Beautiful Resistance Live
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Young artists from Aida Refugee Camp turn hardship into theatre, music and dance — a night of courage, creativity and hope.
In association with Bethlehem Cultural Festival.
In Bethlehem’s Aida Refugee Camp, children and young people gather in studios and streets, armed not with weapons but with brushes, cameras, drums, words and dance steps. This is Alrowwad Cultural & Arts Society — a community transforming fear into courage and oppression into art.
‘Beautiful Resistance’ is how they describe it: bold, non-violent expression through theatre, music, photography and storytelling. Each performance is a declaration that identity, hope and dignity cannot be silenced.
Now, you can witness their power live. Their new production, Anfaas (Breaths), brings stories of loss, love and defiant joy to the stage, told through rhythm, movement and music — Beautiful Resistance in action.
Also joining us:
Saied Silbak is an oud virtuoso and composer. He has a unique understanding of a wide range of musical traditions — from Arabic, Turkish and Indian to classical Western styles.
Saied’s signature sound, created through his artful fusion of these influences, has captivated audiences around the world, with performances at festivals and concert series across the UK, Belgium, France, Palestine, Morocco, Argentina and beyond.
Saied Silbak is a Palestinian composer and oud player born in Shafaa`mr, a city located in the lower Galilee of occupied Palestine. He began training in classical piano at the age of four, before moving onto the oud in his early teens in order to delve deep into the nuances at the base of Arabic music.
Saied went on to train at the Beit Almusica Conservatoire where he later taught, before studying Music and Psychology at the university of Haifa and then completing his Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he is currently based.
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Haia Mohammed
Haia is a 23-year-old poet from Khan Younis in Gaza. A former computer programming student, she lived there with her mother and sisters. Her love of the sea, the sky, art, her country and her family runs through her writing. Her debut poetry pamphlet, The Age of Olive Trees, published in 2025 by Out-Spoken Press, was named by The Guardian as one of its Best Recent Poetry titles.
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Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society in Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem use dance, music, drama and film to empower young people through non-violent creative programmes and preserve Palestinian culture.
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Aida Refugee Camp, just outside Bethlehem, has been described as ‘the most tear-gassed place in the world.’ Since October 2023, the camp has faced daily incursions by Israeli occupying forces and its children and young people live under constant threat of violence, arrest and detention.
Don’t miss this extraordinary evening. All proceeds will support our Christmas Appeal, funding Alrowwad’s work in the West Bank and trauma support and education for children in Gaza.
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Dr Abdelfattah Abusroar founded Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society in 1988 offering a creative lifeline through its Beautiful Resistance programme — teaching dabke dance, drama, music, film and photography, as well as English and maths. It provides a safe space where children feel seen, valued and free to express themselves and their culture.
Margins Cafe will not be running at this show
More Information:
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The venue is seating only. All seats are unreserved and are taken on a first come first serve basis. Please arrive early before event door times if you have preferred seats. Due to the nature of our venue, please be prepared to queue for entry.
The venue is fully accessible, with use of ramps and the upstairs bar is accessible with use of a platform lift. Please email [email protected] with your accessibility requirements as soon as you purchase your ticket as requests are dealt with on a first come, first serve basis.
The bar is located on the first floor of the venue and will be open from the stated door time and remain open after the show.
Alcohol consumption will be limited to the bar area only, it is not permitted to take alcohol to the main chapel space. An array of soft drinks and snacks will also be available and are permitted in the main space - please note the Union Chapel bar and kiosk accept card payment only. Strictly no food or drink may be brought from outside into the venue. Water bottles must be emptied before entering the venue, with refilling stations available inside.
Seats for Margin's Cafe Early Dinners can be reserved via the links above. Margin's Cafe accepts both cash and card. If you have any queries about Margins Cafe, please contact [email protected]