Shake! Comedy Festival, Berlin 2010

A group of 5 trainees and 2 trainers from Assirk Assaghir traveled to Berlin, Germany in July 2010 to participate in the Comedy Shake! circus festival. They partook in daily circus trainings focused on different kinds of clowning such as buffoon and pantomime as well as how to incorporate comedy into other circus acts. There were 8 groups from around Europe and the Middle East who worked and trained together. Each night the day's group performed short skits on an open stage and all groups performed a longer show at the end of the festival. Other activities included tours of Berlin, group meals and interactive games. It was the first time 2 of the trainees had traveled outside of Palestine and the experience was enriching for all. Assirk Assaghir looks forward to participating in opportunities like this in the future.

The Night of Nights

In mid July, 6 of the teen students from Assirk Assaghir were casted to perform in a production called "The Night of Nights" put on by cooperation between Assirk Assaghir, Al-Hakawati Theater in Jerusalem, Le Teatre National Palestinien and La Compagnie La Barraca from France. The play was based on the tale of "A Thousand and One Nights" and was directed by Nabil Al-Azan. It included storytelling, music and circus arts such as acrobatics, aerial rope, contortion, stilts, fire juggling and poi. The show was produced in cooperation with the French Cultural Center and debuted in Nablus in the open-air theater at An-Najah University's new campus.

A Busy Summer!

Hello blog followers and circus supporters! We'd like to update you on our summer activities at Assirk Assaghir: The Nablus Circus School. Beginning on the first day of the students' summer holiday in early June, the center has been full of students and trainers improving skills, preparing performances and having fun. The group of children (ages 8-13) from the academic year were split into advanced and beginners groups, each having training 6 hours per week. The total number of children is more than 35 and their training focuses on acrobatics, juggling and diabolo as well as building confidence and team work skills. The children participate in many interactive games as a way to learn skills and have fun. Many of the teen students from both groups serve as assistant trainers in the children's training.

The teen girls group (a total of 12 girls) practices everyday during the summer months for 2 hours each day. Their training focuses on partner acrobatics, gymnastics, dance, rhythm, stilts and poi as well as bi-weekly clowning workshops. The group put together a show that they performed for children in the Child Culture Center in Nablus in mid July.

The teen boys group (15 in total) also practices everyday during the summer months for 4 hours each day. They have performed for Tomorrow's Youth Organization for more than 400 children from the 4 refugee camps in Nablus and from the old city, all disadvantaged areas stricken by overcrowding and poverty. Later that week they performed the same show for around 50 children in a summer camp hosted by The Red Crescent Society.

All groups will end their summer training with instruction in trapeze and tissue given by two visiting trainers from Spain. Overall, the summer months have been successful in that the circus is full of activities, the students are developing their skills and confidence while making long-lasting friendships and all students have been given a chance to show their skills to a part of the community in the form of performances. The Assirk Assaghir team plans to continue activities throughout Ramadan before students go back to school and return to their regular training schedule.

Show in the Red Crescent Society

The Red Crescent Society (the Red Cross of the Middle East) in Nablus runs a school for handicap and deaf children. Assirk Assaghir performed a show for the students in May as a part of their clown training. The circus students were coached in how to perform for their audience and how to interact appropriately with them. The clowns did not speak in Arabic, as they often do, and instead used gestures and facial expressions in the performance. The performance was a success; after the show, none of the children wanted to go back to their classrooms, so they played music and the children danced with the performers. The teachers in the school appreciated a fun activity in which the students were encouraged to participate and given the chance to laugh out loud.

Hopital Clowning News

The public hospitals in Nablus have completed the transfer of the children's ward from Al-Watani to Rafedia hospital. The facilities are much better, although still in need of many improvements and more advanced equipment. A team of 3 clowns from Assirk Assaghir visited the new ward last week and spent a few hours playing with and cheering up the kids (and parents!). One woman said her daughter had been crying all morning and refused to take her medicine. After playing with the clowns she started laughing and forgot her pain. She later asked her mother to call the doctor because she was ready to take her medicine.

During the summer vacation, when many clown trainees are free, Assirk Assaghir will increase the frequency of visits like this to the hospitals.

Jamal Abdel Naser Show

For the occasion of the Political Prisoners Commemoration day in April, Assirk Assaghir performed for a crowd of more than 4,000 people in the Jamal Abdel Naser open-air theater. The festival was organized by the Medical Relief Society and included performances by Dabkah groups and local singers as well as speeches from the mayor of Nablus and other public figures.

