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.