Strings that stitch Kuwait’s heritage

15/08/2026

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 15: The Americani Cultural Center hosted on Friday a performance of the children’s and family puppet play “Jammoul, Guardian of the Wall” as part of the 18th Cultural Summer Festival, organized by Kuwait’s National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL). The play revisits aspects of life in Kuwait before the discovery of oil, when Kuwait City was a coastal commercial center and a major hub for maritime and overland trade, and the camel caravans were a vital part of the movement of trade and transportation of goods.

The play’s author Huda Al-Shawa said in a press statement that using puppets to tell children about social history transforms historical events, facts, and information about life in old Kuwait into an enjoyable visual experience. Children tend to connect with puppet characters, empathize with them, and absorb the human values conveyed through their dialogue and the events, she said. Such theatrical performance helps them connect with their roots and their past and understand life in the present, she added.

The performance also explores the role of Kuwait’s city wall and its gates in protecting the city and its people. The story centers on young Jammoul, who finds himself facing a new responsibility of carrying and protecting goods during a journey with his parents, accompanied by a camel driver, in Kuwait City. (KUNA)