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The Gazan Women النساء الغزّيات

The Gazan Women, Scotland’s Human Rights Festival 2026
النص باللغة العربية في الأسفل | Arabic text below

Developed by Art27 Scotland, The Gazan Women is a powerful play drawn from real-life testimonies of people living in Gaza. The stories reflect the personal and complex realities of surviving a genocide with dignity.

Based on The Suppliant Women, an ancient Greek play by Aeschylus known for the first written use of the word ‘democracy’, the script intertwines the lived experiences of Gazans through interviews conducted by Art27 Scotland. In this piece of theatre, we are creating a window into life in Gaza and posing the urgent moral questions we, as an audience, must wrestle with.

Wednesday 9 December 2026
8pm to 10pm
📍 Traverse Theatre, Traverse 1, Edinburgh

♿ Traverse Theatre access information

From our audiences

“Life changing performances… a once in a lifetime show.”

“Powerful beyond anything I have heard or experienced and the triumphant, defiant exuberant finish fills me with hope.”

“The best use of theatre I have experienced in a long time… This show should be shown all over the world. THANK YOU.”

Please note

The performance contains themes of war, genocide, displacement and refuge and is recommended for ages 12+ with parental guidance.

This performance is generously sponsored by the World Care Foundation.


This event forms part of Scotland’s Human Rights Festival 2026, 9–13 December, led by the Human Rights Consortium Scotland and core festival partners Art27 Scotland and Libereco. Themed for 2026 on Dignity, Freedom and Justice For All, this is the first national, multi-day festival dedicated to celebrating, explaining and strengthening support for human rights across Scotland.


العربية

من إنتاج منظمة آرت-27 اسكتلندا، نقدم «النساء الغزّيات The Gazan Women»، وهو عمل مسرحي مؤثر يستند إلى شهادات واقعية لأشخاص يعيشون في غزة. وتعكس هذه القصص التعقيدات والتجارب الشخصية للنجاة من الإبادة الجماعية مع الحفاظ على الكرامة.

يستند العمل إلى مسرحية «النساء الضارعات The Suppliant Women» للكاتب الإغريقي القديم إسخيلوس، والمعروفة بارتباطها بأول استخدام مكتوب لكلمة «الديمقراطية». ويجمع النص بين تجارب حية لأشخاص من غزة من خلال مقابلات أجرتها معهم منظمة آرت-27 اسكتلندا. ومن خلال هذا العمل المسرحي، نسعى إلى فتح نافذة على الحياة في غزة وطرح أسئلة أخلاقية ملحّة علينا، كجمهور، أن نتفاعل معها.

الأربعاء 9 ديسمبر 2026
من الساعة 8 مساءً حتى 10 مساءً
📍 مسرح Traverse، قاعة Traverse 1، إدنبرة

♿ معلومات الوصول وإمكانية الدخول في مسرح Traverse

آراء جمهورنا

“Life changing performances… a once in a lifetime show.”

«عروض غيّرت حياتي… تجربة لا تتكرر إلا مرة واحدة في العمر.»

“Powerful beyond anything I have heard or experienced and the triumphant, defiant exuberant finish fills me with hope.”

«عمل قوي يفوق أي شيء سمعته أو عشته من قبل، والنهاية المفعمة بالقوة والتحدي تملؤني بالأمل.»

“The best use of theatre I have experienced in a long time… This show should be shown all over the world. THANK YOU.”

«من أفضل ما شاهدته من استخدام للمسرح منذ وقت طويل… يجب أن يُعرض هذا العمل في جميع أنحاء العالم. شكراً لكم.»

يرجى الانتباه

يتناول العرض موضوعات تتعلق بـالحرب، والإبادة الجماعية، والنزوح واللجوء، ويوصى به لمن هم في سن 12 عاماً فما فوق، مع إرشاد من الوالدين.

يحظى هذا العرض بدعم كريم من World Care Foundation.


يأتي هذا الحدث ضمن مهرجان اسكتلندا لحقوق الإنسان 2026 الذي يُقام من 9 إلى 13 ديسمبر، بقيادة ائتلاف حقوق الإنسان في اسكتلندا Human Rights Consortium Scotland وبالتعاون مع الشريكين الأساسيين منظمة آرت-27 اسكتلندا Art27 Scotland ومنظمة ليبيركو Libereco. ويحمل المهرجان في عام 2026 شعار الكرامة والحرية والعدالة للجميع، وهو أول مهرجان وطني يقام خلال عدة أيام في اسكتلندا مخصص للاحتفاء بحقوق الإنسان، وشرحها، وتعزيز الدعم لها في جميع أنحاء البلاد.

