27/10/2005
stampa
invia
The German capital confirms its multicultural vocation by hosting the delegations
of twelve countries, represented by almost a hundred girls and boys from nineteen
circus companies. Apart from the German company, Cabuwazi, there where groups
coming from Great Britain, Finland, France, Poland, Russia, Sweden and this year’s
guests of honour: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Israel and Palestine. The collaboration
between the hosts and the Middle Eastern groups goes back to 2004, when in Bethlehem
they created a project of intercultural exchange called “Freecircus”. In Berlin
they chose to follow a dream of liberty as well, specifying in the theme ‘Circus
Without Borders’ the profound sense of a festival which for years has been attempting
to encourage intercultural exchange through meeting others. “We live in a society
in which multicultural understanding is becoming more and more important and it’s
indispensable to know how to respect them,” affirms the director Karl Köckenberger.
The behavior, principles and cultural systems of reference are different and nowadays
one needs to realize that their own perspective is one of many possibilities.
It is in this spirit that the festival labours, of which children are the main
beneficiaries.
Without limits. Islam, a twenty-three year old Palestinian who hides the sufferings of the occupation
behind an inquiring and innocent gaze, describes the division of the activities:
“There were seminars, workshops and performances. During the seminars we discussed
topics of common interest regarding future projects. In the workshops every group
had the possibility to present a few circus numbers and here the main objective
was to exchange knowledge while the performances where mainly for the public.
Every delegation had the opportunity for participation in the seminars, workshops
and performances. We danced the Dabke, a typical Palestinian dance. In the end,”
continues Islam, “Saturday was the final show in which everyone took part, demonstrating
through the circus that there are no borders to the creative spirit of art.” Ample
time in the program was dedicated to the children, who besides being inspired
by the feats of the acrobats had a chance to participate themselves in some of
the activities and get beyond their cultural differences through common enjoyment.
The circus is an important tool for education, as Islam remembers when he explains
that the dream of the Palestinian delegation, composed of 9 young persons (age
20 to 26), is to obtain a place in their city of residence – Nablus – where the
local kids can interact in a serene space and start dreaming of a different future
far from degradation and violence.
From one wall to the other. Still, fifteen years after the fall of the Wall, Berlin is creating discussion.
However, this time it is as a free space, a neutral ground for encounters between
those who in their daily lives are bound to undergo the oppression of the separation
barrier. The presence of an Israeli and a Palestinian delegation has certainly
had symbolic value, but in the course of the event little importance has been
given to political questions. “The group from Jerusalem was composed of two Palestinians
and three Israelis, but from the beginning we made a point of leaving aside politics.
We attended to train and distract ourselves from the difficulties of our daily
life. To learn but above all to entertain: we did not want to start discussing
about who might have suffered more than the other. Political discussions have
occurred in more informal situations, some have asked us to describe our lives
and our truth; but we were here to organize activities for children, not to talk
about politics,” another member of the Palestinian delegation points out. Politics
are only seemingly in second place: the ambition of the Cabuwazi group to create
a network of circus groups from different countries (Network for International
Circus Exchange - NICE) is a statement for the interpretation of art as an instrument
of struggle against racism, discrimination and violence.
stampainvia
Palestinian and Israeli circus groups work together. In Berlin
Written for PeaceReporter by
Alice Colombi
Alice Colombi
A week dedicated to the 2005 edition of the European Circus Festival was concluded
on Sunday the 16th of October: an event that since 1999 gives young artists from
different continents the possibility to meet. The aim is to discuss, find common
ground, exchange technical knowledge and perform for the joy of an audience of
all ages.
The German capital confirms its multicultural vocation by hosting the delegations
of twelve countries, represented by almost a hundred girls and boys from nineteen
circus companies. Apart from the German company, Cabuwazi, there where groups
coming from Great Britain, Finland, France, Poland, Russia, Sweden and this year’s
guests of honour: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Israel and Palestine. The collaboration
between the hosts and the Middle Eastern groups goes back to 2004, when in Bethlehem
they created a project of intercultural exchange called “Freecircus”. In Berlin
they chose to follow a dream of liberty as well, specifying in the theme ‘Circus
Without Borders’ the profound sense of a festival which for years has been attempting
to encourage intercultural exchange through meeting others. “We live in a society
in which multicultural understanding is becoming more and more important and it’s
indispensable to know how to respect them,” affirms the director Karl Köckenberger.
The behavior, principles and cultural systems of reference are different and nowadays
one needs to realize that their own perspective is one of many possibilities.
It is in this spirit that the festival labours, of which children are the main
beneficiaries. Without limits. Islam, a twenty-three year old Palestinian who hides the sufferings of the occupation
behind an inquiring and innocent gaze, describes the division of the activities:
“There were seminars, workshops and performances. During the seminars we discussed
topics of common interest regarding future projects. In the workshops every group
had the possibility to present a few circus numbers and here the main objective
was to exchange knowledge while the performances where mainly for the public.
Every delegation had the opportunity for participation in the seminars, workshops
and performances. We danced the Dabke, a typical Palestinian dance. In the end,”
continues Islam, “Saturday was the final show in which everyone took part, demonstrating
through the circus that there are no borders to the creative spirit of art.” Ample
time in the program was dedicated to the children, who besides being inspired
by the feats of the acrobats had a chance to participate themselves in some of
the activities and get beyond their cultural differences through common enjoyment.
The circus is an important tool for education, as Islam remembers when he explains
that the dream of the Palestinian delegation, composed of 9 young persons (age
20 to 26), is to obtain a place in their city of residence – Nablus – where the
local kids can interact in a serene space and start dreaming of a different future
far from degradation and violence. From one wall to the other. Still, fifteen years after the fall of the Wall, Berlin is creating discussion.
However, this time it is as a free space, a neutral ground for encounters between
those who in their daily lives are bound to undergo the oppression of the separation
barrier. The presence of an Israeli and a Palestinian delegation has certainly
had symbolic value, but in the course of the event little importance has been
given to political questions. “The group from Jerusalem was composed of two Palestinians
and three Israelis, but from the beginning we made a point of leaving aside politics.
We attended to train and distract ourselves from the difficulties of our daily
life. To learn but above all to entertain: we did not want to start discussing
about who might have suffered more than the other. Political discussions have
occurred in more informal situations, some have asked us to describe our lives
and our truth; but we were here to organize activities for children, not to talk
about politics,” another member of the Palestinian delegation points out. Politics
are only seemingly in second place: the ambition of the Cabuwazi group to create
a network of circus groups from different countries (Network for International
Circus Exchange - NICE) is a statement for the interpretation of art as an instrument
of struggle against racism, discrimination and violence.
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