Every year since 1997, Algeria has celebrated its artists, creators and culture on 8 June, commemorating the execution of the artist Ali Maâchi by colonial forces.
For this national day, and as part of the 60th anniversary of independence, the Abdelkader-Alloula regional theater in Oran hosted the play "132 ans" by playwright Ould Abderrahmane Kaki. The play recounts the struggle of the Algerian people against French colonialism over a period of 132 years. The play is considered a major work of Algerian theatrical heritage, and has been revisited for the occasion with the inclusion of song and dance.
A number of young artists and creators received awards as part of the seventeenth edition of the Ali Maâchi Prize of the President of the Republic, to mark National Artists' Day. Established in 2006, this prize rewards the best literary, poetic, plastic, cinematographic, musical, theatrical and choreographic works submitted by young talents, with a view to encouraging and supporting them.
The President of the Republic awarded the First Prize for Fiction to Tayeb Sayad, the First Prize for Poetry to Khelil Abbès, and the First Prize for Drama to Manal Ben Hellal.
The President also awarded the prizes for theatrical performance to Abdeldjalil Maallem, best musical work to Aymen Makhloufi, visual arts to Laouissi Romaissa, choreography to Zine El Abidine Khattab, and cinema and audiovisual to Mohamed-Amine Yazid.
This year's jury was chaired by writer and translator Mohamed Sari.