Les Étoiles du Souss Cultural Centre, Agadir

A neighbourhood cultural centre in Hay El Farah

Les Étoiles du Souss is the Agadir member of the Les Étoiles network created by the Ali Zaoua Foundation. Located in Hay El Farah, in the Bensergao area, it brings arts education, cultural practice and public programming to a neighbourhood historically distant from the city’s main cultural institutions.

Established in 2019, it was the network’s third centre after Les Étoiles de Sidi Moumen in Casablanca and Les Étoiles du Détroit in Tangier. The project emerged through cooperation between the Ali Zaoua Foundation, local authorities, the City of Agadir and Morocco’s National Initiative for Human Development. The building was constructed and equipped through the INDH, with further support from regional partners and patrons.

Its location is central to its purpose: culture is treated as a tool for learning, confidence, social inclusion and professional opportunity rather than as a service reserved for central or tourist districts.

From Timitar to a permanent programme

The centre’s first public activities were launched in July 2019 through the off-site programme of the Timitar Festival. Workshops led by artists including Mehdi Nassouli addressed musical discovery, career development for emerging artists and the circulation of music through digital platforms.

This beginning captures a continuing feature of the centre: basic artistic learning is linked to real questions of production, visibility and professional pathways.

Spaces for learning, rehearsal and public presentation

Les Étoiles du Souss works as a neighbourhood arts school, rehearsal facility and small public venue. Documented facilities include:

• a multipurpose auditorium for approximately 150 people;
• film-screening equipment;
• artist dressing and reception areas;
• a dance studio;
• music and instrumental-practice rooms;
• a drawing and visual-arts workshop;
• a library;
• classrooms and meeting rooms;
• a café area also used for group discussions.

Access to each area depends on classes, rehearsals, residencies and events. The centre is therefore not a monument with continuous visitor access, but a working cultural space organised around scheduled activity.

Regular arts and language education

Depending on the season, the centre offers theatre, improvisation, dance, music, visual arts, photography, comics and foreign-language learning. Digital, coding and design activities may also be included in the educational programme.

A 2020 operational snapshot recorded 240 participants aged six to twenty-eight, 53 per cent of them girls, working with thirteen teachers. These figures describe an early stage in the centre’s growth and should not be treated as its current permanent capacity.

The value of the model lies in continuity. Participants do not only attend performances: they learn a discipline, rehearse, collaborate, meet artists and gradually present their own work to an audience.

Amazigh culture and the heritage of Souss

The centre operates in a region where Amazigh languages, music and cultural practices are fundamental. Music workshops can draw on traditional Souss rhythms and instruments while placing them in conversation with jazz, hip-hop, current music and digital production.

This approach avoids treating heritage as frozen folklore. Young participants are encouraged to understand inherited forms, reinterpret them and create new work. Regional artists contribute to workshops, residencies and encounters, connecting local transmission with contemporary artistic practice.

Urban culture and emerging talent

Les Étoiles du Souss participates in national programmes developed by the Ali Zaoua Foundation around hip-hop, dance, beatbox, graffiti and theatrical improvisation. The Positive School of Hip-Hop and the national Nojoum improvisation league have helped young artists train, form groups and perform across the wider Les Étoiles network.

The centre also hosts masterclasses, creative coaching, residencies and public showcases. The aim is to help participants move from discovery towards independent practice, higher arts education or employment in the artistic and cultural sectors.

A public programme connected to the city

Alongside regular courses, the centre presents concerts, theatre, exhibitions, film screenings and discussions, artist talks, family activities and professional events.

Recent formats have included:

• Ciné Kids, combining an animated film screening with discussion for children and families;
• Café M3a Artiste, encounters with artists working in the region;
• public showcases by music, dance, theatre and visual-arts students;
• the Agadir International University Theatre Festival, hosted at the centre in 2025 and again in 2026;
• the Ali Zaoua Academy’s national Agora meeting in October 2025, focused on cultural mediation, citizenship, entrepreneurship and territorial development.

The centre therefore works across several levels: children’s arts education, support for emerging artists, public performance and professional reflection on the cultural sector in Souss-Massa.

Registration and access

Regular workshops generally require registration with the centre. Age groups, schedules, available places and any contribution vary by discipline and season. Many public events are free, although booking or limited seating may apply.

No stable permanent opening schedule or centre-specific telephone number is currently published through sufficiently reliable official sources. Visitors should consult current Ali Zaoua Foundation and Les Étoiles announcements before travelling.

The centre is located at Block 18, Street 12, Al Farah neighbourhood, Bensergao, south-east of central Agadir. It should not be confused with cultural venues near the seafront or the city centre.

Continue exploring culture in Agadir

Continue with the National Institute of Fine Arts in Agadir, the French Institute of Agadir, the Agadir Open-Air Theatre, current events in Agadir and the national cultural map.