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Introduction:
I’ve been deeply touched when I sensed the need of our
children to a place that patrons their talents and
respects their minds, and I’ve been thinking for more
than a year that I should step up, until I came up with
(Child Artist).
Child Artist is a leading significant project that
brings together culture, Drama and child world of which
Palestinian children have no idea in the 1948 area.
The project takes a peak from the world of arts on child
world within the 1948 areas to answer the concerning
questions of children through experiences of generations
of age between 6 to 13 who lack a true basis, in order
to refine their artistic talents in development of the
creativity and pride of their inherent belonging to our
language, inheritance, culture and cause so that they
can enrich their skills and imagination to express their
minds in the finest methods of creation.
Project Objectives:
·
Raise the artistic and intellectual awareness of
children and the youth.
·
Embrace the young talents and deliver artistic works
that matches and expresses the Palestinian children of
1948.
·
Make children communicate the world of adults and people
in general.
·
Make children communicate with other children in the
West Bank, Gaza Strip, the Arab World and other children
of the world to break the ice of isolation imposed onto
them.
Overall Vision:
“Child Artist” is a long-term regional project arising
from a strategic vision to activate work in different
areas where the project; which is based on sharing,
exchanging and opportunity giving, constantly and
innovatively keeps renovating.
Parents are an essential part in all work phases, since
by sharing the process of creativity with their children
they solidify the ties between themselves and their
children and underscore the need for arts in people’s
lives.
The contribution of experienced and talented artists who
have aspirations enriches the project and widens the
horizons and views of it.
Valantina Abu Oqsa
Spring 2001
.......................................................................................................................................................
Accomplishments of the Project:
-
The establishment of the project is alone an
accomplishment, for it is one of a kind in the Arab
community within the Green line, add to that its
remarkable success and continuity.
-
This project is the first of its kind that gives the
opportunity to embrace children talents and
addresses their concerns on a refined level, and it
scored a wide-scale regional popularity. Each time
the project stepped up since its launch in 2001, it
granted such a success as the progress of this
project is accumulation-based.
-
It is also extraordinary that the accomplishments of
this project were achieved with no allocated
material support, which constitutes new standards
for overachievement and success.
-
The project contributed in restoring and spreading
cooperation and volunteering values between members
of society and artists through participation in the
work.
-
Encouraging support of art and culture-oriented
donation and seeking to familiarize this principle
absent from our community.
-
The contribution of the wealthy and capital owners
of Arabs (though it is a modest project) in the
creativity process and in supporting culture formed
a serious turn and a strong basis in creating a
status of stability and an alternative for the
sources of state.
-
Unemployed potentials in places as neglected areas
due to difficult conditions were invested in the
processes of creation and creativity.
-
The project assisted in the achievement of
communication and solidarity, as well as in the
expanding of horizons through making relations and
carrying out proceedings, starting from Palestine
and heading to Italy and Spain.
-
N.B.:
Artist Valantina Aby Oqsa has volunteered to the
project all through its duration were she carried
out all administrative works from her house on her
expense.
Achievements of 2001:
-
The most significant achievement was the
establishment of the project in March 2001 in Haifa.
-
Holding theater workshops under the project, in
which 23 children participated until June.
-
The
participation of 9 children each month during July
in the (Dream) experience (a drama show).
-
3 shows were done in Haifa where 300 attendants came
to watch as audience.
-
The project captured a huge popular and media
attention on a regional level.
2002:
-
Jobeineh
theater, with its humble capacities, adopted the
play in Haifa in March 2002 and was offered a plan
to be carried out in four locations of which
concerned parties approved.
-
The plan could not be carried out after Abu Oqsa was
injured in April and spent most of year 2002 at
hospital and home.
-
Valantina insisted on the continuation of the
project and refused to completely stop it.
-
The project was carried out in Tamra city in the
spring and summer of year 2002 and was personally
supervised by Valantina Abu Oqsa where she was
assigned a workshop guide.
-
Actress Rnin Bshasrat, a graduate of theater
department – University of Haifa.
-
Theater workshops in Tamra were opened after the
House of Friendship Association embraced the project
in May. 35 children participated in the workshops
and 9 children from Tamra presented the experience
of the Dream in three shows, 400 attendants.
