The Freedom Theatre: Cultural Resistance in Jenin Refugee Camp

The Freedom Theatre was founded in 2006 in Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, growing out of Arna Mer-Khamis's earlier children's theatre that was destroyed in the 2002 Israeli invasion. It runs a professional theatre school plus courses in film, photography and creative writing for camp residents living under occupation, training students who go on to teach others in their own communities. Since opening, the Freedom Theatre says it has performed for more than 100,000 children, youth and adults in Jenin and beyond, trained more than 500 young people in photography and film, and toured productions to more than 15 countries. The theatre has repeatedly rebuilt after crises, including a December 2023 Israeli military raid that damaged its building and led to the arrest of staff members.