Picture Gallery in The Guardian

Wonderful picture gallery via The Guardian: http://bit.ly/1yPsazL

Like the other women in the project, Sahly now lives in one of Beirut’s dirty and overcrowded Palestinian refugee camps. The camps lacked infrastructure and opportunities even before the influx of Syrian refugees. Sahly says: ‘If you walk in the streets, it’s full of rubbish. There’s no electricity, the water’s salty, you can’t even wash in it.’ Rehearsals offer an opportunity to talk about the loss of her brothers and her former life, and be listened to – an experience she has found cathartic

Our partner Heinrich Böll report on Antigone of Syria

Our partner Heinrich Böll report on Antigone of Syria

On this sunny Thursday in November, the air in the spacious rehearsal room in Beirut’s Hamra district resonates with the traditional Arabic warbling of joy. Two birthdays are being celebrated today, and women are laughing and joking, infants are running and ramping about. The atmosphere, halfway between a family tea party and a kindergarten celebration, does not quite match with what one would expect from a theatre rehearsal.

But here, neither the actresses nor the play itself come close to any ordinary conception of theatre. The same passion that is perceptible during the break celebration equals the dedication that the women put into their work on the project.

Lebanese based agency iloubnan write about Antigone of Syria

Lebanese based agency iloubnan write about Antigone of Syria

For many women the project represents an essential escape from their troubled lives. For that reason, Aperta are looking for ways to keep the project running after the performance, establishing a set up where the women can run their own workshops and in turn train others. The performance will be recorded and shared on the internet in a hope to encourage others to gain empowerment through theatre. 

Listen to German Radio story on Antigone of Syria

Listen to German Radio story on Antigone of Syria

Die antiken griechischen Dramen stehen weltweit immer wieder auf dem Spielplan der Theater. Im Libanon haben Syrerinnen, die vor dem Krieg in ihrer Heimat geflohen sind, "Antigone" von Sophokles neu interpretiert. Das Stück wirft Fragen auf, die immer aktuell sind: Wann ist ein Auflehnen gegen Autoritäten gerechtfertigt?

Antigone of Syria in The Economist

Antigone of Syria in The Economist

We are absolutely delighted that the Economist has chosen to lend it's voice to our project. Below is a brief extract, but click through for a link to the whole article. 

The tale of Antigone’s defiance against state repression retains a similar political relevance today to when it was written down 2,500 years ago. While the workshop is as much about empowering female refugees as it is about the production, the choice of play in the context of the Syrian conflict is striking. A tragedy of familial love, female courage, resistance against the state and blurred moral lines, it acts as a reminder that the role of the state, and of women within the state, is in momentous flux in Syria.

Interview with Mohammad Al Attar, Antigone Dramaturg

Interview with Mohammad Al Attar, Antigone Dramaturg

Tabitha Ross sat down with dramaturg, Mohammad Al-Attar, as he explains dramaturgy, the challenges of re-imagining Antigone with a group of Syrian women refugees, unorthodox casting methods, and Antigone of Syria as a struggle against patriarchal authority.

Workshop blog - To be or not to be? That is the question.

Workshop blog - To be or not to be? That is the question.

Hi, I'm Dina. My role is to train the women to use their bodies, voices and work together as a team.  I'll be cataloging the trials and tribulations of the workshops as we prepare to lead them out on to the stage for the first time in their lives.  We have 8 weeks.  This is my blog - hope you enjoy reading....and check back for regular updates.

Find out what everyone thinks of the new space, while discussions of Antigone lead to opinions on suicide.

Workshop blog - Around Lebanon

Workshop blog - Around Lebanon

Hi, I'm Dina. My role is to train the women to use their bodies, voices and work together as a team.  I'll be cataloguing the trials and tribulations of the workshops as we prepare to lead them out on to the stage for the first time in their lives.  We have 8 weeks.  This is my blog - hope you enjoy reading....and check back for regular updates.

In this entry  - No rehearsals for a week so an exploration of Lebanon.