Seachtain Saoirse don Phalaistín: Palestinian Resistance, Art, and Community at Project Arts Centre Dublin
- thecircleworkshops
- Feb 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 5
As Ghassan Kanafani wrote,
“The Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary, wherever he is, as a cause of the exploited and oppressed masses in our era.”
The Spirit of Seachtain Saoirse don Phalaistín
There are moments when a gathering becomes a living, breathing heart. This happened in Dublin January 2026 - during the Seachtain Saoirse don Phalaistín, where I felt the pulse of many hearts converging into one - a pool of resistance, love, and radical hope. We came together to share, create, heal, and model what resistance can look like when it is rooted in imagination, creativity, and deep humanity.
This spirit infused every moment of the festival, reminding us that our gathering was both a local act and part of a global movement for justice and liberation.
Collaboration and Community
Seachtain Saoirse don Phalaistín festival was born from persistence and collaboration - thanks to the Friends of the Freedom Theatre in Ireland: Neili Conroy, Sorcha Fox, Grace Dyas, Veronica Dyas, Fatin Al-Tamimi, Ruairi O'Donnabhain, Nadia Mohammed, Marcela Parducci, Donal O'Kelly, Clara Purcell, and Fadel Mustafa. Their commitment, along with the tireless work and artistic direction of Gránnemir Abualrob and Tuqa Al-Sarraj, made it possible for stories to flow and for Return to Palestine to come to life.
The production team was fierce: our producer Marcela Parducci, production manager Marie Tierney and stage manager, Mary Friel, were a steady presence, holding space and stepping into the work with us every step of the way. Vini Oneri was there to support, lift everyone up with their ideas and creativity. Lightning designer Eoin and light operator John - connected back to Adnan Naghnaghea, technical manager of the Freedom theatre through his original lighting design and lighted our stories with grace and ease.
Transforming Space Through Art and Resistance
The week was a rich tapestry of artistry: Tuqa Al-Sarraj’s visual art performance pieces transformed the venue into a living, organic space: her performances and installations invited us to step into Palestine, to feel its breath and heartbeat.
Workshops on cultural resistance, including Tatreez with Fatin AlTamimi and Tuqa Al-Sarraj, my own clown workshop and a session led by Gránnemir and Sorcha Fox, became spaces for shared play and learning. Ahmed Massoud’s conversation on active resistance challenged us to think deeply about what it means to act, while Sami Abu Wardeh’s show, Peace de Resistance, brought much-needed laughter and perspective. Dunny, representing Irish artistry, embraced us with deep, thoughtful music.
Ahmed Eid made us dance breaking our hearts open closing the festival with his music that tells stories of hope, existence and belonging.
The Project Arts Centre transformed into the beating heart of cultural resistance. We found ourselves in a space where organic conversations, hugs, tears, celebration and plans for the future could happen freely. Somehow, we were transported to Palestine, even as we stood in Dublin. The festival became a place of collective healing and radical hope, where the boundaries between art, activism, and community dissolved.
Honoring the Ensemble
Bringing Return to Palestine to the stage in Ireland, with a cast and creative team of Gránnemir Abualrob, Alaa Shahadeh, Mahmoud Aita, Osama Al Azzeh, Maryam Abu Khaled, Ameena Adileh, musicians Saied Silbak and Nuno Brito, was a privilege. Our rehearsals at the James Joyce Centre were filled with laughter, tears, music, and the unspoken understanding of shared struggle. In those rooms, we modelled resistance by playing together - reminding each other of our strength, embodying the Palestinian spirit of resilience and joy.
The Power of Storytelling
Edward Said reminds us,
“Stories are at the heart of what explorers and novelists say about strange regions of the world; they also become the method colonized people use to assert their own identity and the existence of their own history.” (Culture and Imperialism, p. xiii-xiv)
This festival was a living testament to that truth. Our storytelling, our music, our play - all became acts of reclaiming narrative, of resisting erasure, and of building a culture that is both a battleground and a toolkit for the oppressed.
A Living Network of Hope and Action
The presence of the Irish president Catherine Connolly, Sinn Fein President Mary Lou Macdonald and TD Richard Boyd Barrett among other stakeholders at our premiere was deeply moving. Their attendance felt like a recognition of the humanity and creativity of Palestinians, and a call to action for solidarity and sanctuary. The festival’s conversations - on active resistance, on cultural practice, on the heartbeat of joy in dark times from Ahmed Massoud, to the freedom theatre's Mustafa Sheta and Zakaria Zubeidi - left a mark that will continue to nurture our breath.
I hope that everyone who became part of this festival carries in their hearts the strength and spirit of Palestinian resistance, the reminder that hope is radical, and that community is a living network - one we can reach out to when we need to feel strong enough to continue. I hope they remember the beating heart we formed together, the pool of courage and imagination, and the invitation to practice active resistance in their own ways.
If you were there, know that you are now part of this heart. Even when the Freedom Theatre is inaccessible, its spirit lives in all who gather, create, and tell stories of humanity. Take solace in your imagination, in the love and humanity shared in a room, and keep on keeping on. Work as if you would see a free Palestine tomorrow - even if it takes a lifetime. The heart of resistance beats on, in every act of creativity, every story told, every gathering.
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