From Voices of Resilience:
As part of our commitment to amplify the words of writers from Palestine, and from Gaza in particular, Voices of Resilience and Comma Press have recently staged theatrical readings from the diaries of the Palestinian writers Atef Abu Saif, Nahil Mohana, Sondos Sabra and Ala’a Obaid at venues including The Barbican Centre, London; the Edinburgh International Book Festival; and HOME, Manchester.
As well as bringing Palestinian writing to theatres in the UK, we would also like to use our platform to support the work of our colleagues in Gaza, creating theatre and entertainment as a vital service to their communities.
We have set up this fundraiser on behalf of our friend and fellow-artist Rania Abu Hamida: a young Palestinian writer and theatre director from Gaza who has worked tirelessly with children during this genocide to create theatrical performances and to keep a group of 30 children entertained and distracted from the enormity of the loss, violence, and fear inflicted by the Israeli Occupation on all residents of Gaza.
Rania’s theatrical work in Northern Gaza provides not only an important artistic service, but also a psychological support service to children who have been displaced, injured, or suffered great loss during this genocide (Rania has a dual background in the arts and in mental health services) and we are proud to support her work.
Please read Rania’s words, watch the video documenting her important work, and contribute to supporting her and her amazing team if you are able.
Voices of Resilience
From Rania Abu Hamida:
Hello,
I’m Rania, a Palestinian writer from Gaza and a third-year student in Counseling and Mental Health. I write poetry, short stories, and plays as well. I lost my father during the war on Gaza.
I started working in entertainment for children here in Northern Gaza over three months ago. The children of Gaza suffer from severe psychological trauma and intense fear, in addition to hunger, daily stress, and the loss of all means of life. Children here spend most of their time waiting in line to get water, waiting in line to get meals, waiting in line to get bread, and collecting firewood to cook food with. They are in need of entertainment.
That’s why I formed my team of specialists in entertainment and theatre work.
I gather all the children daily in the shelter centre for the displaced, and sometimes I gather their mothers with them. I buy speakers to play interactive songs, organise purposeful games and competitions with some gifts, and train clowns to wear large costumes that the children can interact with. Each event lasts about two hours, filled with play, entertainment, and psychological relief for the children.
My team and I have developed a silent, sad play about the war in Gaza, highlighting many issues related to Palestinian children in Gaza. I included some funny and entertaining roles for the children, as well as a message about how to utilise recycling, which we need during this war.
I trained 30 children, most of them the children of martyrs and prisoners. Some of these children have been injured in the war.
We chose theatrical work because it revives the spirit of life in the child actor and also restores hope to the children who will watch the silent play. This is a very rare form of entertainment during the war.
This is the first time I have worked with children during war. It is very difficult to deal with children and train them to perform a play or teach them something new in this war.
Thank God, I was able to deal with them and train them excellently.
My team and I are trying to help children overcome the effects of war through the theatrical works and entertainment activities that I carry out daily in the shelter centres.
However, we need financial support to cover the costs of:
A financial gift for the 30 children who will be performing, as a reward for their commitment to the exhausting training given their age.
Wages for the staff who will organise the venue for the performance.
Photographers who will document and capture the moments.
Wages for the clowns.
Games, costumes for the performance, and necessary tools.
Wages for the entertainment facilitators.
Transportation costs.
Rental fees for the sound speakers and the technical specialist.
Thank you,
Rania Abu Hamida
