ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the Freedom Theatre (TFT) in Jenin Refugee Camp (JRC) in light of their local and international strategies for cultural resistance. TFT espouses a clear ideology of resistance through theatre, both in Jenin and abroad, whereby the arts can be used as a form of cultural agency to raise international awareness of the situation for Palestinians, whilst also garnering support for their cause. The Freedom Theatre is situated in the heart of Jenin Refugee Camp (JRC), in the northern West Bank, near the Separation Barrier between Israel proper and the nascent Palestinian "proto-state". Palestinian cultural agency comes from performing political theatre in Jenin and throughout the West Bank. According to its mission statement, TFT: is developing a vibrant and creative artistic community in the northern part of the West Bank.
