Opera Damascus is awaiting a name change amidst the halt of artistic activities.

The Damascus Opera House, formerly known as the "Dar Al-Assad for Culture and Arts," is currently experiencing a state of stagnation and anticipation of an official name change, as revealed by Maestro Misak Baghboudarian, the Opera's director. Baghboudarian added that the Opera has ceased organizing regular activities since the new authorities took over in Damascus, facing logistical and administrative issues with the Ministry of Culture, leading to a decline in artistic activities and a decrease in audience attendance. So far, events have been limited to special shows and official celebrations, such as the poetry evening held last month in celebration of the victory. The delay in the release of the budget allocated to the Opera has hindered the preparation of this year's events, despite promises to receive it by early June, which is essential for starting actual activities. The Opera has submitted several show proposals to the Ministry of Culture but has not received a response yet. Despite the absence of official decisions to ban shows, Baghboudarian expressed concerns about potential restrictions on artistic expression, especially with the cultural changes in the country. He emphasized that the Opera used to host regular programs, a national symphony orchestra, as well as international bands, theatrical, and dance performances, but now faces uncertainties regarding the authorities' approval of certain art forms. Since the fall of the previous regime, regular artistic activities at the Opera have ceased, causing concern and anticipation in the cultural community about the future of artistic expression freedom in Syria, amid a lack of clear official directives from the new authorities regarding cultural policy. It is worth mentioning that the Opera House opened in 2004 as a primary center for music and theater arts in Syria, serving as an official artistic showcase in recent years before its activities almost stopped towards the end of last year.