Anida Yoeu Ali performs and speaks at the first Palestinian Performing Arts Network Conference in Ramallah

IAS faculty member Anida Yoeu Ali was one of two US-based artists invited to speak at the 1st Palestinian Performing Arts Network (PPAN) Conference held at The Red Crescent Society in Ramallah. Themed around “The Impact of Arts on Communities/Societies,” the conference aimed to assess the impact of performing arts as a powerful tool with which to engage communities in various levels of social, political, economic, and educational change. The host organization centers Palestinian people’s knowledge, arts and culture as central tools of resistance to oppression and as a window for international solidarity and intercultural exchanges. Conference organizers invited local and international experts to speak specifically on how the performing arts have played a vital role in addressing issues of social and political violations of human rights and creating positive change in countries that experienced conflict.

Professor Ali was invited to speak on opening day of the conference with her talk titled “Trigger Warnings: Performing in Times of War and Peace.” She highlighted both her performance work and pedagogical teaching method whereby the body is used to engage in personal, political, and cultural issues that reflect an urgency within the contemporary moment. As part of the conference itinerary, invited guests toured important cultural sites including the new Palestinian Art Museum, Ramallah Cultural Palace, Ashtar Theatre, Yasser Arafat Museum and the old city of Jerusalem. Organizers will be publishing all papers and talks in a conference booklet due out in January 2018.