By Johanna Wallin | Communications Officer
March 2015 may seem to be a long way away, but rest assured the Freedom Bus team is keeping busy preparing for the next Freedom Ride! Dozens of potential freedom riders have already contacted us, wanting to express their interest in what has by now become an almost legendary tour to some of the key areas of the occupied West Bank. Do you want to join us? Sign up today!
Find out why you need to join the next Freedom Ride here and read daily updates from the previous ride on the blog.
If you follow the work of The Freedom Theatre you know that the Freedom Bus project has grown to become an integral part of the theatre's work. Throughout the year we organize Solidarity stays in vulnerable communities - one of those is coming up in Bil'in in mid-October, and last week we arranged a second playback theatre training for villagers in the small community of Atuwani.
Speaking of Atuwani; we have a very special project coming up, which emanates from this extraordinary village. Following the success of Our Sign is the Stone, based on stories from the village Nabi Saleh, The Freedom Theatre returned to Area C this summer to document the life and resistance of people in Atuwani in the South Hebron Hills. After extensive research with community members, most notably the women who play a central role in Atuwani's struggle, a play is now being developed, Atuwani, which will open on October 14th.
Like other Palestinian communities in Area C, Atuwani is under full Israeli civil and military control. In contempt of international law, Israel has established a discriminatory system where Palestinians in this area are denied access to their land and water, as well as basic services such as housing, health care and education for their children, while facing constant harassment by Israeli settlers from the illegal colonies nearby.
The production involves the first-year Theatre School students in the devising process and as actors.
“To me this play is a perfect exercise in cultural resistance”, says Faisal Abu Alheja who is directing Atuwani. “We go to a community that is facing unimaginable pressure and harassment from settlers and army. Yet they have managed to stay together, to fight together. We collect their stories, analyze them, turn them into a play, and then our students tell the stories to other communities around the West Bank.”
Atuwani will tour to villages, towns and refugee camps, among them of course Atuwani.
To read more about Atuwani and the other three - yes, three! - productions we have lined up this autumn, visit our website.
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