26 November, 2004 - Assistance Needed on Children's Performance
21 November, 2004 - Projects Begin Taking Off in Balata
________________________________________________________________
Children's Performance Project - Assistance Needed
In 1998, three Palestinians initiated a program to bring the art of theatre to the children in Balata camp. With no facilities in the camp for drama activity, the founders realized that there was a pressing need for creative outlets of expression amongst children.
Initially, the group was affiliated with the Warsha Center for Fine Arts, based out of Nablus. Recently, the Warsha Centre became obsolete, leading the group to move its rehearsals to the facilities of the Yafa Center, in Balata.
The group has developed over time, but is now at its strongest since its founding. Run wholly on a volunteer basis, the two drama instructors and the children have created a 90 minute performance encompassing music, dance and theatre.
In its mandate, the group outlines its main aims:
1) To teach theatrical arts and offer a forum for creative expression to talented children in Balata Refugee Camp.
2) To continue the legacy of traditional Palestinian customs of dance, music and costume.
3) To combat the psychological effects of the occupation through art and performance, giving children a safe space and alternative means of expression.
4) To illustrate the Palestinian cause, specifically that of refugees, through dramatic performance.
In its history, the group has produced and performed over 10 different theatre
production, the most recent being 'Ahmed al-Arabi' and 'The Boy and the Girl.'
'Ahmed al-Arabi' consists of two fifteen minute dramatic plays; the first depicting
a scene in a Palestinian village in 1948 during the ‘Nabka’ when the
Palestinians were forced off of their lands. The second shows a present-day
scene at a checkpoint in which a school child is killed by an Israeli soldier.
'The Boy and the Girl' critically examines gender issues within Palestine, asking
questions as to why girls and boys are valued so differently within the home
and the public sphere.
This year the group has also added dance and music to their repertoire. Trained performers have coached the children in learning the art of ‘Dabka’, a traditional Palestinian dance, and given lessons in instrument performance. Wearing beautiful locally-produced costumes, the children themselves play the music, sing and dance. The ‘Dabka’ performance makes up half of the overall performance.
The group has performed at two festivals inside of Palestine, in Salfit and Ramallah, and taken away high recognition and awards in both festivals. The group regularly performs within Balata and Nablus, However, closure and lack of funds limit the opportunity for travel and wider audiences.
In collaboration with organizations within Balata, the Balatacamp.net collective is currently embarking upon a project to take this group on tour in the U.K., leaving open the possibility of extending the visit to other countries within Europe. Bringing this type of political art to audiences outside of Palestine is a unique opportunity to show a different side of the struggle through a powerful medium. Performance groups from Bethlehem and Ramallah have toured abroad in the past, but never a group from the northern refugee camps, where the effects of the occupation are strongest and most oppressive.
To make this project happen, significant help is needed. As of now, we are hoping to make the tour sometime in August or September to be able to participate in summer festivals, and also to make connections with schools. We need help:
- finding interested venues and organizations to host the group
- looking into possible festivals to perform
- finding sympathetic organizations willing to help with invitations for visas
and logistics
- looking into possible financial backers - including organizations and individuals
- any other ideas/skills people can offer
Please forward this email to anyone that may be interested in helping. For more information, email: kelly@balatacamp.net
_______________________________________________________________________________
Hello everyone!
First, we need to send our apologies for not sending regular updates. Due to the Ramadan and Eid holidays, and delays as a result of the passing of Arafat, we were not able to start moving on the projects as soon as we hoped. Hopefully the updates will be more consistent in the future.
As some people might know, there has been a general strike of UNRWA employees for the last 40 days. In the refugee camps, this means that there was no school, no garbage pickup, no medical clinic, and no other basic social services that the camp depends on. The striking workers were all Palestinians, demanding basic benefits and an end to the pay discrimination between Palestinian and foreign employees. For example, an UNWRA employee from Balata might receive 100 JD in 'hazard pay' every 4 months, while their foreign colleagues working in Jerusalem would receive 400 JD in one month. The strike ended today, undoubtedly with the strikers' demands barely being met, but the services are back running again in the camp. Children are back in school and the mountains of rubbish covering the streets are slowly being cleared.
Concurrently, there are a number of exciting projects happening with the balatacamp.net projects!
Practical media trainings have begun; teaching children, teenagers and adults basic skills in journalism, website editing, photography skills and basic computer skills. We are placing an emphasis on working with women, and on acutely socio-economically disadvantaged children and teens that are not already involved in youth projects in the camp. The aims of these courses are to give people the skills they need to create their own independent community media.
In addition, the Balata Film Collective has begun to take shape. Individuals have begun working with the video cameras; filming demonstrations, incursions by the army and individual stories. Currently, we are training people how edit film on computers. Unfortunately, some of our promises for equipment fell through, so we have less to work with than previously thought. Regardless, people are enthusiastically working with the equipment that we do have.
There is a new draft of the balatacamp.net website. Go to: http://www.balatacamp.net/~balata/website/english.htm
Part of the touring exhibition (including art, photos and film) is archived
and available on the site.
Members from balatacamp.net are also currently involved with a new children's cultural project. A group of very talented children have put together an amazing performance involving political drama, traditional music and dance (dabke). Details of this will be sent in an upcoming email.
Finally, all projects are in the beginning stages and much help is needed and
appreciated. Residents from the camp are always open to new ideas and projects.
People are encouraged to come to Balata with any skills or assistance they can
offer in the creation of new or assistance of continuing projects. For more
info, email: info@balatacamp.net