DOCSLIB.ORG

An Interview with Rahaf Fasheh on Directing Tales of a City by the Sea at the University of Toronto

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Interview with Rahaf Fasheh on Directing Tales of a City by the Sea at the University of Toronto Arab Stages https://arabstages.commons.gc.cuny.edu Amal Means Incurable Hope: An Interview with Rahaf Fasheh on Directing Tales of A City by the Sea at the University of Toronto Tales of a City by the Sea by Samah Sabawi has received critical acclaim in its touring and several stagings in Palestine and Australia. It is an eye- opening play based on real-life experiences from the 2008-2009 Israeli siege on Gaza. It follows a long-distance love story, an illegal underground journey, a tragic death of a family, and the unconditional urge to continue to find hope within an open-air prison. By uniting poetry, romance, comedy, and tragedy, the play explores the love between those who have choices, and those who do not. It raises the question of the importance of sustaining one's heritage and identity. The playwright, Samah Sabawi, expresses how this hour-long journey is inspired by “the strength and defiance of ordinary people in Palestine, who despite the horrific war, siege, and brutality of the Israeli Occupation, still insist that life is worth living and love is worth celebrating.” The Canadian premiere of the play was directed by Rahaf Fasheh with the support of Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies at the University of Toronto (U of T) and was staged at the Centre’s Robert Gill Theatre in December 2018.[1] Rahaf and I had a conversation about this experience: Marjan Moosavi (MM): Tell me about yourself, your background and education. Rahaf Fasheh (RF): My name is Rahaf Fasheh and I was born and raised in Amman, Jordan, in the Middle East. My background is Palestinian, my father originally from Jerusalem, and my mother from 1 / 13 Arab Stages https://arabstages.commons.gc.cuny.edu Ramallah. I moved to Toronto with my family in 2013 and continued my high school education here, where I moved on to study both Theatre and Psychology at the University of Toronto. Most of my theatre training and experience have revolved around acting and performing. I was nominated and chosen to be a member of the first City Youth Academy Programme at Soulpepper Theatre in 2019, and have been involved in a variety of Campus theatre productions, including productions in The U of T Drama Festival at Hart House Theatre. I was thrilled to announce Tales of a City by the Sea as my directorial debut because not only do I aspire to become a working director, but the play also resonates with my personal heritage and identity as a Palestinian coming from exiled refugees. Rahaf Fasheh, Photo Credits: Haya Fasheh. 2 / 13 Arab Stages https://arabstages.commons.gc.cuny.edu MM: How would you describe the playwright’s vision and also the theme of her play? What inspired you to direct such a play? RF: As I was searching for the perfect play to kick off my directorial career, I was particularly looking for a Palestinian play which addresses the severity of the conflict in the region, yet does not contain strong political ideologies. After looking through several Palestinian works, I came across Tales of A City by the Sea by Samah Sabawi which stood out to me from all the rest. The play is based on real life events that Palestinians experienced during the 2008/2009 Siege on Gaza, one of the most brutal attacks on the strip. The poetry in the play was written by the playwright herself as she was surviving the siege. Not only did it avoid portraying Palestinians as political entities and refrain from making large political statements, it also illustrated Palestinian resilience against the long-standing Israeli Occupation. I was inspired to tell these stories through the playwright’s perfect representation of how Palestinians continue to survive and find hope despite the terrible conditions and sanctions enforced on them by the military occupation. MM: What is so important about the play that should be shared with your Canadian audience? RF: Palestinians have been suffering for a very long time due to the Israeli Occupation: they live with very strict sanctions imposed by the Israeli military, such as electricity cuts, check points, lack of clean water and food, restrictions on mobility, as well as a severe economic crisis and poverty. Not to mention, Palestinians are perceived very poorly in the media, and their heartbreaking yet inspiring stories are almost never mentioned. Hence, I believe this play is essential to a Canadian audience. It follows a relatable love story showing them that we are all alike. This play also gives another perspective on the Palestinian- Israeli conflict by presenting real-life events and experiences. It allows for room to change the audience’s previous narrative of Palestinians being solely political entities, and exposes the horrific conditions in the Occupied territories of Palestine. Furthermore, I decided to take on a Brechtian approach to the play, to allow the audience members to distance themselves from the narrative and criticize the reality of the piece, in order to help raise awareness about the severity of the Occupation. 