Jogging - Theatre in Progress and Selat: Links through the Arts visit Palestinian refugee camps
In September and October 2017, with support from Selat: Links through the Arts and in coordination with the Arab Resource Centre for Popular Arts (Al-Jana) (Selat: Links through the Arts grant to organisations - 5th edition), Jogging - Theatre in Progress was on a tour around Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. Jogging – Theatre in Progress is a theatrical performance written and performed by artist Hanane Hajj Ali (Artistic direction: Eric Deniaud; Dramaturgy: Abdullah al Kafri). The tour included the refugee camps of Burj al-Shamali, Al-Bass, Ain al-Hilweh (South Lebanon), Al-Baddawi (North Lebanon), and Burj al-Barajneh (southern suburbs of Beirut). One performance was presented in each refugee camp. All performances were ensued by conversations between artist Hanane Hajj Ali and the audiences about the content of this bold feminist performance. Jogging – Theatre in Progress was an unusual pattern to Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon.
Al Manfeyen tour around Lebanon with their songs
In the context of its 2017 tours, the Al Manfeyen Band made a performance on Saturday evening, 16 September 2017, at the Chir Al Assi Restaurant and Resort, Hermel. The performance was hosted and organised by the Hermel Cultural Association.
Members of the Al Manfeyen Band were trained by Palestinian artists Ahmad al Khatib and Youssef Hbeisch in the context of a project implemented by the IRAB Association for Arabic Music (Selat: Links through the Arts grant to organisations - 4th edition). The training session was held at the Music Education Programme of the Beit Atfal Assumoud in Burj al-Shamali refugee camp, South Lebanon.
Talents of Al Kamandjâti: Continuous performances and plenty of productions
On 5 October 2017, students of the Al Kamandjâti Association took part in an educational event organised by Mouvement Social (Sidon) to encourage children to learn and parents, particularly Syrian refugees in Sidon, to enrol their children at schools. Observed at the Engineer Mohamed al-Saudi Park in Sidon, a large number of children and their families participated in the ceremony.
On 29 October 2017, students of the Al Kamandjâti Association from Shatila and Burj al-Barajneh refugee camps in Lebanon also met at the Beit Atfal Assumoud (Burj al-Barajneh refugee camp), where they made a musical performance led by Mr. Iyad Staiti, Director of the Al Kamandjâti Association. Staiti was on a visit to Beirut from Ramallah. In addition to a large number of students’ families, the performance brought together representatives of some organisations that support the Al Kamandjâti Association, including Amal Kaawash, Coordinator of Selat: Links through the Art.
A workshop of paintings and stories with Lena Merhej and Taghrid Abdelal
A beautiful and inspiring story of Selat: Links through the Arts was illustrated the latest artistic collaboration between artist Lena Merhej and poet Taghrid Abdelal. Taghrid received Selat: Links through the Arts grant to individuals (1st edition) to support the publication of her collection of poetry Sloppy Balconies (Al-Dar Al-Ahlia for Publishing and Distribution, 2013) though the Centre for Picture Stories of the Samandal Association (Selat: Links through the Arts grant to organisations - 4th edition). Taghrid met with Lena, who was delivering a training course on the production of picture stories. The training course unveiled a variety of productions, including a children’s picture story composed and portrayed by Taghrid (forthcoming). On 28 September 2017, Lena and Taghrid jointly curated a workshop on painting and words in the context of the art event Healing Lebanon.
We Must Clown! with Selat: Links through the Arts
With support from Selat: Links through the Arts, a tour of performances was organised by young clowns across Lebanese districts and Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon in October 2017.
Performances are a result of a professional clown training course, titled We Must Clown!. This is an initiative of Clown Me In group through Beirut DC (Selat: Links through the Arts grant to organisations - 5th edition). Provided over September and October 2017, the training course was curated and supervised by artist Sabine Choucair, founder of Clown Me In.
In addition to key members of Clown Me In, a group of young men and women from Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon took part in the training course. The tour of performance was organised in collaboration with Clown Me In and Clowns Without Borders USA.