Filosofiska in Sweden and The Freedom Theatre in Palestine aim to jointly open a non-profit child center in Jenin refugee camp, occupied Palestine, that will offer artistic and educational activities for children aged 0-5 years.
The organisations have received funding from the Swedish Institute for a feasibility study for the project.
“I remember clearly when a little girl said that during an activity at The Freedom Theatre she turned herself into a bird that flew over the Wall, the barb wire and all the roadblocks to reach the sea. We hope that this partnership with Filosofiska will give many more children the opportunity to use creativity, play and imagination”, says Jonatan Stanczak, managing director of The Freedom Theatre.
In a society like Jenin refugee camp, where generation after generation has been exposed to violence and oppression, children grow up in a difficult reality of cumulative trauma and hopelessness.
In the child center that the organisations hope to establish, children’s rights will be the foundation of all activities. Children will be encouraged to take an active part in their own development. The focus will be on children’s cultivation, rather than education, which includes each child’s inner development. The goal is to offer a safe place where children are free to express themselves creatively and are strengthened in their ability to deal with difficulties they encounter in their everyday lives.
Read more about the Swedish Institutet’s Creative Force program.
Dick Holmgren: +46.705738603, dick.holmgren@filosofiska.nu,www.filosofiska.nu
Jonatan Stanczak: +970.59.9017654, +972.54.3915708, jonatan@thefreedomtheatre.org, www.thefreedomtheatre.org