3 / 13 Arab Stages https://arabstages.commons.gc.cuny.edu From L to R: Prithvi Kahlon and Saja Kilani, Photo Credits: Mira Salti. MM: During the process of deciphering the themes and doing character analysis, did you or any members of your group feel the need for a dramaturg or research dramaturgy? And by dramaturg, I mean someone who can at least describe the context in which the play was written, or can provide you with a sort of historical and political background about the events of the play, its motifs, or its history of production? RF: I acted as both a director and a research dramaturg throughout the process of the play. I believe that it is necessary for the director to also take on the role of a dramaturg, especially when working on a play based on weighty and true events. I am also interested in dramaturgy as much as directing! I heavily researched the context in which the play was written, including the lifestyle in Gaza back in 2008, the history of the Free Gaza Flotilla boats, the illegal underground tunnels, the governmental and political standing of Gaza, as well as the statistics and timeline of the Operation Cast Lead (the 2008/2009 seige on Gaza). It was remarkable how true the events and timeline of the script were. The actors did a great job of keeping up with the research in order to back up their characterizations and choices, and stay true to the reality of the play. MM: In your set design you made use of fabrics a lot, also the costume design was one of the strengths of the performance. Tell me about the significance of these choices in creating 4 / 13 Arab Stages https://arabstages.commons.gc.cuny.edu the overall aesthetics of the performance. RF: In the early stages of creating the vision for the play, my set designer, Snezana Pesic, looked up a lot of images of Gaza and noted how grey and dull the city’s skyline was, due to ongoing mass destruction. However, she was inspired by the amount of color found amidst the grey through the clothing lines, the people, and Palestinians use of fabrics. It was beautiful to see how much ‘fertility’ was found amidst torn buildings and rubble. So we decided to recreate how fertile the land was by recreating the Apartheid wall, and have it fully covered with clothing lines. The decision to hang costume and set items on the clothing lines to be used throughout the play went hand-in-hand with my goal to go with a Brechtian take. Allowing the audience to witness the set and costume changes on stage not only reminded them of the artificiality of the play, but also allowed them to take a step back from the story-line and think twice about the reality of the events of the play. Not to mention, fabrics and embroidery are a huge part of Palestinian culture, so this set design immersed the audience members to the culture in a different and unique way. Set Design by Snezana Pusic, Photo Credits: Ahlam Hassan. 5 / 13 Arab Stages https://arabstages.commons.gc.cuny.edu Recurring words which elicit imagery in the play include land, roots, sea, fire, and air. My costume designer, Mira Salti, noted how they are all related to the four elements: Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. This inspired the costume designs. Each actor described their character in accordance to an element, which inspired the color scheme of their character’s costume. For example, Saja Kilani compared her character, Jomana, to Earth since she is rooted in culture and nationalism. Hence, her costumes included earthy tones, or flower patterns. On the other hand, actors Maher Sinno, who played Ali, and Dina Kawar, who played Lama, both compared their characters to water, due to their easy-going attitude and urge to continue to live and dream despite the horrific conditions. Hence, their costumes consisted of mostly blue and yellow prints. Along with the colors signifying elements, Mira and I wanted to make sure the costumes also included traditional wardrobe elements, such as Arabic calligraphy in some, and Palestinian embroidery in others. We also used the costumes to highlight Palestinian persistence to continue to find hope and love despite the brutality of the siege, hence as the play escalates into a heartbreaking funeral scene of Lama’s family, we see the slow diminishing of colors. This scene is automatically followed by Lama’s wedding scene, which brings back all the colors and oriental dress! 6 / 13 Arab Stages https://arabstages.commons.gc.cuny.edu Top Image from L to R: Taranjot Bamrah and Prithvi Kahlon.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Helping to Shape the Policy Discourse on Palestine
    Helping to Shape the Policy Discourse on Palestine Al-Shabaka in 2016 and into 2017 Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network, is an independent, non- partisan, and non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self- determination within the framework of international law. Contents Letter from the Executive Director 1 1. Policy Insights and Options 2 2. Fielding the Policy Team in Strategic Locations 5 3. Expanding the Global Palestinian Think Tank 9 4. Outreach & Engagement 11 5. Financial Report and List of Donors 13 6. List of Publications 2010 - 2016 15 7. List of Al-Shabaka Analysts 22 Letter from the Executive Director With key anniversaries for Palestine and The network has grown by 30% since the Palestinians on the calendar in 2017 2015, with new policy members reinforcing and 2018, Israel’s aim to consolidate its existing areas of expertise as well as occupation went into overdrive. Over the providing coverage in additional geographic past year this has included a ramped- areas (see Section 3). Al-Shabaka’s reach up effort to erase the use of the term has also expanded through well-placed op- “occupation” from the public discourse eds in both the Arabic and English media, while multiplying settlement activity; the increased use of English and Arabic social drive to occupy key positions on United media, speaking engagements in many Nations committees while violating different locales, and translation of policy international law; and cracking down on free content into French and Italian, among speech and non-violent activism.
