RAMALLAH, West Bank — Alaa Albaba stood before the audience of young Palestinians in Station 101, a cafe in Ramallah, talking about his journey from refugee camp to international exhibitions. Albaba, a multidisciplinary artist whose works have been exhibited in Germany and Jordan, talked for half an hour about his life and art, responded to questions and then left the stage to amateur artists, who took turns at the microphone singing, acting and reciting poetry.

The event, held Jan. 5, was organized by Sard, a creative initiative geared toward forging a community of young writers, poets and musicians in the West Bank. “Sard” means "to narrate,” which is what those who take part in its activities do on the first Saturday evening of every month. They read short stories, present songs, rap, perform skits and create visual works of art.

The open mic concept is the idea behind Sard, which began in 2016 by a group of Birzeit University students - Bahor Jarrar, Yasmin Khawaja, Khaled Samen and Majd Shehadeh. The initiative provides a safe space where Palestinian youths can express their thoughts and feelings and display their talents. A guest of honor, such as Albaba, is invited to each session to present his or her experiences for 25 minutes, followed by a Q&A and discussion with the audience. The stage is then open to others for five-minute slots.

The seeds of Sard were sewn at Birzeit University, where the concept had sparked interest among students. Sard co-founder Bahor Jarrar told Al-Monitor, “The idea grew quickly, moving from the Birzeit student community to the city of Ramallah in the spirit of youth and individual collaborative efforts.”