2003:
-
Admission of children of Haifa started in April
2003.
-
13 children were admitted and participated in the
workshops of the theater – workshops in all fields.
-
The project produced the (Dream) play – an
integrated drama work for the first time.
-
9 children from Haifa presented the (Dream) show
after one month and a half of intensive reviewing in
July and August.
-
They presented three opening shows in Haifa, 150
attendants.
-
They also presented an additional show in
September, 150 attendants.
-
The project won a wide public turnout from all
areas, and it captured the attention of media and
press on a large regional level.
-
The show was hosted in the three most popular and
significant theaters of the country: Alsana
Theater/Nazareth, the Center Theater/Akka, the
Palestinian National Theater/Jerusalem, about 450
attendants.
-
Some of the most important businessmen funded the
shows – mentioned in the brochure.
-
Several parties participated and artists volunteered
to the shows – mentioned in the brochure.
-
Bagolies Italian band hosted the project in Nazareth
in October 2002, and the (Dream) show was presented
to the Bagolies in Haifa.
-
Italian actor Bruno Leoni hosted the project in a
puppet show for more than 300 children in Haifa –
November.
-
The workshops of the theater were opened in
preparation for season 2004 in October 2003.
-
New five children in addition to 8 from the first
group joined the project.
2004:
-
The number of the participants in the project grew
up when many professionals volunteered in making
workshops for children on motions, makeup and
acting.
-
The project granted two scholarships in February
2004 in Napoli from the Gwartly Institute and the
municipality of Napoli in support of the project to
present puppet shows in the 1948 area. – The
scholarships cover education, traveling, residence
and personal allowance for a three-week course in
April 2004.
-
The project was adopted by the Arab Youth
Association –Baladna– in early March 2004.
-
The project hosted children from the Julan Heights
to whom the (Dream) show was presented on 3
December.
-
The show was videotaped by Palestine Space Channel
on 3 December and was run on a special show about
the (Dream) play and project on the occasion of the
Universal Children’s Day in (Raise Your Voice Show)-PYALARA
on 4-4-2004.
-
The Dream show was presented under the auspices of
Baladna on 13-3 as the 2003 season finale.
-
The show was attended by tens of those interested
and dramatistsfrom Haifa, Nazareth and Shafaamer.
-
The project was hosted at 4-6 puppet shows from
Italy in cooperation with the Italian Cultural
Center-Haifa.
-
Theater workshops were carried out since the
beginning of the year along with workshops in Arabic
language.
-
Intensive review of work in the last week in Ard
Alghazalah – Maalaya village to the north of
Palestine.
-
A unique experience, as all the crews along with
children actors are in the hometown of the writer
which is also the hometown of the director, the same
place where the events of the work were written.
-
The production of “Shababeek Alghazala” which was
prepared and directed by Valantina Abu Oqsa is taken
from “Shababeek Alghazala” stories for Dr. Suhair
Abu Oqsa Dwoud and was opened in Maalaya village.
-
The show was presented twice in Haifa, attendants
amounting to 650.
-
The Dream play participated in an international
theater festival in Sardinia in Italy.
-
Admission in Haifa started for season 2005.
2005:
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Training a new staff on “Shababeek Alghazala”.
-
Presenting “Shababeek Alghazala” in Jerusalem.
-
Translating “Shababeek Alghazala” into English and
Italian.
-
Projects still open: (a work with Bruno Leoni -
Italy) (a work with a group from Toronto).
-
Hosting a band from Spain to present plays for
children).
List
of donors during the entire period of production:
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Trust International Company for Insurance / Ramallah
-
Al-Nakhla Al-Hamraa Coffee / Shva Umro
-
Al-Safeer for A dvertising / Haifa
-
CTC for tourism and traveling / Haifa
-
Nizareen Tours / Nazareth
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www.Arab48.com
-
Jerusalem Hotel / Jerusalem
In
addition to the donations of the parents of the
participating children, the volunteering of some artists
and the donation of Al-Nema House (Haifa) all through
the five years of workshops and reviews. |
