Artistic encounter between children in Tromsø and Gaza – collaboration expands

What began as a creative summer school at Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum quickly became much more than a workshop. Over five inspiring days, children in Tromsø created marionette puppets together with peers in Gaza – connected through a screen. The result was a close and warm encounter between children with very different everyday lives.

The days began with a shared online connection. The children showed each other what they were making, asked questions, and continued working on their own figures using simple materials. The conversations were short and simple – but meaningful. For the children in Tromsø, the summer school became much more than a course.

– We see that the children have not only created something with their hands, but have also planted the seeds of new friendships. They look forward to meeting each day and celebrate when Gaza finally gets a good enough internet connection for the picture to become clear and the voices to be heard, says Astrid Rotvold Nilsen, Head of Public Engagement at Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum.

Art as a bridge between Tromsø and Gaza

The workshop was led by Gaza-based artist and educator Mahdi Karera, who followed the children digitally throughout the week. Together with educators in Tromsø, he guided the children in creating their own figures and small stories.

Nordnorsk Kunstmuseum carried out the project in collaboration with Tromsø Red Cross and their group Medkvinner.

– We were joined by Sabina Glumčevic as a volunteer throughout the week. She contributed to creating a safe environment in the group and helped with both big and small tasks. Medkvinner also helped us find 20-year-old Rania Omar, who has worked as an interpreter throughout the entire week. She created a linguistic bridge between the children and made it easier for them to understand each other. We also learned new words – they learned Norwegian, and we learned Arabic.

The workshop is part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the friendship city relationship between Tromsø and Gaza and brings together children aged 10–14 in a shared artistic project across borders.

A project with renewed meaning

Mahdi Karera has worked with marionette puppets and theatre for many years. Since the outbreak of war in 2023, his everyday life has changed dramatically. After repeated displacement and with limited access to materials, his work has largely become a social initiative for children in tent camps – using simple, improvised puppets.

– There is a lot of violence and suffering in the camps. Mahdi wants to create a space where children can express what they have experienced and have small moments of relief from an extremely difficult everyday life, says Nilsen.

Abrupt ending – and a new meeting ahead

Towards the end of the summer school, the contrasts became clear. The internet connection in Gaza was unstable throughout the project, and on the final day the children there were unable to participate. The attacks had intensified, and everyone had to remain in their tents.

– Mahdi managed to log on at the end of the day to help the children in Tromsø begin their work for the day. It made a strong impression on all of us. At the same time, we can see how important these meetings have been.

Mahdi Karera explains that the children in Gaza were motivated by something beyond the workshop itself.

– The children did not come for the puppets. They came to meet the children in Tromsø. That was what mattered most to them, he says.

Several of the children in Tromsø expressed a wish for more time together.

– They wished they could meet more often and get to know each other properly. But the internet was difficult, and the war stood in the way, says Nilsen.

A new digital workshop is now being planned for August, where the children will complete the marionette puppets together and perhaps create a performance. The goal is to meet again – share what they have created, and continue building something together across the distance.