We were forced,
we had no other option.
Dragged along to an uncertain end…
'SARAB' (loosely translated as 'mirage') was originally intended to be a performance about Palestinian refugees. However, when other conflicts in the Middle East arose in 2017, including the Syrian and Afghan refugee crisis, the artistic team of the Palestinian Circus School decided to take a broader approach. 'SARAB' became a performance about the difficulties all refugees worldwide experience during their flight to a safe, better place.
'SARAB' tells the story of the person behind the refugee. Even today, in times when refugees are discussed almost exclusively in terms of numbers, 'SARAB' is more relevant and necessary than ever.
The five Palestinian performers use their juggling, climbing, and acrobatic skills to tell their own story on stage. Using circus theater, they reflect on that history, on how it is repeated today for millions of other people, and they reflect on the enduring significance of their fate.
The original version of "SARAB," directed by British circus director Paul Evans, toured many European countries in 2018 and also had a limited run in Belgium. Now, the Palestinian Circus School is returning with an updated version under the direction of Mohammad Abu Taleb.
About the Palestinian Circus School:
The Palestinian Circus School was founded in 2006 by Belgian Jessika Devlieghere and her Palestinian partner Shadi Zmorrod. The school aims to develop strong, creative individuals through a values-based education. It offers Palestinian youth a voice to express themselves—through circus—about their daily lives, their struggle for freedom, and their immense desire for a dignified life. Each year, the school reaches some 500 to 1,000 children and young people through weekly circus classes, workshops, summer camps, and festivals in various locations throughout Palestine.
The school began in 2006 in a context without a strong circus tradition. The revival of this performance demonstrates the circus school's impressive journey. From a local initiative in Birzeit, it has grown into a hub for collaboration and exchange with other circus schools, artists, and directors from around the world. The circus school brings the world into Palestine and creates opportunities for Palestinian youth to explore the world beyond.