    [Show full text]
  • Weekend Notes Review.Pdf
    Tales of a City by the Sea – Weekend notes review by Julia Wakefield. Following its sold out premiere Melbourne season in 2014, Tales of a City by the Sea opened at The Bakehouse Theatre this week. Jomana and Rami, played by Osamah Sami The author is Palestinian/Australian/Canadian writer Samah Sabawi. She describes her work as 'a poetic journey into the ordinary lives of people living in abnormal circumstances and their struggle to survive'. The play grew out of a collection of poetry that Sabawi wrote while she was in Gaza during the three week bombardment of 2008/2009, prompted by her own experiences and those of her friends and family. She says she is not trying to put across a political message. Although this is a story based on real life events that took place during Israel's assault on Gaza in 2008, its main purpose is to highlight the resilience and compassion that people display in such dire circumstances. In this current era of global conflict and confusion, there are many places featured in news bulletins that are enduring similar situations. Sabawi wants us to see 'the detail of daily lives of people they see for brief seconds on the news'. The play was originally directed by Lech Mackiewicz, and the current director is Wahibe Moussa. When it opened in Melbourne the plan was to have two simultaneous performances on the West Bank and in Gaza. The play was performed on the West Bank a week later; the script has been read in Gaza but as yet there has been no opportunity to perform the play there.
    [Show full text]
  • 7Arakat Conference 2012
    7ARAKAT CONFERENCE 2012 Theatre, Cultural Diversity and Inclusion 2–3 November 2012 La Trobe University City Campus latrobe.edu.au/7 TIME FRIDAY 2 NOVEMBER 8:30am–9:00am Registration 9:00am–9:30am Conference Opening: Welcome and Introductions. Wurundjeri Welcome To Country. Offical Opening: Prof. Tim Murray – Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University Welcoming Remarks: Ambassador Izzat Abdulhadi – Head of the General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Welcoming Remarks: Jill Morgan – Chief Executive Officer, Multicultural Arts Victoria 9:30am–10:00am Keynote: Creative ecologies: Multi-arts approaches to resilience for newly arrived refugees, Prof. Michael Balfour (Griffith University) 10:00am Questions and Answers 10:15am–10:45am Keynote: Theatre: An act of beautiful resistance to build the peace within, Dr. Abdelfattah Abusrour (Alrowwad Theatre, Palestine) 10:45am Questions and Answers 11:00am–11:30am Morning Tea 11:30am–1:00pm Morning Panel: Acting Local/Thinking Global, Chair: Dr. Nicholas Rowe (Auckland University) 11:30am Unregulated to illegal: Palestinian theatre in the twentieth century, Samer Al Saber (University of Washington, Seattle) 12:00pm Looking at Shakespeare with a contemporary eye: Richard II a political play for our time, Iman Aoun (Ashtar Theatre, Palestine) 12:30pm Exploring the Ethics of a Cultural Boycott, Samah Sabawi (Independent Palestinian Activist and Playwright) 1:00pm–2:00pm Lunch 2:00pm–2:30pm Keynote: Reclaiming space: Reflections on dance education
    [Show full text]
  • 'Al-Haq's Questions and Answers on Palestine's UN Initiatives and The
    15 September 2011 Ref. no. 286/2011 Al-Haq’s Questions and Answers: Palestine’s UN Initiatives and the Representation of the Palestinian People’s Rights As part of the ongoing public debate about Palestine‟s United Nations (UN) initiatives, a number of concerns have been raised with regards to potential changes in the mechanism of representation of the Palestinian people at the international level, both inside and outside of the UN system. In particular, it has been pointed out that the new profile of the State of Palestine could affect future rights claims, including the rights of return, to reparations and self-determination of all the Palestinian people – the Diaspora, refugees, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship and the Palestinians in the occupied territory, namely the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip. Although the details of the UN initiatives remain unknown, two main scenarios have been contemplated by public debate. Will the PLO be