Assirk Assaghir's performance included a trampoline act, acrobatics, juggling, dance, fire arts and, of course, clowning. Watch a montage of the show below:

Two Shows in the Child Culture Center in Nablus

The advanced teenage group performed 2 shows in the Child Culture Center in Nablus for school children in April. The shows included clown skits, juggling, acrobatics and diabolo. The shows were part of a program that organizes extracurricular activities for school children in Nablus. These shows gave the teenage circus students an opportunity to be on stage and especially to practice clowning and finding their own clown.

Welcome to Assirk Assaghir's Blog!

Whether you are a member of Assirk Assaghir, a previous donor, or simply interested in finding out more about our current programs, our blog is a perfect way to keep up to date with what's going on in the Nablus Circus School. For more information about any of our posts, or if you would like to get in contact with the Assirk Assaghir team, don't hesitate to email us at info@assirkassaghir.ps or call our office at +972 92330877. Enjoy!

Assirk Assaghir vs. The Nablus Circus School

Many of you may be wondering: What is the difference between Assirk Assaghir and the Nablus Circus School?

Assirk Assaghir (The Small Circus in Arabic) was the name that a group of motivated youth chose for themselves in 2004 when they were teaching themselves circus arts and performing clowning shows for children in the Nablus area. During this time, they also began sharing their skills with a small group of children from Askar refugee camp, but it wasn't until they received funding to open a center in the middle of Nablus and began regular circus classes for a larger number of children that they added the name Nablus Circus School.

Fundraiser

In November of 2009, a fundraiser was held for the circus in the state of Iowa in the US. The event included a silent auction for Nabulsi products, a slide show of the circus' work, a short presentation by two members of Assirk Assaghir, and of course, Arabic food for all. The night was a success and the funds raised were used for up-keep of the school and transportation stipends for needy students, especially those from the refugee camps in the Nablus area. To all who attended and showed support for Assirk Assaghir, we say Shukran - Thank You.

If you are interested in supporting or continuing to support the circus' programs in Nablus, please contact us at info@assirkassaghir.ps

News

In February, a group of 4 artists traveled from Sweden to Nablus to perform a clowning show for refugee children. The group are theater and clowning students and members of Clowns Without Borders Sweden. They performed their already-prepared show in UN schools in Askar, Balata and Al-Ein refugee camps, Nablus and a village called Al-Yanoon that has been plagued by harassment form nearby Israeli settlers. Over the course of three weeks, they performed daily shows for more than 7,000 children total in the Nablus district.

Girls Training

Previously, the circus has encountered problems with female students dropping out of the program once they reach their early teen years as a result of the conservative culture in Nablus, making it unacceptable for teen boys and girls to practice sports together. In order to keep the girls involved, Assirk Assaghir began all-female classes taught by a female instructor.
In January, during the students' mid-semester vacation from school, two female circus artists from Sweden came to the Nablus Circus School to train this new group of teen girls. They gave daily trainings and worked with the girls toward a show that they performed in a neighborhood center for an audience of children and women. The show included acrobatic numbers, Chinese plates, juggling, poi, drumming and human pyramids. This 2-week program inspired the girl students to continue with circus training and gave them a chance to be on stage for the first time, boosting their confidence and sparking their creativity. Assirk Assaghir has continued classes for this group and hopes to repeat this program in the summer.

Hospital Clown Project News

In January of 2010, a group of Swedish clowns from Assirk Assaghir's partner organization, Clowns Without Borders, gave a 2-week workshop for teenage students in hospital clowning. This initiative is part of a program to train students to be clowns for children in hospitals in Nablus, especially those children suffering from chronic diseases who spend much of their time in the hospital.

20 students ranging in age from 16 to 25 participated in these workshops which included 'introduction to clowning' activities, discussions of where the clown fits in the hospital setting and practical visits to the hospitals. The students progressed during these two weeks in finding their clown character and in working with their surroundings and understanding their audience.

Also during this period, the Swedish trainers visited the main governmental hospital in Nablus numerous times as clowns to spend time with the children. They also performed shows in a center in Askar refugee camp and multiple centers for disabled children in Nablus and Ramallah such as the Red Crescent Society. Students from the workshop participated in many of the shows and held their own show in the Nablus Circus School at the conclusion of the two weeks.

This project will continue into 2010 with more training visits to hospitals and eventually trained clowns that make regular visits to hospitals and centers for disabled children.

News

A group of four circus artists and clowns from Clowns Without Borders Ireland performed 4 shows in Nablus in January, 2010 for more than 400 children. They performed for children and adults in neighborhood centers in Nablus and Askar refugee camp. Their show included music, juggling, acrobatics and many clown skits that required audience participation. This is the second tour the group has done in Nablus in the past 2 years.