Blood Red Lines - from stage to screen

Blood Red Lines — moving from stage to screen

Blood Red Lines - from stage to screen

Art27 Scotland is pleased to announce continued support from the Government of Ireland’s Reconciliation Fund for the next phase of Blood Red Lines, taking the documentary into its final edit. The new support is for the documentary’s final editing stage.

Blood Red Lines began as a theatre project bringing together eleven survivors and victims of the Conflict on the island of Ireland, particularly from communities around the Border. Through testimony and performance, participants shared personal experiences of loss, memory and the continuing search for truth and justice.

Written and directed by Robert Rae, the project developed through interviews and workshops that placed the people whose stories were being told at the centre of the creative process. The theatre production went on to be presented across Ireland, at the Edinburgh Fringe and at the London, before beginning its journey from stage to screen.

At the heart of Blood Red Lines is a reparative approach to testimony and storytelling: creating space for lived experience to be heard, remembered and shared, while contributing to wider conversations around reconciliation, legacy, truth and justice.

This continuing support from the Government of Ireland’s Reconciliation Fund allows the project to move into its final editing and delivery phase. The Fund supports work addressing the legacy of conflict, strengthening relationships between communities and traditions, and contributing to the continuing work of reconciliation associated with the Good Friday Agreement.

For Blood Red Lines, moving from theatre into documentary film also creates a new way for these stories to travel. The stage production brought participants and audiences together in the same physical space; the film offers the possibility of carrying their testimony to new audiences and continuing conversations that began through the live work.

There will be much more to share as the film develops.

Want to follow the next stage of Blood Red Lines? Join the Art27 Scotland mailing list for updates on the documentary and our wider cultural-rights work.

Film Screening and Q&A

Film Screening and Q&A

with Moyaed Abu Amouna

TBC time – Sunday 22nd June

The Studio, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

TBD (Pricing details to be confirmed)

Book Now

Speakers: Moyaed Abu Amouna

Moayed Abu Amouna, a Palestinian filmmaker and visual artist from Gaza, presents a compelling exploration of land, memory, and resistance through experimental film and visual storytelling. His work confronts the ongoing impact of colonialism and the fragmentation of Palestinian identity, particularly in the post-Nakba generations. Through a fusion of photography, archival imagery, and poetic narrative, Abu Amouna creates deeply personal yet universally resonant pieces that question erasure, displacement, and the struggle to remain rooted in a constantly shifting landscape.  

This powerful presentation invites the audience to engage with the collective memory of Palestinians and the emotional landscapes of exile and survival. With a style that blends abstraction with raw reality, Abu Amouna’s work is both intimate and political—an invitation to witness and reflect.  

Join us for an evocative experience that challenges conventional storytelling and sheds light on the lived reality of Palestinians through an artist’s lens.

https://filmfreeway.com/MoayedAbuAmmouna

RIGHTS, CULTURE, LIFE: A Palestinian Artist Programme

The Balfour Reparations 2024-2044

The Balfour Reparations 2024-2044

4pm – Saturday 21st June

The Studio, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

TBD (Pricing details to be confirmed)

Book Now

Speakers: Farah Saleh

The Horse of Jenin blends comedy, storytelling, and cultural reflection in a deeply moving performance by Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada. The show centres on a sculpture, the Horse of Jenin, which stood for 20 years as a symbol of hope and resistance for the people of Jenin. Destroyed in October 2023 by an Israeli bulldozer, the horse’s loss became a poignant symbol of the ongoing struggle for freedom and identity.
Balfour Reparations (2024-2044) is a performance lecture by Palestinian choreographer Farah Saleh, examining Britain’s colonial legacy in Palestine. It imagines a future where, in 2024, the UK issued an official apology to Palestinians, promising reparations. Set in 2044, the audience becomes part of a Reparations Evaluation Committee, reflecting on the impact of this fictive apology two decades later.  

Blending dance, archival materials, and speculative storytelling, the performance draws on Critical Fabulation and Afrofuturism to merge history, fiction, and fantasy. Through movement and narrative, it explores historical denial, responsibility, and the possibility of justice.  

Inspired by real archival documents and the role of Arthur Balfour in shaping Palestinian history, this thought-provoking performance invites audiences to engage in a conversation about colonial legacies and accountability.  

