THE BALLOON MAN

First International Circus in Palestine Concludes Shows

By May GhabenRAMALLAH,

September 11, 2011

(WAFA) – ‘Artists against the Wall’ and ‘A Smile Changes the World’ were the themes of Festiclown first international circus show held in the Palestinian Territory.
The circus, which included 20 different international circus groups from all over the world, concluded on Sunday its acts with a show Ramallah bringing smiles and laughter to hundreds of Palestinian children.

Ivan Prado, director of the circus, told WAFA that after meeting in 2009 with the Palestinian circus school students his dream became to perform in Palestine.His story in Palestine starts in 2003, when his group held a number of circus shows in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.“We witnessed bombing, shelling and tanks coming after us,' he said. 'Even the driver of the ambulance that used to move us around after curfew hour had his arm broken by Israeli soldiers.”

All this and more only made him hold on stronger to his dream of holding “the first international circus of its kind in Palestine.”

'‘Rebellious clowns' is what the Festiclown people call themselves.

They rebel against the apartheid wall and the 'genocide carried out by Israeli forces against the Palestinian people,' said Prado

.In cooperation with the Spanish consulate, Ramallah municipality, the Palestinian circus school and circuses from all over the world, including Spain, Argentina, Chili, Portugal, USA and a number of Palestinian groups and street artists, the circus was a success and the laughter and smiles on the faces of the children, and even the adults, were the answer that Prado and Fiestaclown circus were looking for.“If red nosed clowns can get through the Wall and bring peace and hope to their hearts and souls, so can politicians,” Prado said.The circus was held in Ramallah, Nablus, Jerusalem and a number of refugees camps.
M.G./F.R.