On Saturday, September 27th, Pentabus, a leading rural touring theatre company, hosted a powerful creative workshop that brought together two vastly different groups of young people: teenagers from Shropshire and visitors from Palestine. Facilitated by the Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association (CADFA), the event aimed to foster understanding, exchange ideas, and build bridges across international borders through the shared language of theatre.
The visiting Palestinian teenagers, participating in CADFA’s long-running Beyond The Checkpoints Youth Visit, met and collaborated with members of the recently established Pentabus Youth Theatre. The workshop, led by Pentabus' Head of Engagement, Joanna Freeman, focused on a universal theme: what it means to be a teenager. The day’s activities were not limited to performance; they also included a clay-making workshop led by local artist Hamish Dolphin at Gather, with food and refreshment generously provided by the Ludlow Quakers.
The experience was profoundly impactful for the Palestinian participants. As CADFA Coordinator Abdulwahab Sabbah noted, the visible freedom of expression in the UK—seeing "people with hijabs, kippahs, jooras, tattoos, all forms of expression... going about their day side by side freely and without judgement"—was an "unbelievably inspiring and aspirational" sight for them.
The session culminated in a live performance where the teenagers shared their thoughts and feelings. The need for this creative outlet was underscored by one Palestinian participant, who commented, “We never get this chance, to say what we think and feel,” and another, who expressed a core longing: “All we want is to be able to move freely and live a life without oppression.”
Nandita Dowson, Director of CADFA, celebrated the success of the collaboration, stating that watching the young people "share stories, build trust, and create theatre together was a powerful reminder of how art transcends borders and builds bridges."
The workshop took place within the context of ongoing challenges in Jerusalem and the West Bank, making this opportunity for open, creative dialogue a vital expression of human rights and shared humanity. Pentabus continues its mission of community engagement as it prepares to tour Even More... Ghost Stories by Candlelight this October and November.
