“We feel incredible support everywhere”: meeting with the artists of the Palestinian Circus School, performing in Auch

The Palestinian Circus School was established in 2006 by Shadi Zmorrod and Jessika Devlieghere. It has since trained future professional circus performers, but its primary goal is educational. To the entire population, starting with the youngest. Early Tuesday afternoon, under the Dôme de Circa, a handful of artists from this Palestinian school were fine-tuning the final details of the evening show, a performance given in front of more than 400 Gers residents.

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The Palestinian circus school presents its show Sarab this Tuesday evening at Circa in Auch

“I was surprised when I arrived! It’s magnificent. I think it’s the biggest stage I’ll perform on so far,” smiles Wadji K., a member of the school for more than 10 years , now 24 years old. At his side, Julia R., 22, is also taking a break from this afternoon of rehearsal.

They present their show Sarab in Auch. “Sarab means mirage. The show talks about the exile of the Palestinians in 1948, when they had to leave their lands, it talks about the suffering they faced, and the fight which continues today,” confides Wadji.

“But it’s not just about Palestinians, but about what’s happening all over the world. People are experiencing this exile in many places on the planet, such as Syria, Sudan, etc.,” adds his comrade.

Art as a weapon

Before France, the artists performed earlier in the year in Belgium and Italy. “And each time, these are moments of great emotion,” emphasizes Wadji. “In Biscarosse, there were 4 reminders during the final salute, and yet the public did not stop applauding. This moved us a lot.”

“In Belgium and Italy, some people came to see us in the dressing room. Generally, we have a time for discussion after the show, many of them come to see us, to ask us questions about life at the moment in Palestine We perform everywhere, we feel incredible support,” assures Julia.

The Palestinian Circus School offers a course for young people who really want to make circus their career. This is the case of Wadji and Julia. But its main program is educational. It brings together more than 200 students in 5 different locations, in Ramallah, Jenin, Jerusalem, Tulkarem and Birzeit. “Its goal is to help Palestinian children, but also adults, to face their fears, teach them to trust themselves, to have more self-esteem. But also to face what they face today today, what they have actually been facing for a long time.”

Wadji joined the school ten years ago. Not at all out of love for the circus at first, smiles the young man. “I started because it was free, I was a little fat and I thought it would be a good way to lose weight. After two years, I had a nice figure but I loved what we were doing, so I continued,” he laughs. And he continues, more serious. “With the situation in Palestine, at the end of my studies, I chose to continue, to fight with art as a weapon. Some fight with firearms, it’s their choice. But I chose art to carry my message and show it to the world.

And this even if today his life as an artist remains difficult to lead. “It’s very difficult to make a living from it, which causes a lot of artists to stop. It’s difficult to build a future. But when I think about the situation as a whole, beyond the money and the life I dream of having, I think about the message I carry. I can’t stop, I would feel like I’m betraying my loved ones.

Friday November 29, they were in Biscarosse. Tuesday evening in Auch. Thursday and Friday, they will be in Boulazac near Périgueux, then in Bagneux in the Paris region for a last performance in this French tour, before returning to Palestine.