KUWAIT CITY, July 29: The National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters (NCCAL), in collaboration with the Kuwait Philatelic and Numismatic Society (KPNS), recently held an art workshop titled "Designing Postage Stamps" at the Kuwait National Library. This event was part of the 16th Cultural Summer Festival.

The workshop, presented by Issa Dashti and Jaber Al-Hindal, aimed to educate children about the significance and history of postage stamps in Kuwait. Issa Dashti, Secretary of the KPNS, highlighted that the workshop has an artistic focus, allowing children to integrate their drawings into postage stamp designs.

Dashti described postage stamps as "cultural ambassadors," noting that they reflect the history, events, customs, traditions, and folklore of countries. He pointed out that stamp albums often document key national events and are typically designed by renowned artists. The involvement of children in stamp design helps them contribute their visions of the future and document their creativity.

Dashti also mentioned that the first collection of stamps featuring children's designs was issued in 1979, with a subsequent collection in 1980 showcasing imaginative designs for Kuwait's future.

He emphasized that the drawings created by children in this workshop could potentially be used for new stamp designs and scientific studies, particularly in psychology and education. Over the past 100 years, Kuwaiti children have contributed designs to eight stamp series since the issuance of Kuwait's first stamp on April 1, 1923—a British Indian imperial stamp featuring King George V.

The first official post office in Kuwait opened on January 21, 1915, marking the beginning of the country's postal history.