Yalla

On today’s episode we speak with Samer Makhlouf, a Palestinian cultural leader, activist, and fundraising strategist with more than twenty years of experience building and sustaining cultural institutions across Palestine. He currently serves as Executive Director of Al Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque in Ramallah, works on heritage and creative-economy programmes supporting Palestinian artisans, and advises the Tawfiq and Nimat Fakhouri Foundation. He founded and leads the Palestine Cultural Incubator — the first cultural incubator in Palestine — and has previously led resource mobilisation at the Palestinian Museum and worked with institutions including the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music.

Al Kasaba was founded in Jerusalem in 1970 as the Theatre Arts Group, renamed Shawk Theatre in 1984, adapted to screen films in 1989, and reopened in Ramallah in 2000. Today it is the only official multipurpose theatre and cinema in the Palestinian territories.

In this conversation, we discuss culture as resistance, Palestinian creative economies, institutional survival under occupation, and what it means to keep cultural life alive when colonial violence is designed to erase memory, place, and future.

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📺 YALLA delves into the Palestinian struggle: challenging dominant narratives, making silenced voices heard, and keeping resistance alive. Speaking out is imperative, regardless of what the world chooses to notice.

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No episódio de hoje falamos com Samer Makhlouf, líder cultural palestiniano, ativista e estratega de angariação de fundos, com mais de vinte anos de experiência a construir e sustentar instituições culturais na Palestina. Atualmente é diretor executivo do Al Kasaba Theatre and Cinematheque, em Ramallah, trabalha em programas de património e economia criativa que apoiam artesãos palestinianos, e é consultor da Fundação Tawfiq and Nimat Fakhouri. Fundou e dirige o Palestine Cultural Incubator, o primeiro incubador cultural da Palestina, e liderou anteriormente a angariação de recursos no Museu Palestiniano, tendo também trabalhado com instituições como o Conservatório Nacional de Música Edward Said.

O Al Kasaba foi fundado em Jerusalém em 1970 como Theatre Arts Group, passou a chamar-se Shawk Theatre em 1984, adaptou-se à exibição de filmes em 1989, e reabriu em Ramallah em 2000. Hoje é o único teatro e cinema multiusos oficial nos territórios palestinianos.

Nesta conversa, falamos sobre a cultura como resistência, as economias criativas palestinianas, a sobrevivência institucional sob ocupação, e o que significa manter a vida cultural viva quando a violência colonial é desenhada para apagar memória, lugar e futuro.

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📺 YALLA é uma série de conversas sobre a Palestina. É sobre romper o silêncio, desafiar narrativas e manter viva a resistência. Porque é preciso falar sempre, independentemente do que o mundo escolhe ouvir.

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🎬 Credits/ Créditos:

Host: Carolina Pereira
Production/ Produção: Bárbara Marques & Carolina Pereira
Recording & Editing/ Gravação e edição: João Esteves & Luciano Mauia
Photography/ Fotografia: Patrícia Nunes
Branding: Catarina Barbosa
Design: Tiago Zorro
Translation/ Tradução: Nuno Sousa Oliveira
Communication/ Comunicação: Joana Guerra Tadeu
Media Partner: Comunidade Cultura e Arte
Support/ Apoio: Teatro do Vestido
Filming location:/ Localização: Casa Palestina
"Yalla podcast" jingle recorded in Gaza: / Jingle "Yalla" gravada em Gaza:
- Voice/ Voz: Shahd Attia
- Guitar/ Guitarra: Hosam Hassona
- Drums/ Bateria: Islam Mohsen
- Oud: Mohammed Al-Ostaz
- Rhythm/ Ritmo: Samer Al-Nawajha
- Music Distribution/ Distribuição: Naseem Rimawi

What is Yalla?

Yalla é um podcast de conversas sobre a Palestina—uma luta contínua contra um sistema colonial que persiste há décadas. É sobre romper o silêncio, desafiar narrativas e manter viva a resistência. Porque é preciso falar sempre, independentemente do que o mundo escolhe ouvir.
--
Yalla is a podcast that delves into the Palestinian struggle, examining the enduring resistance against a colonial system that has persisted for decades. Our mission is to challenge dominant narratives, amplify silenced voices, and sustain the spirit of resistance. Speaking out is imperative, regardless of the world's attention.

Today we speak with Samer. "Samer"?

- Samer Makhlouf.
- "Samer Makhlouf".

A Palestinian cultural leader,

activist and fundraising strategist
with more than 20 years

of experience building
and sustaining cultural institutions

across Palestine.

