As violence intensifies in the Israel-Hamas war, leaving thousands dead, the ongoing attacks have also left many children injured, homeless, and suffering from trauma.

A group of Maltese actors will be performing and sharing stories of such children, as a fundraising initiative to support Palestinian children dealing with the trauma of war. 

The Gaza Monologues is an international project based on the personal stories of a group of children living in Gaza as told in 2010 and is set up by the Palestinian theatre company Ashtar Theatre. 

Since 2010, the monologues have been performed across 80 cities in 40 countries and will be performed at Spazju Kreattiv between 20 and 21 January at 8 pm.

Gaza Monologues poster. Photo: Spazzju Kreattiv

Renowned actors Simone Spiteri, Thomas Camilleri, Antonella Mifsud, Rebecca Camilleri, Philip Leone Ganado, Robyn Vella, and Aidan Aquilina, under the direction of Jean-Marc Agius, will present rehearsed readings from the Gaza Monologues. 

The actors will also be sharing works written in the past weeks by children and young people experiencing war in Gaza. 

The initiative, supported by Spazju Kreattiv and produced by Toni Attard, follows an urgent appeal by Al-Harah Theatre for support amidst ongoing crises and challenges the Palestinian community faces. 

 An NGO set up back in 2005,  Al-Harah Theatre has produced highly artistic, yet accessible theatre productions and presented them to audiences throughout Palestine, the Arab world, and beyond. 

Yet, the war on Gaza has forced the theatre to adapt its programmes swiftly, initiating psycho-social drama activities aimed at aiding children between the ages of 8 and 12 in processing their emotions and trauma.

Attard said the idea to stage The Gaza Monologues started after a call with Marina Braham, the General Director of Al-Harah Theatre on Christmas Eve.

"It is heartbreaking to see so many people impacted by what is happening in Gaza and we want to do something that can help in any way possible through creative means to help," Attard said.

"We hope that this will not only be a fundraising opportunity to support children and the theatre group but also to keep the conversation going on what is happening in Gaza and to humanise the stories," he said.

"Their story, to say that they are not just a number, but children and young adults, who have lost family members, lost friends and have no home to go."

Barham said that since the beginning of the war in Gaza, schools in the West Bank have not been operating regularly and as schools reopen, children are suffering from fear and trauma from the war, hostilities, and aggression happening in Palestinian cities. 

"We believe that theatre can change the lives of those who make it and those who watch it. We want to help children and youth overcome the trauma caused directly by the war and the challenging conditions that these children are living under in Palestine," Barham said.

While the event is free of charge, donations will be collected to help the theatre deliver drama therapy sessions to children in the Bethlehem area and support artists in Gaza.  

Since Saturday, the fundraiser has raised over €200. 

Free tickets for the event can be booked here, while donations to The Gaza Monologues can be made on Go Get Funding.