On Saturday, 6 May 2018, the A. M. Qattan Foundation (AMQF) (Palestine) and Connexion VZW (Belgium) launched the Palestinian-Flemish Cultural Festival with the screening of Problemski Hotel at the Ramallah Municipal Theatre. The opening ceremony brought together Geert Bourgeois, Minister-President of Flanders, Dr. Ihab Bseiso, Palestinian Minister of Culture, Mousa Hadid, Mayor of Ramallah, staff members of the two partner foundations, and a broad audience.
Minister-President of Flanders Bourgeois announced grants for cultural institutions, namely, Connexion VZW (Belgium), Palestinian Circus School and Al Kamandjâti. Grants are tailored to develop joint cultural activity.
Bourgeois commended collaboration between the AMQF and Connexion VZW, expressing his pleasure at attending their joint Under Construction Festival. Bourgeois also indicated that plans were in place with the Palestinian Minister of Culture to improve cultural cooperation with Palestine. He outlined existing and potential avenues of collaboration, such as cultural residencies for writers, publications, visits, and digitisation of the national library.
In his welcome statement, Ziad Khalaf, AMQF Director General, provided a review of cultural collaboration between Palestine and Belgium. Khalaf explained that collaboration was initiated with the Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwburg (KVS) [Royal Flemish Theater] (Brussels), citing success stories in joint art projects. For instance, the Badke project made performances in more than 10 countries around the world.
Dr. Bseiso highlighted that the festival was “an emblem of collaboration between Palestine and Belgium.” “We stress the need that joint cultural events be a landmark for dialogue among nations in order to realise freedom and justice for our people in the face of all the Israeli policies we suffer from. This festival exemplifies deep collaboration; it is a platform for further prospects in the future.” Dr. Bseiso said.
Dr. Bseiso considered that these events “embody the will and vision of the future.” “We want a future without separation walls or barbed wire fences.” Dr. Bseiso concluded.
In the premiere screening, Problemski Hotel presented stories from a centre for political asylum-seekers in Belgium. Here, black comedy overshadows and makes more tragic the lives of multinational asylum seekers.
Palestinian director Rimah Jabr presented her play Two Lady Bugs on the ASHTAR Theatre stage. In the play, the fates of three characters, a Belgian woman, a Palestinian girl and an Israeli soldier, are closely intertwined. The work is inspired by real life experiences the director had.
Imaginary events overlap, reflecting an absurd world in which the three characters live, each in line with their story, background and influence on the common event. This an incident of opening fire on a girl, who sits on a swing in her house yard. The play takes place in “an unknown place between a Belgian woman and a Palestinian girl, who attempt to find a way out somewhere between life and death.”
This was the second edition of the Palestinian-Flemish Cultural Festival. Featuring an extensive artistic programme, the first edition of the festival was launched in Ghent city of the County of Flanders, Belgium, between 16 and 25 February 2018. The festival saw a large turnout by the Belgian audiences. It provided a significant opportunity to introduce vibrant Palestinian culture and deep Belgian-Palestinian collaboration, in which the AMQF has played a pivotal role since 2007. The AMQF has built partnerships with leading Belgian art institutions, including the Royal Flemish Theatre KVC and les ballets C de la B company.
The festival featured a wide array of performances, film screenings, and experimental arts. These were presented by 32 artists and guests from outside Palestine as well as by many Palestinian artists.
In Palestine, the Under Construction Festival was organised in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and in collaboration with the Ramallah Municipality, Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, ASHTAR Theatre, and Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre (Ramallah); Palestinian National Theatre – El-Hakawati (Jerusalem); Al-Midan Theatre (Haifa); Palestinian Circus School (Bir Zeit); El Beir, Arts and Seeds (Beit Sahur); Arts Hub and Public Library of the Nablus Municipality (Nablus); and Dar Qandeel for Arts and Culture (Tulkarem). The idea of the Palestinian-Flemish Cultural Festival was initiated by the Mission of Palestine in Europe, Belgium, and Luxemburg and the Government of Flanders in Belgium.