This year there were far more plays submitted than last year and the standard was incredibly high. The huge, international panel of 77 judges have finally reached a very difficult decision and it is as follows :-
There were 180 plays submitted for the competition: 40 performed by younger girls, 20 by younger boys and mixed, 20 by older girls from the West Bank, 80 by older girls from Gaza, and 20 by older boys and mixed. Each of these groups is represented in the final by 10% of the total number of submissions for their category. They are listed alphabetically in each category below.
Younger girls
I can smell her – Gaza Elementary Girls ‘B’ School
I will wait until they open the gate – Beach Elem. Co-ed School (C)
The Living Song – Beit Hanoun Elm. Co-ed “D” School
The story of a homeland – Al Madina Al Munawara Girls School, Rafah
Younger boys and mixed
Hands Up – Al Aqsa Elementary School B
The Lord of Show – Tel- Al sultan Elementary school
Older girls – West Bank
Hope – Hajjah Girls Secondary School, Qalqilia
Success Story – Japanese Girls School, Aqqaba
Older Girls – Gaza
A Stranger Within – Al Rimal Prep Girls School A
Don’t Look Back – New Khan Younis Prep Girls School
Hand in Hand – Abasan Prep Girls School
It’s Your Choice – Beach Prep Girls School C
One World Different Stories – Al Rimal Prep Girls School B
The Play of the Play – Al Fukhari Prep. Girls School
The Shadow Girl – Asma Prep Girls B School
The Sky is your Limit – Al Madina Al Monawara Prep Girls
Older boys and mixed
I can – Mae’n prep boys school
Othman the Honest – Khan Younis prep boys school
On behalf of the judges, the trustees of the Hands Up Project, and all the HUP volunteers around the world, we would like to express our warmest congratulations to all the finalists. All of these plays will be awarded with trophies and will be invited to perform their plays in the West Bank over the next year. One of these plays will be invited to perform at the HUP conference in the UK in April, but this decision will be made later.
Because of the huge number of entries and the very high standard, inevitably some excellent plays have not made it to the final. We would like to also congratulate every single child, teacher and school in Palestine who took part for your creative ideas, your hard work and your commitment to improve your English through making remote theatre. We will be providing detailed feedback to every play over the next month.
