Circus Behind the Wall - (2014)
Since 1948, Palestinian artistic creation has traditionally been centred around the national story of exile. Literary figures such as Ghassan Kanafani and Mahmoud Darwish, and visual artists including Sliman Mansour, Naji al-Ali and Leila Shawa have taken Palestinian stories around the world while reaffirming cultural and national identity. Less traditional cultural practices are also now playing their role in this process within today's globalised society.
When the idea of establishing a circus school in Palestine was first mooted in 2006 it met with some resistance from more conservative elements of Palestinian society who considered it socially and politically inappropriate. The founders however, believed that it could be used internationally as a way to tell stories of Palestinian life following Palestinian traditions of artistic production. They also believed that it could help within Palestine to build a dynamic, creative and diverse cultural life. From these initial challenging discussions, the Palestinian Circus School grew from an idea into a reality.
The Palestinian Circus School today hosts weekly workshops for children and young people in the village of Birzeit, near Ramallah, which has been home to the project since 2011. Outreach projects make similar opportunities available in refugee camps and villages across the West Bank. The school performs regularly within the West Bank and has also taken their stories internationally through several European tours:
“Internationally we perform politically to tell our stories. Politics is in our lives, but when we perform here we also need to make people laugh and forget. It is very important to see a child smile. Palestine needs a lot of things, and one of them is circus.” - Nayef Abdallah, Trainer at the Palestinian Circus School.
Awards
Sony World Photography Awards - 3rd Place in Category, 2015
Exhibitions:
Somerset House, SWPA, London, (Group Show) - 2015