With your help, we can take the prizes to Gaza!
From its inception in 2017, the Hands Up Project’s annual playwriting competition has gone through several permutations. Born out of the drama clubs that the Hands Up Project helped to establish in Palestine, the competition has been the catalyst for the publication of three books of plays, and performances to audiences around the world through the internet. Audiences have been privileged to witness young people telling their truth and establishing heartfelt connections through a screen.
The medium itself has evolved due to both external and internal circumstances. From the first remotely performed plays to the pandemic-driven development of an entirely new form of theatre, Palestinian teachers have become leading experts in online theatre whilst their students have shown us all what it means to be a professional. Talented young actors and authors have dealt with power cuts and weak internet connections to deliver powerful and moving performances.
The Lockdown Theatre version of “I will wait until they open the gate”
Marvelling at their creativity, talent and sheer determination, let’s not forget that these children are writing and performing in their second or third language. Palestinian teachers seized the opportunity to inject passion and creativity into their students’ language learning, and the effect has been breathtaking. Teacher Imad said, “Since I discovered the powerful effect that plays have on my students' language acquisition, I started to focus on this entertaining and beneficial method.”
In 2021, just as in 2020, plays will be taken from one of the three books but with a new element: the entries must be international collaborations. Imagine for one moment the excitement, and potential for sharing of language and culture, during both rehearsals and performance. Imagine too some of the complications this inevitably leads to, and the determination and creativity needed to overcome them. Imagine the excitement of young actors and writers coming together from 2 or more different cultures to find that what they share is so much more than what divides them.
But now take a step back in time, pre-pandemic, to 2019. In 2019, there was no overall winner of the competition but 18 winning plays. They were published in the book “Popcorn”. Unlike in previous years, we were unable to bring the 74 young winners from Gaza to the West Bank in 2020, due to coronavirus. Now that many of them are over 16 and have left UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) schools, it has become impossible.
A 2018 competition winner leaps joyfully from the bus on her trip to Jerusalem
They’ve been waiting a long time for their prizes, and finally, although it’s a small consolation compared to leaving Gaza and performing in Jerusalem, we have decided to award each winner a tablet. Many children entering the competition have to borrow a phone from a family member and that isn’t always possible. With these tablets they will be able to continue making their inspirational plays and connecting with people around the world. Thanks to the generosity of our donors we're already halfway there but we still need to raise a further £2000 in order to buy the rest of the tablets.