He currently serves
as Executive Director of Al Kasaba.

You will explain the meaning of it.

And he also works on heritage
and creative economy programs

supporting Palestinian artisans

and he advises the Tawfiq or...

The Tawfiq
and the Nimat Fakhouri Foundation.

Exactly. Thanks.

He founded and leads
the Palestine Cultural Incubator,

the first cultural incubator in Palestine,

and he has previously
led a resource mobilization

at the Palestinian Museum
and worked with institutions,

including the Edward Said
National Conservatory of Music.

In this conversation,
I think we will talk about many things,

one of them is cultural resistance

because I feel that

it's something we say a lot

when we talk about pro-Palestine activism

and liberation activism,

but I think it's interesting to see
what it actually means

and also how Palestinian
creative economies and institutions

can survive under occupation

and what it means
to keep cultural life alive.

When we talk about

occupation

and the strategies of colonization,

part of it we can see on TV,

the destruction and all of that,

but there's also a huge effort
in terms of erasing

memory, cultural sites
and cultural appropriation, as well.

So,

I think the first issue
is to understand...

Internationally,
we talk a lot about Palestinian culture

as heritage, art, music,

crafts, as well,
but, under colonization,

it takes on another level,

it's also a form of resistance

and I would love that you

explained to me
and shared a bit more about that.

What exactly are Palestinians

resisting through culture

and how can we

not only promote culture,

but do it in a way for liberation,

but also support it
as a way for liberation?

First of all, let me say
that all Palestinian institutions

and, specifically, cultural institutions

are part of this national movement
for national liberation

of the Palestinians.

It has been the case
for tens of years,

since the struggle started.

Besides, cultural institutions

are playing a leading role

in this whole
cultural liberation movement.

At Al Kasaba,

as one of the leading
cultural institutions in Palestine,

which was established in 1974,

we are playing this role
as part of a collective organization

that is doing this

in addition to many other organizations
and individuals.

I would like to start with defining

what Al Kasaba is and who we are

and what was the cause
of establishing this organization.

In Arabic, "al kasaba" means the throat
or the center of something.

Usually, in old Arab cities,
like Tunisia, like Damascus,

like Nablus, like Jerusalem,

there is always
an Al Kasaba neighborhood or square,

which is usually in the center
of this old town or city.

We were inspired to name it "Al Kasaba"

because we are located
in the city center of Ramallah.

We started in Jerusalem, in 1974,

and it was a collective
of a number of artists

who wanted to do something
and contribute to the...

You're in Ramallah since 2000?

Since the year 2000.

We started in Jerusalem, in 1974,

and that was a few years
after the 1967 war,

which was a defeat for the Arabs
and the Palestinians and it was...

We call it the Naksa,
which is a big setback or defeat,

and that was the trigger
and the motivation

for the contemporary
Palestinian national movement,

which started after that,
because, before,

we were under the patronage
of Arab countries,

and that was a big mistake.

But we are not here
to talk about history, just politics...

But...

That was the awakening
of the Palestinian national movement,

including the awakening
of the Palestinian cultural movement,

which was going hand in hand

with the national movement.

Since then, we started working

and we see and understand our role

as a leading role to, firstly,
change our society

towards the better,
but, more importantly, to mobilize people

towards working very hard
in order to resist the occupation

and to resist colonization.

One of the key things,
and this is why I consider

that cultural movement
and organizations

play a spearhead role and a leading role.

If you look at the struggle
against the Zionist movement,

by the end of the day,
it's mainly about narrative and history.

Narrative and history is in the heart
of the whole struggle.

This is why when we were
talking about stealing maqluba and...

The Zionist movement tries very hard
to find connections with the land

that do not exist.

The Palestinians
are rooted in this land

and this is part of the struggle.

It's why we work very hard
in order to mobilize the Palestinians,

protect our heritage,
our identity, and, above all,

to go out to the world to explain

that we are part of a liberation movement,

we are a liberation movement,

we are a nation
and a people under occupation

and we are suffering

the remaining colonial practices
that started a century ago

and we are still, as Palestinians,

living the consequences of these policies.

Which are taking
different shapes in the West,

but, in Palestine,
it's still a direct colonization,

the way it used to be in other countries.

You were saying that you are
a cultural institution

living under occupation.

What does it mean in a practical way?

Like, how do you...

With all the blockage that exists

even for funding,

even for...

... mobility.

And transportation and...

Just to give a sense
of what it takes

to keep alive a cultural institution
under occupation.

Firstly, I have to say that being a leader
of a cultural organization

under occupation is a huge responsibility.

