiovisual screening sessions, conference debates and cultural days will also be offered.
The “IKLYLE” center in Fez covers an area of more than 2000 m² spread over two floors. It is located in the heart of a historic heritage area, bordered by the wall of the Kasbah des Riafas, and surrounded by emblematic sites of the city, such as the Jnane Sbil public garden and the Bab Riafa gate.
The opening ceremony of this new center was also marked by the presence of the Wali of the Fez-Meknes region, governor of the Fez prefecture Said Zniber, the director of the Moroccan Preschool Foundation, Noureddine Boutayeb, as well as the president of the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez and that of the Euromed University of Fez.