maintained in its present role and functions, while the State, which exists separately from the PLO, takes a seat at the UN? Or, will the PLO‟s role and functions be ceded to the State, which gains a seat at the UN, while the PLO ceases to function both inside the outside of the UN? To answer these questions, this legal brief, based on a strict application of international law and contemporary legal practice, examines the following four issues: (I) the UN initiatives and mechanisms for the representation of the Palestinian people‟s rights (II) the representation of the Palestinian people‟s rights by the State of Palestine; (III) the status and role of the PLO; and (IV) the possible effects of the UN initiatives on the representation of the rights of the Palestinian people.
    [Show full text]
  • Liturgy Resource
    LITURGY RESOURCE World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel 181818-18 ---2424 September 2016 “Dismantling Barriers” For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. – Ephesians 2:14 Wall art of the Israeli separation wall, at the Evangelical Lutheran School in Beit Sahour, Palestine. Photo by Carrie Smith. 1 The Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF) of the World Council of Churches invites member churches, faith-based communities, and civil society organizations around the world to join together in 2016 for a week of advocacy and action in support of an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine and a just peace for all in Palestine and Israel. Congregations and individuals around the globe who share the hope of justice shall unite during the week to take peaceful actions, together, to create a common international public witness. The theme of the week in 2016, to be observed during 18-24 September, is: "God has broken down the dividing walls" In social media, please use the hashtag #DismantlingBarriers to talk about this year's World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel. Notes for worship leaders and planners Thank you for taking the time to use this worship resource with your congregation, wherever you are in the world. We are aware that this liturgy for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel is used in many countries, in many languages, by Christians of many traditions. For this reason, the liturgy team of PIEF has prepared this resource to be used in a variety of ways: 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Books in Space: Contested Territories and Memories
    CIRN Prato Community Informatics Conference 2013: Refereed Paper Books in Space: Contested Territories and Memories Larry Stillman Monash University Archives, “are not passive storehouses of old stuff, but active sites where social power is negotiated, contested, confirmed. By extension, memory is not something found or collected in archives, but something that is made, and continually re-made.” (Cook and Schwartz 2002: 172). While this paper principally looks at the fate of an individual book associated with war and booty, rather than an archive, Cook’s quote is apt. The issues that arise because of this particular book go to the core of one of the most contentions conflicts of the 20th century, one that is still unresolved: the conflict between the state of Israel and stateless Palestinians. Context The context for this paper requires some explanations. The paper is a work in progress because it is intended to develop its theoretical implications further in the coming year with other colleagues. Thus, its conclusions are not completed and various points tempered. Such a paper also requires something of a political explanation. First, this paper will be viewed by some who detest criticism of Israeli nostrums and hold vendettas against those who do critical academic research, analysing their viewpoint as a result of pathological self-hatred or other personal deficiencies. Thus, according to one critic of a controversial report, “one recognizes in their writings passions of anger and indignation, bitterness and repudiation that transcend those associated with mere politics. (Rosenfeld 2006). For many in the Zionist movement, its nostrums are sacred and discussion of, or recognition of Palestinian rights is not dealt with lightly.