It's not like anywhere else.

You know, "culture is nice..."

Culture is part of something
like amusement and entertainment.

This is how its perceived in the West
or somewhere else

that is not under occupation.

Under occupation, in addition to being

something for amusement and joy,
which we have the right to do,

and we also,
even though we are under occupation,

would like to celebrate
and would love

to enjoy ourselves
and have all these things,

but it's a big responsibility.

We have a mission and a message

that we have to work under occupation.

I have to tell you,
on one hand it's a big responsibility,

and it's also a very big challenge.

Being under occupation

and being someone who's in this position

or as an organization planning programs,

raising funds and bringing them

to implement your programs,
is a very big challenge.

On one hand, we have the instability,

the political instability,

and we're never sure
if our program will be implemented

the way it was planned.

I don't remember,
over many years working in this field,

managing or succeeding
in implementing our original plan.

Usually, we have a plan A, B, C, D, E,
you name it,

and the closest experience
was a few months ago,

when the Israeli-Iranian war started
and trouble began.

Before that,
there was October 7th and even before it.

And there's always an unstable environment

in which you have to keep planning

and changing plans and mitigating issues.

But I think we became experts

in planning and re-planning
and taking mitigation measures

and we insist
on implementing our programs.

I think we're having a big success
in a very...

You know, to a large extent.

And we try to apply

actions and measures,

because, in Palestine,
there is one major problem

that we face
in addition to other problems,

which is movement restriction.

That will limit your ability
to reach out to audiences

for them to come to you
and that's becoming very challenging.

We had to come up with some solutions
to overcome this,

but still we perform,
we insist on performing.

Last month, which was May,

according to the Al Kasaba program,

we managed to do 22 major activities.

I'm talking about plays, music events,

graduation ceremonies and film screenings

in one month, which is huge.

Especially for a cultural organization

in a city that is under occupation,

blocked from all sides,
and we still did these activities.

In addition to many things
that I'm going to elaborate more on

during our discussion.

I'm curious, who is the audience?

Just because of what you shared

in terms of how difficult the mobility is.

Who...

Who's the audience usually?

Usually, the audience,
around 95 percent of it,

are the Palestinians who live in Ramallah

and the surrounding communities.

I don't know if you know enough
about the geography of Ramallah,

but it is considered the de facto capital
of the Palestinian Authority

because we are not able to function
and work in Jerusalem.

However, we have audiences
coming from Jerusalem

and from the surrounding areas,

but, due to the current situation,

the majority of our audiences

are not able
to come and participate in our activities.

This is why we came up
with this creative program,

that I really love,
which is called Mobile Activities.

We go to the audience.

In order to go from Nablus to Ramallah,

it's usually a 35, 40-minute drive.

But it takes hours
to go from Ramallah to Nablus

and I think you've been there
and you saw all these gates

and checkpoints that delay us
and confuse our whole day

and our planning.

Those are unstable, as well,

it's not something that you can plan,
like knowing that the checkpoints...

Some of them will be there,

but some depend on the day.

100 percent.

We call them the flying checkpoints,

which are just an Israeli military jeep

come and install a checkpoint.

It's not sustainable,
it's not easy for them.

Those who plan to come and see
an activity,

whether it's a play or a music event,

or whatever activity
we have in our venue,

they will not find it easy.

Therefore, we created this
to go out to these communities.

So, we think that having five actors,

with the technicians going to Nablus,
is way easier

than bringing 200 people
from Nablus to Ramallah.

It's working very well and we do this

as part of our approach
by creating partnerships

with many grassroots organizations,

community-based organizations,
in different cities.

We go there,
we use their space,

and we present these activities,

or these events,

but we don't just travel,

we also consider this in our productions.

Usually, in the productions,
we have two versions.

A version for a full stage
with lighting and everything.

I'm talking about theater,
as an example,

and a smaller
or shorter or a different version

that is suitable for any setup
in any place.

And it's working very well
because the audience

is thirsty to see these productions,

but we have a huge responsibility.

This is why I started my discussion

by talking about this big responsibility.

You have this burden to go
and meet your audience.

You cannot just disconnect
because the current situation

does not allow it.

This is how we do it, more or less.

How can Palestinian cultural institutions

survive in terms of getting funds
and money.

I mean, correct me if I'm wrong,

but a lot of those come from outside.

How do you not

surrender politically?

Yeah, this is one of the most sensitive

and important topics
in any cultural organization.

Not just cultural organizations,

usually in the whole civil society
in Palestine.

