Exploring Cultural Resistance Through Theatre: A Collaboration Between GOAL NextGen & The Friends of the Freedom Theatre Youth Programme, Jenin, Palestine

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Artists

Sorcha Fox, spoken word writer and actor

Gráinnemir Amir Abualrob, actor, trainer and facilitator

Ranin Odeh, director of the Youth Programme at The Freedom Theatre Jenin

Marcela Parducci, producer

Victoria Walshe, Global Citizenship Manager at GOAL Global

Sarah Carr, Youth and Public Engagement Coordinator within GOAL Global’s Global Citizenship department

Jeanne Hurteloup, Global Citizenship Officer at GOAL Global

Full Event Details

GOAL NextGen is proud to partner with Friends of The Freedom Theatre, Ireland and the Freedom Theatre Youth Programme in Jenin. The Freedom Theatre is a theatre production company based in Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine. Known for its bold and thought-provoking productions, The Freedom Theatre uses performance to reflect, challenge, and comment on the realities of contemporary society.

This collaboration is part of GOAL NextGen’s ongoing commitment to empowering youth and fostering global citizenship. Through this performance, young participants engage with creative tools that help them explore and communicate the impact of global social injustices across different layers of society. Together The Freedom Theatre youth programme and Goal NextGen participants will delve into the concept of cultural resistance, using physical theatre as a powerful medium for activism and storytelling

The upcoming performance will feature actors and producers from The Freedom Theatre working alongside GOAL NextGen youth participants. Connecting global justice issues to local and national realities, exploring themes such as immigration, displacement, and the global inequalities that drive these realities, our performance offers a thought-provoking reflection on the human experience in the face of systemic injustice.

Interwoven throughout the production are original poems and written pieces by NextGen youth, considering themes of permanence, identity, and resistance through nature and lived experience. This one-time performance will take place during the week of October 10–19th, offering a powerful and moving reflection on peace, equality, and human rights through the lens of theatre.

The GOAL NextGen collaboration with The Freedom Theatre promotes a human rights agenda by using performance art as a platform for youth-led activism and storytelling. Rooted in the legacy of cultural resistance from Jenin Refugee Camp and now based in Dublin, The Freedom Theatre brings a powerful lens to global justice issues such as displacement, immigration, and systemic inequality.

Through physical theatre and original creative writing, young participants explore the lived realities of marginalised communities, connecting global human rights struggles to local and national contexts. The performance reveals how these injustices reverberate through our own communities, fostering deeper understanding and solidarity.

This event empowers youth to reflect on and communicate themes of identity, permanence, and resistance, core elements of the human rights discourse. By amplifying voices often excluded from mainstream narratives, the performance fosters empathy, awareness, and critical dialogue around the rights to freedom of expression, cultural participation, and equality.  Ultimately, this performance serves as a dynamic and inclusive space for education, reflection, and advocacy, encouraging audiences to engage with human rights not just as abstract principles, but as lived experiences that demand attention, solidarity, and action.

Special thanks to Goal and GoalNextGen; Friends of the Freedom Theatre, Ireland; the Freedom Theatre Youth Programme, Jennin, and Irish aid.

GOAL NextGen, supported by Irish Aid, is a dynamic global citizenship initiative that empowers young people around the globe to become informed, active changemakers. Through creative exchange, education, and youth engagement, the programme equips the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and platforms needed to address global challenges and contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive world. As part of GOAL Global’s wider Global Citizenship Programme, GOAL NextGen encourages young people to critically reflect on the interconnected nature of our world. Through participatory education, meaningful engagement, and practical skills development, the programme fosters a belief in the possibility of a fairer, more equal, and sustainable future. By nurturing global awareness and civic responsibility, GOAL NextGen helps build a generation of empowered global citizens ready to take action for positive change.

Speaker Biographies:

Sorcha Fox is a spoken word writer and actor. Sorcha was the recipient of an Arts Council Bursary award, she was also Theatre artist in Residence in The Dock arts centre in 2016. Sorcha received the UNESCO New Work Award and wrote Remember for Lingo: A Spoken Word Festival. Sorcha will be co-leading on the production of this theatre piece alongside Gráinnemir and the GOAL team.

Gráinnemir Amir Abualrob (they/them) is a Palestinian actor, trainer and facilitator based in Dublin. In 2017, they completed a 3 years programme at The Freedom Theatre TFT, Jenin Refugee Camp, Palestine, that Focused on Theatre studies and cultural resistance. Working Within the Local Community In Palestine, by listening to their stories and amplifying their Voices Through our shows. These shows have toured nationally and internationally. Amir’s work currently focuses on Using physical Theatre, storytelling and Cultural resistance to confront oppression In all Forms of it. Gráinnemir will be co-leading on the production of this theatre piece alongside Sorcha and the GOAL team.

Ranin Odeh is Director of the Youth Programme at The Freedom Theatre Jenin.

Marcela Parducci is a Brazilian producer and professional making a remarkable impact as the Five Lamps Arts Festival’s Project Manager in the heart of Dublin’s North Inner City. With a passion for community development and the arts, Marcela leads the way as the driving force behind a captivating community arts festival. Hailing from the vibrant streets of Brazil, Marcela brings a dynamic blend of cultural influences, creativity, and a keen eye for detail to her role. Her expertise in project management ensures that every aspect of the festival, from planning to execution, is flawlessly orchestrated.

Victoria Walsh is the Global Citizenship Manager at GOAL Global. She leads the strategic direction and delivery of GOAL’s Global Citizenship programmes, overseeing advocacy, education, public engagement, and youth initiatives within the department.

Sarah Carr is the Youth and Public Engagement Coordinator within GOAL Global’s Global Citizenship department. She oversees all youth engagement activities under the GOAL NextGen Youth Programme, including coordination of public events and outreach. Sarah also oversees the planning and rollout of GOAL’s public engagement initiatives and will be leading the youth engagement of GOAL’s NextGen youth programme involvement in this production.

Jeanne Hurteloup is the Global Citizenship Officer at GOAL Global. She supports the department’s various branches, with a particular focus on youth and public engagement, contributing to the development and delivery of impactful programming. Jeanne will be supporting on the coordination and support of this production and the NextGen youth programme participant involvement.

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