After more than 140 days of war, the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip continues, causing more humanitarian crises, as the death toll in the Strip has touched 30,000, while the basic essentials such as water, food, and medicine are missing for Gazans. Such colonial aspirations by the Zionist prompted South Africa call on the International Court of Justice’s investigation regarding legal consequences of the occupation of Palestinian territories in 1967.
Contrary to other cultural spaces that remain silent on the Israeli genocide in the Gaza Strip, Nabu Museum, in collaboration with “City Theater” in Beirut, launched a series of cultural events titled “Peace to Gaza,” starting on the evening of January 8th and extending for a week until January 14th.
This event stems from a belief in the active role of art and culture in serving humanitarian causes, especially the Palestinian cause.
In detail, Nabu Museum, in cooperation with City Theater on Hamra Street, held a solidarity week with Gaza under the title “Peace to Gaza,” featuring theatrical, cinematic, and musical dance performances. Alongside the evenings, financial donations were collected for the “Ghassan Abu Sitta Children’s Fund,” recently initiated by Jawad Adra, one of the founders of Nabu Museum, Fidaa Jadid, and Badr Al-Hajj.
The events began with an evening titled “Poetic Readings for Palestine,” during which the director of City Theater, Nidal Al Ashkar, recited poems by the late poets Samih Al Qasim, Tawfiq Ziad, Mahmoud Darwish, Nizar Qabbani, among others, accompanied by the music of artist Khaled Al Abdullah. Al Abdullah, in a conversation with “Al Akhbar” newspaper, stated, “What motivated me to participate are the conditions we live in and the importance of expressing our feelings in such a phase. Music is a mirror to our current reality, allowing us to express what is happening in Palestine today.”
On the second day, the documentary “Threads of Narrative” was shown, a film written by journalist Sahar Mandour and directed by Carol Mansour. The film features stories of 12 women from various fields who love Palestine and demonstrate determination, resilience, and clarity, freely sharing their lives before the diaspora and their memories, with the narrative link among them being the art of ancient embroidery. Through their stories, individual narratives intertwine with the collective, maintaining their uniqueness and specificity. Subsequently, the audience was treated to an evening of “Patriotic Songs” by the “Lovers of Al-Aqsa” band from the Badawi refugee camp in northern Lebanon, followed by the “Jafra” band on Friday night, which was dedicated to songs and expressive dance, organized by the “Palestinian Cultural Club.” On Saturday, poet and media personality Zahi Wehbe delivered a “Poetic Tribute,” accompanied by oud musician Ziad Sahhab. The week concluded with a performance by soprano Ghada Ghanem, who presented a “Musical Tribute” in collaboration with Eddy Dorian and the “Mosaic” band.
In addition to the week of solidarity, an exhibition of visual art by several artists who donated their works for the benefit of the children of Gaza was featured. While City Theater invited attendees for free, both the theater and Nabu Museum announced that all contributions and donations would benefit the Ghassan Abu Sitta Children’s Fund.
This initiative comes as the audience yearns for committed art supporting just causes, especially the Palestinian cause, which the Nabu Museum administration is keen to promote and advocate for. Nabu Museum encourages the presentation of the finest musical and artistic performances within its space.
Nabu Museum, founded by Jawad Adra and Zeina Akar Adra, provides a space for showcasing artworks and functions as an institution for maintaining communities’ connection to their culture through educational programs, training sessions, organized tours, public lectures, and guided exhibitions.
The name “Nabu” is derived from the Mesopotamian god of writing and wisdom, and is located on the Mediterranean coast, specifically in Ras El Shaq’a, North Lebanon. Nabu Museum offers a unique collection of artistic artifacts dating back to the early Bronze and Iron Ages, and the Roman, Greek, and Byzantine periods, in addition to rare manuscripts and ethnographic materials.
Summary:
Believing in the active role of art and culture in serving humanitarian causes, especially the Palestinian cause, Nabu Museum, in collaboration with City Theater, launched a week of solidarity with Gaza titled “Peace to Gaza,” featuring theatrical, cinematic, and musical dance performances in support of the cause.