Firstly, unlike any other country,

we do not have local funding,

or enough local funding,
to be more accurate,

to support cultural institutions

or any other institution.

The Palestinian Authority, as you know,

has a very severe
and serious financial crisis

due to the confiscation

and the blockade
of our money by the Israeli authorities.

This is the main source of funding
for the Palestinian government.

So, the Palestinian government
is trying to make it its priority

to spend on a hospital,

which is more important
than paying, rightly so,

for a theater.

Now, traditionally,

most Palestinian
civil society organizations,

and I want to speak more
about cultural organizations,

are funded by international foundations,

like governments, donors, and so on,
and that was the case

over many years, and, recently,

we started seeing that things

are getting harder and harder.

The international donors
and the international foundations

withdrew their money...

Do you feel you have

to pretend
or mask it as less confrontational?

To be able to get some support
from those same institutions?

Exactly,
that was the conclusion I arrived at.

Some organizations
or donors or foundations

shifted their priorities

and they are putting more money
in humanitarian preparations in Gaza.

Because there's a genocide happening,

we have 70 000 martyrs
who were killed,

more than 70 000,

the latest number that I saw
said 73 000 Palestinian martyrs

that were killed
over the past three years.

So, they try to support the Palestinians.

Which is something that we understand,

but there are also some donors
that changed their priorities

because they wanted
to be less confrontational

and they wanted less headaches

or they were

afraid or concerned about being tagged

or attacked by the Israeli authorities.

There are so many establishments
and organizations

that are following the funding,
where it's going,

what is being done with that.

The most critical part for me,

and the most dangerous part for me,

is that many donors
changed their policies

and tried to impose political conditions

on the funding
for Palestinian organizations.

And this political condition
is kind of different.

It takes different shapes.

They tell you: "We want you
to speak about this specific topic."

And when they tell you
they want you to produce

a play about animal's rights,

that's kind of conditional.

Firstly, it's against Palestinian law.

This is the hypocrisy
of all these foundations.

They kept telling us
about the rule of law,

the European values,

and so on, and when it comes

the time to be realistic,

they ask you to violate your own law.

So, we couldn't understand.

Why was it like that?

Then, they wanted
something even more dangerous,

they wanted you
to go against your values

by accepting

the Israeli, American

and some European countries' definition

of what terrorism is.

None of us support terror. We don't.

We're against it,
but who defines what terror is

and who is a terrorist?

If I'm saying something like this,

an Israeli reporter
would tag me as a terrorist

just for telling you...

- Just because you're...
- Exactly.

So, it's getting really confusing

and most Palestinians...

I would say the vast majority
of Palestinian organizations

are boycotting this fund,

even though they desperately need it,

but you cannot accept funding
that goes against your own values.

That goes against
your own identity.

That goes against who you are
as a person, as a collective,

as an organization.

So, it's getting harder and harder.

Most cultural organizations,

specifically,
are trying to think outside the box

and they're trying to think
about diversifying their own resources

and trying to find other sources
of funding

that are non-political,
non-conditioned

and that supports them.

But that does not mean
it's an easy journey,

it's very difficult.

I know many organizations
that are facing

very hard times,

and they are
in the verge of closing down.

If you look at the number of...

If you compare what we have now

in terms of productions and performances,

compared to the past
four, five years,

you will see a significant decline
in the number,

the quality and the...

The number and quality of the productions

and performances.

This is due to a lack of funding.

You know that as a cultural organization
you cannot survive

without funding
and we cannot produce without it.

Yesterday, for example,

I saw a very sad video

of one of my friends on Facebook,
which is a personal friend,

he was really crying, saying:
"I lost hope."

"I cannot work,
I cannot produce as an artist."

He's a Palestinian actor
that worked with Jackie Chan,

in international films in Egypt
and Palestine.

Now, he's jobless and he's stuck in Cairo

and he was kind of shouting:
"Please help."

This is the reality right now

in Palestine.

I always, and I will stop here,

in order to give you the chance
to ask more questions,

but I consider this a very critical
and serious situation

because closing any cultural organization,

and I usually use this analogy:

it's like turning
a big light off in a city

and then it gets darker and darker

because part of our struggle
is not only against the occupation

for liberation,

it's to improve our society
and counter all these

dark values that some people
are trying to impose on our society.

We have this kind of dual struggle

in order to make our society better
and get liberation.

Do you think
that being people-funded

is a way to solve this problem?

Yeah, bringing funds from...

- Individuals.
- Yes.

Definitely, it is part of the alternatives
that we are looking for.

So, many organizations try to apply this

as part of their funding strategy.

