British clowns lift spirits in Gaza
15 November 2010
A troupe of six British circus performers toured the Gaza Strip in the last week of October, in an effort to lift children's spirits in the besieged enclave.
The group, called Circus2Gaza, made a 10-day tour in the Strip, doing performances in schools and community centers. On Thursday 28 October, the troupe performed in the Samouni compound, home to the family of the same name that lost 29 people in what became the most famous massacre of Israel's 2009 attack on Gaza.
Surrounded by a squealing crowd of delighted Samouni children, the six clowns juggled, performed skits, handstands, magic tricks, and even a routine involving fire poi. The 45-minute performance was held in the dirt yard outside one of the main houses in the Samouni compound, in Gaza's Zeitoun neighborhood.
Photo: © Maan News
Steve Summers, from Manchester, England, said the group said the group came to Gaza "because children here are like children everywhere." "We want to support the people of Palestine."
Summers said the group waited in Egypt for a week before entering Gaza. After Egyptian authorities rejected their application for a permit four times in a row, he said, the group simply travelled to the border, and was permitted to enter "through magic."
Summers also said he was amazed by Palestinians' "incredible hospitality. Everyone has been so friendly, so welcoming. We're planning to take back Palestinians' stories to England, to take back their message and the smiles of children here."
"Circus is international: you don't need language. Happy face, sad face, it all comes across," he said.
"We love Gaza and the people of Gaza, and we hope the situation here will improve."
(Adapted from Maan News, 28 October 2010)