Palestinian artist, Yousef Katalo, giving a workshop to youth in Hebron (photo by the AIC, 2008).
Believing strongly in the importance of developing the
skills of Palestinian youth, providing them the possibility to express
themselves, their feelings and their oppressions in cultural ways, the Alternative Information
Center (AIC) is conducting an art
workshop in Hebron
with the Palestinian political artist Yousef Katalo.
The workshop began two weeks ago and will continue
throughout the following ten months.
The participants are 17 high school and university
students, 13 girls and 4 boys from different villages in the Hebron district, including Jatta, Sa’eer,
Dora and the Al Aroub refugees’ camp.
The workshop takes place every Saturday in the Childhood
Development Center in the city of Hebron.
According to Katalo, the youths are very excited to
participate in order to improve their theoretical and practical knowledge about
art in general and drawing in particular. With the support of the AIC, Katalo
himself is currently holding exhibitions in Israel
and the West Bank in commemoration of the Naqba. In his works, Katalo explores the connections
between political issues and personal life, between exile, culture, and right
to come home. His exhibition began in Jaffa, and
will now move to Tulkarem, Beit Sahour and Hebron during the Naqba activities.
Amal Natsha, a participant in
the art workshop, said that “I’m very happy to attend this workshop. I’ve been
interested in art and in drawing for a long time. We don’t have enough opportunities
in Palestine in general, and in Hebron in particular, to follow and improve
our passions. This workshop will give me the chance to dedicate to something I
love and to improve at the same time my theoretical and practical skills. I’m
honoured to have this opportunity.”
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