As an expert in this field,

I think you either
increase your own funding,

and this place is an example.

Let's say,
a restaurant and selling tickets.

So, you try at least to cover your basic
or minimum expenses

from your own resources
and then you go out to individuals,

who care a lot
about Palestinian culture,

and mainly individuals
who are Palestinians in the diaspora.

But there are individuals
who sympathize with Palestine

and they want to support Palestine.

This is easier,
better and more practical,

because it's not conditioned
and it's not programmatic.

It's unrestricted
and it gives you the ability

to produce the way you want.

You just have to be creative
and do whatever you see appropriate.

- With this money.
- Yeah, for sure.

And you also work very closely
with artisan communities

to protect Palestinian cultural heritage.

You were just explaining to me

and sharing a little bit
before we started recording

that Palestinian craft
is not just decorative,

it carries technique and family history.

You know, a lot of traditions in it.

How do you protect

Palestinian craft traditions

and all the deep meaning that it has

and all the history that it brings with it

without turning them
into objects for external...

I feel that...

In a good way,
a lot of these crafts became...

A lot of people want them now.

With all the mobilization for Palestine,

you have more allies

and you have all of this curiosity

and interest in these crafts, in general.

How do you protect it, in terms of...

Making sure they keep bringing these...

I would say, it's not heaviness,

but it's meaningful...

Without making it too fashionable or...

Yeah, that is a major part of what I do,

in different capacities,

including in Al Kasaba,

because we created what we call

the Palestine Cultural Incubator,
which is an incubator

like any other business incubators,

where you find and bring

the entrepreneurs
in the artistic and cultural field

and help them improve their product,

their productions and products,

and help them survive
and get sustainability,

like any other startups
or businesses.

We help them
become more business-oriented

without compromising the value

and the craft or the production itself.

The craft and working with artisans

is the heart of this process.

So far, we've worked
with maybe 600 or 700 artisans

all across Palestine.

I say this to give you
a bit of context

because this is one
of the very important cultural sectors

that is alive

and that is important in Palestine.

This sector got very affected
due to the ongoing crisis.

It began in the era before COVID,

during and after October 7 and so on.

Most of these artisans
were producing their products

for international tourists

and I'm sure you went to Bethlehem
and you saw

that it's full of these crafts.

Now, they are the first to be affected

because whenever there is a war,

the first thing they do
is to close the borders

and therefore there is...

We were there during the genocide,

so, two or three years ago,

and we were the only ones there.

We were not tourists, but still...

Exactly.

Yeah, it was sad to see...

Yeah...

This was the first thing to be affected

and they almost lost
all their sources of income.

We did some research

and we found out,
which was very surprising,

and very shocking even,

that 75% of these workshops and artisans

either closed
or at the verge of closure.

This is dangerous for Palestinian culture

because the craft and all this sector

is the expression of our culture,

it's the expression of our identity.

- It's almost like proof.
- Exactly.

This shows the connection with the land,
with the culture,

and it is deeply rooted
in our history

because this craft was developed
and evolved over the years

and people took it
from one generation to the other.

What you see now
is a generational thing

that people held from one generation
to the other.

It's very dangerous to stop there
or disappear,

but it's creating an economic problem

because these people became jobless.

Our role is to jump in
and try to help them

kind of retain this sector.

In order to be realistic,

and that was something
that we discovered,

the majority
of these people are selling

for the local market.

You mentioned something very beautiful.

There's a momentum
around the world.

People know more
about Palestinian culture,

they know more about Palestinian crafts,

heritage, and they would like to know.

It's not only
that they are sympathizing with Palestine,

they are, indeed,

but they discovered the beauty
of our crafts and this sector.

Therefore, we try to help
these artisans

on one hand to rebuild their workshops,

and rebuild their life,

and bringing them back to production,

but, more importantly,
because I see it as a circle.

Without closing this circle,
it is impossible

to create this sustainability for them.

So, we try to find them different

and diversified channels of sales.

- Yes...
- So, if one channel stops,

they would have others
and they would not collapse.

And it's working beautifully
and succeeding

mostly by helping them
sell their products.

The way we help them
is a different way of doing things.

On one hand,
we help them improve their workshops

by giving them funding
to buy some tools and things,

we help them in business skills.

They don't know how to manage their...

They are artisans,
they are dreaming and...

We help them become more efficient
in running their business,

but, more importantly,
we connect them with designers

to improve the shape of this cup,
for example.

We help them, as artisans,
to come up with another

or an improved design that is suitable
for Portugal, for example.

Where they can sell it,
because you might like it not in brown.

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