Dear friends,
It was in Leipzig two years ago that I first met Juliano and felt that great magnetism of his and of The Freedom Theatre. I have very strong and very positive memories of the time I spent with you a bit more than a year ago (February 19th – March 4th, 2011). And I remember the shock shortly thereafter learning about Juliano’s murder. Reading your news updates from that moment on has not been easy. Your work in maintaining an extremely important and active organisation in the face of continuous harassment is indeed heroic. And it is obvious that the spirit of Juliano lives on in that work.
I have spread information about The Freedom Theatre through lectures here and in England and I hope to have an article ready for publication soon. And I also hope I’ll have the opportunity to come back to visit and teach at some point.
My thoughts are with you – not leastwise on this memorial day. I mourn Juliano with you – and I honor your spirit, your inspirational insistence on keeping up the cultural fight to free Palestine.
Sincerely,
Robert Lyons
Senior Lecturer, Theatre Studies
Department of Literature, History of Ideas and Religion
University of Gothenburg, Sweden