Over the summer the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) has focussed its efforts on a new programme in the middle of the Gaza Strip to include Nuseirat and surrounding Garea, helping children cope with trauma and giving them some learning despite the circumstances. ESNCM has also been working in northern Gaza to include in Jabalia and surrounds.
The ESNCM team have delivered group music-making to include percussion and choir activities, learning rhythms and songs. They are also providing 1:1 tuition for the Oud, Nay and guitar, and where possible, finding innovative ways to ways to play, to enable injured students to participate. Other artistic activities include drama, visual art and Dabkeh dance for children and their communities.
ESNCM organises performances for children and their families, bringing people together and lifting spirits.
Whenever possible, ESNCM also provides drinking water for children and food, to include fruit, vegetables, chocolate and juice, which are sadly lacking in Gaza.
HOPE IN THE DEIR AL-BALAH REFUGEE CAMP
The story of seventeen-year-old Samih Al-Madhoun, a young Oud player who studied at the Gaza branch of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, has touched our hearts. Displaced from his home, Samir has been playing the Oud and singing at his tent’s entrance at the Deir Al-Balah Refugee Camp. His songs resonate with the people, bringing joy and a sense of belonging to their Palestinian homeland. Through music, both children and adults can momentarily escape the traumas of war and embrace the beauty of life. Read the full story here: https://wearenotnumbers.org/making-music-and-rediscovering-joy/