Published: 28 January 2019
Last updated: 5 March 2024
ALAA ALBABA STOOD BEFORE the audience of young Palestinians in Station 101, a cafe in Ramallah, talking about his journey from refugee camp to international exhibitions.
Albaba, a multi-disciplinary artist whose works have been exhibited in Germany and Jordan, talked for half an hour about his life and art, responded to questions and then left the stage to amateur artists, who took turns at the microphone singing, acting and reciting poetry.
The event, held on January 5, was organised by Sard, a creative initiative geared toward forging a community of young writers, poets and musicians in the West Bank.
“Sard” means "to narrate,” which is what those who take part in its activities do on the first Saturday evening of every month. They read short stories, present songs, rap, perform skits and create visual works of art.
The open mic concept is the idea behind Sard, which began in 2016 by a group of Birzeit University students - Bahor Jarrar, Yasmin Khawaja, Khaled Samen and Majd Shehadeh. The initiative provides a safe space where Palestinian youths can express their thoughts and feelings and display their talents.
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Photo: Sard co-founder Yasmin Khawaja at the mic for a Sard event in Ramallah, West Bank October, 2017 (Sard/Facebook)
