In this episode of Why Change?, co-hosts Madeline and Jeff reflect on a dynamic conversation with storyteller Fidaa Ataya who shares her art as an “amazing, crazy tool for change.” Based in Palestine, Fidaa shares about the purpose and power of telling stories based on generational and cultural knowledge and how that can be applied to contemporary times as forms of peaceful protest. Together, Madeline and Jeff discuss the social responsibility artists have to use their art to draw attention to the causes they believe in.
In this episode you’ll learn:
Examples of art and storytelling as forms of peaceful protest.
How the art of storytelling can create a sense of grounding and rootedness in a community and heritage while also reflecting and amplifying parallels of current life.
What individuals and communities can do now to leverage the arts as a tool for change and support the people and culture of Palestine.
Check out some of the things mentioned during this podcast, including:
Please download the transcript here.
ABOUT FIDAA ATAYA
Fidaa Ataya is a storyteller. Her grandmother, forcibly expelled from her home and homeland in Al Bourj Palestine in 1948, would tell her stories. As she listened, Fidaa would fly with her imagination across borders, across the occupation, to freedom. Traditionally, women in Palestine told stories in private, not in public. But Fidaa tells stories in public, using them as a tool for survival, to pass on the anthropology of her people, to prove their existence and resistance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education and psychology, diplomas in drama and education and playback theatre, and an MEd in Integrated Arts from Plymouth State University (NH). Fidaa has produced and performed shows in Palestine, Europe, America, and the Arab world and performed in numerous festivals across the globe. Fidaa has founded or co-founded a number of groups including the Art and Activism Residency, Hakaya Group to revive traditional Palestinian storytelling, Arabic School of Playback, Women’s Theatre at Burj Al-Barajna refugee camp, The Rain Singer Theatre at Tulkarm refugee camp, and the Palestinian American Children’s Theatre (PACT). She is a Drama in Education Specialist and Faculty Member at the Arab School of Playback Theatre, a member of ITC4 in New York, as well as a puppeteer, filmmaker, and director. She has directed several short films which have been shown in Palestine, within the United States, and in Italy. With Seraj Libraries, she is helping to open the National Storytelling Center in Palestine.
This episode of Why Change? A Podcast for the Creative Generation was powered by Creative Generation. It was produced and edited by Daniel Stanley. Artwork by Bridget Woodbury. Music by Distant Cousins.