By Chidiebere Ezeani
The cultural and artistic programme accompanying the 12th All-Africa University Games continued to provide participants with experiences beyond the field of play on the fourth day of Cairo 2026.
Held alongside the sporting competitions, the programme transformed the delegations’ residence at Ain Shams University into a meeting point for cinema, music, visual arts, traditional crafts and student creativity.
The activities were organised under the patronage of Prof. Abdelaziz Konsowa, Egypt’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Acting Minister of Culture. They offered university students and delegates from across Africa an opportunity to discover elements of Egyptian culture while engaging with artistic and cultural perspectives from around the continent.
African stories through cinema
Cinema featured prominently in the day’s programme through an event organised in collaboration with the Luxor African Film Festival.
Filmmaker Sayed Fouad presented a selection of films from the festival, introducing participants to stories exploring the cultural, social and human experiences of communities across Africa.
The screenings demonstrated the ability of cinema to communicate across borders and provide young Africans with a deeper understanding of the continent’s diverse identities and shared experiences.
Music brings the delegations together
The programme also featured “Art Street,” presented by the Egyptian Academy of Arts in coordination with its President, Dr Nabila Hassan.
The performances included songs, solo vocal presentations and bassoon music, bringing an atmosphere of creativity and celebration to the delegations’ residence. The programme introduced participants to different expressions of Egyptian music and performing arts while creating an informal space for interaction among the delegations. Al Bawaba News
Heritage crafts and student creativity
Egypt’s Ministry of Culture also participated through the General Organisation of Culture Palaces, in coordination with director Hisham Atwa.
A series of traditional handicraft workshops gave participants an opportunity to experience artistic practices connected to Egypt’s cultural identity and collective memory. The interactive nature of the workshops allowed students to move beyond observation and engage directly with the country’s living heritage.
Ain Shams University further highlighted the talents of young Egyptian artists through an exhibition of paintings and other creative works produced by students of its Faculty of Specific Education.
The exhibition provided a platform for students to present their work to African delegations and demonstrated that the Games celebrate achievement and creativity both within and beyond sport.
Dr Karim Hammam, Adviser to the Minister for Student Activities and Director of the Leadership Development Institute, said the diversity of the programme reflected the organisers’ commitment to using culture and the arts to strengthen interaction between Egyptian and African university students.
“Culture and the arts are a bridge for connection and communication between Egyptian and African university youth,” he said.
The fourth day’s activities reinforced the wider purpose of Cairo 2026 as more than a sporting competition. Through cinema, music, art and heritage, the Games are creating opportunities for young Africans to exchange ideas, express their talents and build relationships across cultural and national boundaries.
For the participating student-athletes and delegates, the programme offered a valuable complement to the intensity of competition—and a reminder that the lasting legacy of university sport is also found in the friendships, experiences and cultural understanding created around it.