- Embroidery project: Palestinian women’s embroidery is rightly famed. We have a link with a Women’s Co-operative in Bethany which produces and promotes this craft both as a means of sustaining cultural tradition and as an economic necessity. We aim to hold sewing workshops (beginning well before the Festival) encouraging local women to produce small pieces of embroidery which will be sewn together into a wall-hanging. This will be exhibited at the Festival and will then be given as a token of friendship from the women of Calderdale to the women of Bethany.
We aim to involve women and girls of all ages and from different sections of the local community in this venture.
- Art workshops: We have connections with schools and centres in the West Bank. Our aim is to have a travelling exhibition of Palestinian children’s art on the theme of “This is Where I Live”. We will take the exhibition into schools and, with the support of staff, invite Calderdale children to respond with art work on the same theme. This in turn can be mounted and become a joint exhibition with the work of the Palestinian youngsters.
- Dance workshops: In collaboration with the Lajee Centre, Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem we will facilitate the visit by a troupe of approximately 12 young dabke dancers: dabke is the traditional Palestinian line-dance. The troupe has already visited Leicester and Hull schools in previous years. The troupe will work in school(s) teaching dabke dance. There will be a dabke performance by the Lajee troupe on July 10th which will incorporate a number of dances where local children jointly perform with the visitors.
- Singing workshops in schools: These will be led by Reem Kelani, the Palestinian singer. Reem will deliver workshops in schools, which will be of intrinsic value to those participating. She will also prepare the children for a performance on the Festival afternoon itself, which will give parents, families and friends a chance to enjoy the work the children have done.
