Our Project
In the
first ever India-Palestine theatre collaboration, The Freedom Theatre from Jenin Refugee Camp will join
forces with the legendary street theatre group Jana Natya Manch. Some of the highlights of this historic cultural exchange:
- A three-month residency in India for Palestinian theatre students,
- A ten-city tour of India with over 30 performances
and events with local artists,
- A tour in occupied Palestine, showcasing the work produced in India,
- A documentary film and a book about the project.
With every new backer, we are sowing the seeds of a new cultural movement for freedom. Join us!
This
south-south solidarity project will focus on the stories that unite us. Through it, we hope to create a community of supporters around the world who share our cause, so that collectively we can spread a cultural movement based on principles of humanity, equality and justice.
![]()
What We Need & What You Get
The Freedom Jatha for Palestine is entirely funded by individual contributions. We need to raise $20,000 to cover the costs of travel, simple accommodation, production of a street theatre play and touring it in India and Palestine. Every penny we raise will go directly to these essential costs.
We will make this Freedom Jatha happen. If we don't raise the full amount, we will make do with what we have. If we raise more, we will do more!
So what's in it for you? Well, in addition to the obvious satisfaction of knowing you have done your bit to support our cause, there are a few unique perks involved:
One of India's foremost visual artists, Orijit Sen , has designed unique art pieces for this Freedom Jatha, and we want to give them to you. Get your own limited edition screen print, signed by the artist, or your own exclusive tote bag, t-shirt or poster with the beautiful artwork. Read more about Orijit's artwork.
![]()
As if that was not enough, we're also throwing in some of The Freedom
Theatre's most popular products, including the documentary
Arna's Children made by one of our founders, the late Juliano Mer Khamis.
The Impact
With your help, eight of The Freedom Theatre's students and artists will go to India for three months of intensive
workshops involving some of India’s foremost
theatre experts. They will create a unique theatre production together, telling stories of
freedom and resistance from both nations, that will tour India and Palestine.
Imagine that by giving a little of what
you have, you can open a door to a whole new world for eight young people from Palestine!
Not only that, you can help us bring techniques of street theatre from India to Palestine, equipping young emerging artists with tools to create art where art is most needed. Also, you will be part of bringing the stories of Palestine to India. And when you see the fruits of our labour you can say: "I made
this project happen!"
![]()
"This is truly people-to-people contact, or rather artist-to-artist. They sought us out, and we sought them out because we found inspiration in each other's work. This is third-world talking to third-world, without the first-world telling us who to talk to, or what to talk about.” Sudhanva, Jana Natya Manch
Other Ways You Can Help
If you can't contribute financially, that doesn't mean you can't help. Ask friends, colleagues and family to get the word out and make some noise about our campaign. Use the Indiegogo share tools, it's easy!
