Articles
A Dramatic Revival
by: Richard A. Johnson date: 2007-10-01
Amidst the rubble of a West Bank refugee camp, creativity and self-expression take centre stage at the Freedom Theatre, a place where Palestinian kids experience something they see little of: hope. more »
The Freedom Theatre in Jenin - Yesterday’s Story
by: Elias Khoury date: 2007-06-13
I met Juliano Mer Khamis in New York. He had taken his film Arna’s Children and come to New York to collect an award at the Tribeca Film Festival. When I watched the documentary film I was stunned. more »
Theater empowers Palestinians
by: Amelia Thomas, Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor date: 2007-02-28
Within the West Bank's impovershed Jenin camp, the Freedom Theater provides troubled youths with a grounding in performing arts. more »
The war on children
by: John Pilger date: 2006-07-04
In a cover piece for the New Statesman, John Pilger describes how the US and Israel have finally resolved the problem of the Palestinians, who voted for the "wrong" government. They are to starve them while missiles are fired at their homes and picnickers on a beach. more »
Theatre of the absurd
by: Merav Yudilovitch: Ynet News date: 2006-03-05
Clowns are a rare sight at the refugee camp in Jenin. This week, they were there to celebrate with the camp's children the opening of al-Huria Theater, established by Juliano Mer-Khamis in honor of his mother, Arna. Zakaria Zubeidi, number one on Israel's most wanted list and one of Arna's pupils, took part in the opening more »
Mer Opens the theatre. Zbeida applauds
by: Vered Lee: Haaretz Newspaper date: 2006-03-05
“I do not want to compromise on any detail. I want to be a theatre like in New York and London says Mer-Khamis in the taxi that takes us to the heart of the Jenin refugee camp. “It will not be a children’s theatre with a blanket and a stick. Theatre is first of all enchantment. After that it’s therapy and psychodrama. If there’s no enchantment I don’t think it’ll work. And enchantment is lighting, a sound system and a stage.” more »
Freedom Theatre in Jenin aims to plant seeds of dignity
by: Maureen Clare Murphy, The Electronic Intifada date: 2006-02-24
The spirit of resistance has not been beaten out of Jenin, was the message at the opening of the Freedom Theatre in Jenin refugee camp last weekend. Calls by speakers for the Palestinians to stand firm despite Israeli and American pressure resonated with the crowd, men on one side of the hall and women and children on the other. more »
A Middle East Update
by: Professor Avraham Oz date: 2006-02-20
At the time the government is convening, we drive towards the West Bank. A very short drive from our safe home in Tel Aviv. Nevertheless, to make the 3pm inauguration ceremony of The Freedom Theatre at the heart of the Jenin refugee camp, a drive which on a straight route should take us no longer than 45 minutes, we leave home at 10am. more »
Rebuilding Hope
by: Juliano Mer Khamis date: 2006-02-10
Today in 2005 we are facing the same circumstances that brought Arna to establish her project "Care and Learning" in Jenin. In my last recent visit to Jenin I observed hundreds of children playing in the alleys of the camp. more »
The Work of Arna Mer-Khamis with Palestinian children under occupation
by: San'a Osseiran date: 2006-02-05
A genuine effort in peace building and peace education. more »
Arna's Speach at The Right Livelihood Award
by: Arna Mer-Khamis (1930-1995) date: 2006-02-05
I was born over sixty years ago, in a very small community in Palestine. In a Jewish 'Moshava' called Rosh-Pina near the Arab village Jaoni. more »