Al-Warsha, meaning "The Workshop" in Arabic, is my research project within the Master's program in Transdisciplinary Art at ZHdK. This project seeks to explore and develop art therapy and expression tools tailored specifically for the Palestinian context, moving away from Western therapeutic models that often feel alien or uncomfortable to Palestinians. My goal is to create tools that resonate more deeply with Palestinian culture and experiences.
To achieve this, I began by studying the culture intimately, starting with my own family and how we cope with the ongoing war in Palestine. The first tool I explored was the use of workshops—a fundamental yet somewhat limited tool, but crucial in facilitating community engagement and expression.
One of the key objectives of the workshops is to collaborate with diverse artists, as I believe that collaborative work fosters a sense of collectivity and enhances the uniqueness and impact of each piece.
The objective of the workshops is to tackle emotions, feelings, and subjects often deemed challenging to discuss in everyday discourse. Through art, I seek to facilitate a more accessible approach to these topics, fostering better understanding and acceptance.