During two weeks in mid-January, when the schools were on holiday between semesters, The Freedom Theatre organised a Film Festival where we screened more than 20 films for children and youth.

The Acting School is currently enforced by several international teacher volunteers who are helping the students deepen their knowledge in text analysis, ensemble building, voice and movement training.

Samia, Nabil and Mustafa have travelled to Germany with a new group of youth that in October 2009 started a 2-year exchange project, called MeinLand-Biladi, with a theater group in Leipzig. The entire stay will be documented and later compiled into a short film.

For more info on the project, see: www.meinlandbiladi.org/biladi

A planned study trip to Britain for our Theatre Technicians could not be implemented on the grounds that they were all denied visas. Hopefully similar training can be offered later this year.

The Freedom Theatre’s computer room has been under renovation. One part is now turned into a film screening auditorium for study purposes, and the other part remains a computer room.

In December The Freedom Theatre organised an Arts Festival which included a photography exhibition, film screenings and a theatrical performance. All of these were produced by The Freedom Theatre’s students.

More info: www.thefreedomtheatre.org/news.php?id=157

At the beginnig of February three of the theatre’s employees began an evening course for film projectionists, organised by the Cinema Jenin, which we have started a cooperation with. The course will run until the end of March and the participants will use their skills during Cinema Jenin’s Film Festival which will be held during the first two weeks in August. The Freedom Theatre will also provide a screening venue for the festival.

Read more about Cinema Jenin on: http://cinemajenin.com

With the desire to begin cooperating with the Ford Foundation and UNESCO, we were after a long time able to meet with these organisations during the month of January. With positive feedback from both of them we now look forward to the next step!

Coming up next month, the theatre will host a photography exibition "Gaza Grafitti" by Swedish photographer Mia Gröndahl. The exibition will open on March 6th and besides showing pictures, there will also be film screenings, theatre presentations and music performances. Outdoor activities include painting murals and graffiti in support of the people of Gaza, on fictive walls made of weave. To read more about Mia and her work, visit: www.miagrondahl.com

News from The Freedom Theatre

February 2010

contact us: info@thefreedomtheatre.org