    [Show full text]
  • Gaza Aftermath: Progress in Palestine Or Zionist Stalemate? by Yuram Abdullah Weiler 2014-09-06
    Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 11/16/2020 6:43:46 PM Gaza Aftermath: Progress in Palestine or Zionist stalemate? By Yuram Abdullah Weiler 2014-09-06 “Today, the first issue of the world of Islam is the issue of Gaza. Perhaps, it can be said that this issue is the first issue of humanity.” — Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei1 The 51-day terror tirade on Gaza executed by the Israeli entity has claimed over 2,100 lives, wounded over 10,000,2 left over 100,000 homeless3 and inflicted $4.4 billion in damage to infrastructure that may take up to $7.8 billion and 20 years to rebuild.4 After bombing Gaza with 20,000 tons of explosives causing vast areas of massive destruction,5 Tel Aviv finally agreed to an indefinite cease fire brokered by Cairo on August 26, 2014.6 With both sides claiming victory,7 what, if anything, has been accomplished by this latest round of Zionist barbarism? The announcement of a cease fire agreement in Gaza led to exuberant celebrations by residents and a declaration of victory by Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri. “We announce the victory today after achieving our goals,” he said, adding, “Netanyahu has failed to force Gaza to surrender.” o Another senior Hamas official, Izzat al-Risheq, pointed out that the Zionist forces “could not achieve any military success in 51 days of fighting aside from its war crimes on defenseless citizens, the majority of whom are women, elderly, and children.”9 Samah Sabawi, a Palestinian writer and policy adviser, wrote, “Hamas was able
    [Show full text]
  • A Global Palestinian Policy Voice Al-Shabaka in 2017, Looking Ahead to 2018
    A Global Palestinian Policy Voice Al-Shabaka in 2017, Looking Ahead to 2018 Dedicated to the memory of Abdel Mohsin Al-Qattan, 1929-2017 And to all he has done to build Palestinian capacity to work for justice Al-Shabaka: The Palestinian Policy Network, is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and foster public debate on Palestinian human rights and self-determination within the framework of international law. Contents Letter from Al-Shabaka 3 1. Analysis to Promote Sound Strategy 5 2. Al-Shabaka’s Policy Team at Work 9 3. A Network that Spans the Globe 16 4. Outreach and Influence, North and South 19 5. Institution-Building and Our Valued Supporters 22 6. List of Publications 2010 - 2017 26 7. List of Members 37 2 A Global Palestinian Policy Voice: Al-Shabaka in 2017, Looking Ahead to 2018 institution during the past several years. Abu Hani also co-founded the Welfare Association (since renamed Taawon) at a time when Palestinians were at one of their lowest points, the exile of the Palestine Liberation Organization from Beirut during Israel’s invasion in 1982. He supported countless other initiatives and he and Leila invested greatly in the education not only of their children and their extended family but also of many other individuals, both through the institutions they built as well as Letter from Al-Shabaka their personal support. This year’s annual report is dedicated to The educators, artists, and creators the Al- the memory of Abdel Mohsin Al-Qattan Qattans have helped to nurture are legion.
    [Show full text]
  • “Dismantling Barriers”
    “Dismantling Barriers” A Liturgy Resource Toolbox World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel 18-24 September 2016 Material produced by the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum in March 2016, and revised by WCC Communications, September 2016. 1 For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. – Ephesians 2:14 The Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum (PIEF) of the World Council of Churches invites member churches, faith-based communities, and civil society organizations around the world to join together in 2016 for a week of advocacy and action in support of an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine and a just peace for all in Palestine and Israel. Congregations and individuals around the globe who share the hope of justice shall unite during the week to take peaceful actions, together, to create a common international public witness. The theme of the week in 2016, to be observed during 18-24 September, is: ”God has broken down the dividing walls” In social media, please use the hashtag #DismantlingBarriers to talk about this year’s World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel. Notes for worship leaders and planners Thank you for taking the time to use this worship resource with your congregation, wherever you are in the world. We are aware that this liturgy for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel is used in many countries, in many languages, by Christians of many traditions. For this reason, the liturgy team of PIEF has prepared this resource to be used in a variety of ways: 1.
