New Grant Highlights U.S. Cultural Support
Agreement Helps Preserve Historic Addis Ababa Theatre

September 21, 2006
No. 32/06

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – Public Affairs Counselor Dr. Anthony Fisher joined Addis Ababa City Administration Bureau Head for Information and Culture, H.E. Ato Misgnaw Arga on Thursday, September 21, to sign a grant that will make possible the structural consolidation of the historic Hager Fikir Theatre.  The grant, in the amount of $35,000, is being provided through the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation, an annual competitive program of the U.S. Department of State.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr. Fisher noted that Ethiopia’s strong participation in the 2006 Ambassador’s Fund competition is a sign not only of deep U.S.-Ethiopian cultural ties, but also of the recognition by the American people of the richness and depth of Ethiopia’s cultural heritage.  He pointed out that the site preserved by this funding is an important cultural symbol for Ethiopia.  “Built in 1934, Hagr Fikir Mahaber is the oldest indigenous playhouse in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a special place not only for Ethiopians but also for all Africans, as the first theatre to be built by Africans for Africans south of the Sahara.  Hagr Fikir has played a formative role in the evolution of Ethiopian theatre, music, and dance.  It is a living cultural landscape that continues to serve the public, and has its own unique subculture of the actors, dancers, and musicians.”

Previous Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation grants in Ethiopia have supported conservation efforts at Shiekh Nur Hussen Shrine in Oromia, Guzara Castle in North Gondar and a structural study of the historic monument at Yeha in Tigray.

The Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation is the only U.S. Government program that provides direct small grant support to cultural heritage preservation in less developed countries. In creating the fund in 2001, the U.S. Congress noted that "in efforts to assist in preserving the heritage of other cultures, we show our respect for them."   In 2006, 104 countries were eligible to participate in the Ambassador’s Fund; Ethiopia’s successful proposal was one of 87 chosen for funding out of a total of over 164 submitted from countries around the world.

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