Young Belgian and Palestinian circus artists come together for performances in Belgium
In a cross-cultural exchange, 20 young Palestinian circus artists will work together with their Belgian counterparts to create circus performances in Belgium at the end of July.
The performances will take place on 20 July at Quel Cirque in Anderlecht, 23 July at Miramiro in Ghent, 25 July at the Kruidtuin in Mechelen, 26 July at Hal 5 in Leuven and 27 July at Cirque Plus in Bruges.
The exchange began last summer when Belgian youth went to Palestine to work with the Palestinian Circus School and its members. However, due to the instability in the region, it was not possible to carry out performances.
The aim of the exchange is to offer the young circus talent a way to deal with the situation: "Circus is a universal language," says Lieven Leemans, one of the coordinators. "In that language, they can tell their personal stories, let their voices be heard freely without censorship, and talk about issues that are important to them. In this way, they can express their worries, dreams, and fears."
©The Palestinian Circus School
Lievens talks about a bond that is created regardless of the language barrier between the Palestinian and Belgian performers, "They start juggling and they understand each other. The Palestinian kids are in an isolated situation, by coming to Belgium they get a broader view of the world and they feel that they are not alone."
"The Belgian youth are now very involved in what is happening in Palestine," Leemans continued. "They are following the situation and are concerned. For the Palestinian youth, on the one hand, it is a relief that they are coming to Belgium, and on the other hand, they are thinking about their home country."
The Palestinian Circus School is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation established in 2006.
#FlandersNewsService | Performances of "Circus behind the wall", organised by The Palestinian Circus School
© AFP PHOTO JEAN AYISSI
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