“We dream of breaking down centralization and presenting all kinds of arts in Minya and Upper Egypt. We believe it is possible to achieve our dream here in our own country. We dream of being the reason for the society's change of perception of Upper Egypt. We want society to see how beautiful Upper Egypt is and discover its talents and creative energies.” These are the goals set by a youth group in Minya, which formed a cultural group called Alwanat (Arabic for "colors").

Alwanat seeks to promote all forms of art through initiatives and new and innovative ideas. The group started organizing art activities inside the city of Minya and then moved between the province’s centers, hoping to extend the scope of its activities across all of Upper Egypt’s north and south provinces.

Marco Adel, one of the founders of the group and the current coordinator of the working group, told Al-Monitor, “Alwanat rented a place and turned it into a cultural art center in Minya province. The center was founded by a group of eight young volunteers passionate for art and culture. Alwanat officials seek to promote and spread all forms of art among all members of the society.”

In October 2015, Alwanat organized for the first time a film festival in Upper Egypt for a group of artists, most notably television producer Mohammed al-Adel; May Nour al-Sherif, the daughter of renowned actor Nour al-Sherif; Hamza al-Eili; Rania Shahin; and Father Boutros Daniel, the director of the Catholic Festival.