Join us for an immersive experience that reimagines history and challenges the narratives of power and justice.

Through humour and personal reflection, Shehada invites the audience to explore the power of art to document history, resist oppression, and preserve cultural heritage. Part of the RIGHTS, CULTURE, LIFE festival, this performance challenges us to reflect on the resilience of the Palestinian people and the enduring strength of cultural symbols in the face of destruction.

https://www.farahsaleh.com

RIGHTS, CULTURE, LIFE: A Palestinian Artist Programme

The Horse of Jenin

The Horse of Jenin

by Alaa Shehada, Palestinian Comedy Club

7:30 pm – Friday 20th June 2024

The Studio, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

TBD (Pricing details to be confirmed)

Book Now

Speakers: Alaa Shehada

The Horse of Jenin blends comedy, storytelling, and cultural reflection in a deeply moving performance by Palestinian actor and comedian Alaa Shehada. The show centres on a sculpture, the Horse of Jenin, which stood for 20 years as a symbol of hope and resistance for the people of Jenin. Destroyed in October 2023 by an Israeli bulldozer, the horse’s loss became a poignant symbol of the ongoing struggle for freedom and identity.  

Through humour and personal reflection, Shehada invites the audience to explore the power of art to document history, resist oppression, and preserve cultural heritage. Part of the RIGHTS, CULTURE, LIFE festival, this performance challenges us to reflect on the resilience of the Palestinian people and the enduring strength of cultural symbols in the face of destruction.

RIGHTS, CULTURE, LIFE: A Palestinian Artist Programme

Blood Red Lines in Belfast May 2024

Blood Red Lines in Belfast May 2024 It’s always an honour to present Blood Red Lines again especially when it’s in Belfast and attended by so many wonderful, active peacemakers. We were delighted to host Monica McWilliams, Professor of Women’s Studies, based in the Transitional Justice Institute at the University of Ulster. Monica was the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission from 2005-2011.  She was the co-founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition political party and was elected to a seat at the Multi-Party Peace Negotiations, which led to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in 1998. She served as a member of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly from 1998-2003. We were so moved when she said she’d become tired and often wanted to give up, but seeing and listening to the raw and honest testimonies of the BRL cast, said it had given her strength to keep on fighting for the truth.  

spaces of (dis) connection: migrant essential workers

spaces of (dis)connection showcases new bodies of work from three internationally renowned photographic artists in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

About this event

spaces of (disconnection follows a pioneering project conducted by researchers across the UK to investigate how the pandemic has affected the everyday lives and settlement plans of Polish workers in the UK. This exhibition combines newly commissioned photographic work by Malgorzata Dawidek, Paulina Korobkiewicz, and Sylwia Kowalczyk alongside anonymous testimonies given by Polish essential workers across the UK. The respective works speak to the changing public and private landscapes that resulted from the various lockdowns implemented by the English and Scottish governments. in exploring how spaces have transformed. through depopulation or increased habitation, the artists have produced uniquely insightful and intimate works. Be they spaces of connection or disconnection, these photographs evidence an environment affected by uncertainty and isolation. Forming one of the most prominent migrant groups in the UK, Polish essential workers served on the frontline of the devastating pandemic, risking their lives to deliver integral public services. Already a chronically insecure workforce in the post-Brexit political landscape, the increased personal and professional demands of pandemic life left many in a state of uncertainty.

Nakba (Palestian Gala Day community preparations) January-May 2023

Palestinian Gala Day

(75th commemoration of Nakba Day) Nakba Celebration, by Written in Film 2023 Celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the Palestinian people! Free food, films, dance, crafts and final concert with Saied Silbak. Art27 Scotland is honoured to present a special day of events and activities for young and old celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Palestinian people on this, the 75th commemoration of the Nakba. The event features traditional Palestinian music, poetry, and Dabka dancing, as well as panel discussions, curated short films, historic and contemporary photographic exhibitions. Attendees can enjoy a market of traditonal art and crafts and food from Jordan Valley which is included in the ticket price. With special Palestinian guests including the inspiring Dr. Suaad Genem, author and actvist, acclaimed poet Ghazi Hussein, and award winning composer, Oud player and singer Saied Silbak, born in Shafaa’mr, in the lower Galilee of occupied Palestine, a city internationally famous for it’s music and song. A programme of cultural activity curated by the Palestinian community in Scotland who extend a warm welcome to everyone to join them as they mark Nakba Day and reaffirm their Right to Return. Collection go for MAP