The Gaza Monologues: Palestinian stories brought to stage in aid of Gazan children
photo: al-harah theatre facebook page
On January 20 and 21, real stories of Palestinians will be told through the power of theatre at ‘Spazju Kreattiv. The initiative will help raise funds to offer children in Gaza theatre-based therapy.
As one of the most vulnerable groups in society, children are the most helpless at times of war, caught in the crossfire as they develop trauma that they can barely comprehend. For those of us fortunate enough to be far away from it all, it can feel as though there’s nothing we can do other than hopelessly bear witness to tragedy.
To do their part in ensuring that the world does not move on while children continue to be buried in rubble, a group of artists will be platforming voices from Gaza through the Gaza Monologues. Based on the true stories of a group of Gazan kids, Gaza Monologues is an international production by Ashtar Theatre that promotes the rights of children in Gaza. The fundraising campaign aims to aid Palestinian kids suffering from war trauma by telling their stories on stage, thus humanising the individuals whose massacre we have become desensitised to.
The monologues have been presented in 80 cities in 40 different nations. On Malta’s end, local actors Simone Spiteri, Thomas Camilleri, Antonella Mifsud, Rebecca Camilleri, Philip Leone Ganado, Robyn Vella, and Aidan Aquilina will perform prepared readings from the Gaza Monologues, under the direction of Jean Marc Agius. The performers will also read pieces that young people and youngsters affected by the conflict in Gaza have written in recent weeks. These monologues are a personal report of the life experiences of 36 teenagers living in the Gaza Strip.
photo: al-harah theatre facebook page
Supported by Spazju Kreattiv and produced by Toni Attard, the fundraising campaign comes in response to an urgent call for assistance from Al-Harah Theatre amid the ongoing problems and difficulties that the Palestinian community faces. Since its founding as a nonprofit organisation in 2005, Al-Harah Theatre has been working to produce artistic and inspired plays which are accessible to audiences in Palestine, the Arab world, and other regions.
The war left the theatre with no choice but to quickly modify its programmes, introducing psycho-social drama exercises designed to help kids aged 8 to 12 deal with their feelings and traumatic experiences; “We believe that theatre can change the lives of those who make it and those who watch it,” said Marina Barham, the General Director of Al-Harah theatre. Consequently, the local schools are asking for more and more theatre-based psychological assistance for the students, having become aware of its power to empower children in coping with their circumstances.
The Gaza Monologues comes to Spazju Kreattiv on January 20 and 21, tickets can be purchased here. While the performance is free of charge, anyone can make a donation through GoGetFunding whether they are in attendance or not; €485 have been raised as of Saturday, January 7. Al-Harah Theatre will use the funds raised from the event to support artists in Gaza who are providing drama therapy sessions to children in the Bethlehem area.
