“There will be Singing of the Dark Times”: Israeli Occupation and The Story of Freedom Theatre

Newsclick interviewed theatre artists Faisal Abu- Alheija and Ahmad al-Rokh from Palestine’s Freedom Theatre on their visit to India. Freedom Theatre was founded in 2006 by Juliano Mer Khamis and others, carrying forward Arna Mer Khamis’ radical cultural interventions amongst children in Palestine. The theatre went on to become a powerful symbol of hope and resistance against the barbarities of Israeli occupation. Juliano was assassinated by a masked gunman in Jenin in 2011. Over the recent past the Freedom Theatre has emerged as one of the most prominent theatre groups in the world, taking its message of freedom to people fighting for justice and equality across the globe. Faisal and Ahmad retell the inspiring story of the resistance theatre group, and talk about their hopes and aspirations about Palestine’s future. Given the fact that hundreds of artists, from Juliano Mer Khamis to Safdar Hashmi, have been put to death by enemies of freedom, they emphasise a natural bond of solidarity and camaraderie between progressive artists the world over.