Skip to main content

Gaza circus schools juggle raising funds, training children

Two young men from the Gaza Strip established their own circus schools to teach children and amateurs the art of circus, as a way to express themselves under siege.
Members of Gaza Circus practice juggling with clubs and rings in a garage in the northern Gaza Strip April 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa  - RTX2AI05
Read in 

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — In the densely populated neighborhood of Shajaiya in eastern Gaza City, several children gathered in front of the Gaza Circus School as they watched trainers teach circus arts to children. Only a few recreational areas exist in the Gaza Strip, and the school, which is the second of its kind in Gaza, is struggling to get a local license and develop its activities.

Ever since he was a child, Ahmed Mushtaha, 29, has been passionate about circus arts, and since his graduation from the department of physical education at Al-Aqsa University in Gaza in 2008, he has been seeking to create a local team that teaches circus arts to children. In 2011, the Belgian Al-Jabal Foundation offered circus arts training to 15 young amateurs, including Mushtaha, to promote the establishment of a circus school in Gaza. 

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.