    [Show full text]
  • To Download the PDF File
    Circulating texts: Challenging Zionist Myths Through Narratives of Creative Palestinian Resistance and Solidarity by Madalena Santos A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario ©2015 Madalena Samtos | ii Abstract Through (re)presentations in news media, art, pop culture as well as educational and other institutional contexts in addition to our own personal storytelling, stories shape how we make sense of our lives and what matters to us. Dominant stories of the imagined nation are told and retold often without question. But narratives which counter hegemonic storytelling also exist and continue to be passed on. Despite attempts at erasure and silencing in mainstream accounts and historiographies, contesting narratives which challenge oppressive ruling relations carry on. In this paper, I consider how narratives that expose and oppose dominant settler colonial myths are practices of creative resistance. Echoing Barbara Harlow (1987:7), I posit creative resistance not in opposition to, but alongside other forms of resistance such as armed struggle. Through this study, I theorize the concept of creative resistance against the logics and materiality of settler colonialism to examine three modes of narrative performance as political practice in the work of Students Against Israeli Apartheid (SAIA)-Carleton as part of the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, Rafeef Ziadah’s spoken word, and performances by the Freedom Theatre project in Jenin, Palestine. In exploring the stories of these creative projects, this study conceives of narratives as sites of struggle that are significant in the telling of history and therefore crucial to resistance.
    [Show full text]
  • This Is a Test Hello There…
    Israeli Greenwashing Factsheet Series No. 210, Created: August 2018, Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East What is “greenwashing”? Is Israel environmentally friendly? Greenwashing is a practice that involves pretending to be Not particularly. There are a number of ways in which environmentally friendly in order to deflect attention Israel is clearly not environmentally friendly: from criminal activity.1 In 1948, when the state of Israel 1. Israel has one of the biggest per capita ecological was created, over 700,000 indigenous Palestinians footprints and carbon footprints in the world, ranking became refugees, and hundreds of thousands more were in the top 10% and 20% respectively.10 11 Israel is a displaced from their homes by Jewish militias2. Since major contributor to climate change. then, Israel has continued to commit grave human rights abuses against Palestinians.3 2. Israeli agriculture is “not sustainable, and contributes significantly to the growing environmental crisis on Israel greenwashes its colonial projects and human rights our planet”12. For example, Israel uses pesticides abuses against Palestinians in various ways. One way is widely which contaminate ground water and soil and through its rhetoric, claiming, for example, that Israel cause harm to certain bird species.13 “made the desert bloom”4. But there are many other ways in which Israel and its proponents greenwash 3. Especially in the West Bank, Israel has waged a Israel’s abysmal human rights record. “massive, systematic destruction” of trees. It has uprooted hundreds of thousands of trees to date, Did Israel “Make the Desert Bloom”? including olive, citrus, date, almond, and banana14.
    [Show full text]
  • Australian Foundation for Palestinian Children – “Olive Kids” Annual Report - 2012/2013
    Australian Foundation for Palestinian Children – “Olive Kids” Annual Report - 2012/2013 Date : 30 July 2013 Board & Executive : Nour Sukkar, Sara Elagha, Yasmeen Judeh, Carmen Abdulkader, Moammar Mashni, Amin Abbas Accountant: Sam Balbisi The Australian Foundation for Palestinian Children ( Olive Kids ) 2012/2013 year was full of challenges. In the following report, the achievements of the foundation on key projects and initiatives will be presented. Orphan’s project Olive Kids sponsorship program continued to support over 130 orphans. The sponsorships are managed in collaboration with our partner orphanage at Al-Amal institute in Gaza, where orphans services are covered and a portion of the sponsorship is set aside for the orphans’ education. Clothes Drives In 2013, Olive Kids clothes drives continued to gain popularity and grew its outreach particularly through social media. High quality used clothing, books and toys collected for the Palestinian refugee camps in Jordan were delivered this year. A 20-foot container shipped to Aqaba- Jordan and was then distributed in partnership with UNRWA. Further to the shipment directed to the Jordan camps, the container included 600 new soccer balls purchased by Olive Kids for UNRWA schools in Gaza. (The Gaza aid is redirected by UNRWA.) Fundraising Events In May 2013, Olive Kids organised a film screening of “The Other Son” at cinema Nova, followed by a brief commentary by the Palestinian playwright and human rights advocate Samah Sabawi. The event was sold out well before the night with over 150 people in attendance. The event was well received and film screenings will be considered for future fundraising activities.
    [Show full text]