The Palestinian National Theatre or El-Hakawati Theatre () is a

Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...

-owned

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

's American Colony neighbourhood, near New Orient House. The theatre has been serving to actively encourage and promote Palestinian artistic and cultural activities and collaborates with the Palestinian ministry of culture, several

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

organisations, and a wide range of local and international

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

s. In 1989, guest performance by the El-Hakawati Theatre at

The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...

, New York City, was cancelled by

Joseph Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp is a pioneering figure in American theater, known for creating Shakespeare in the Park, which aimed to make classi ...

, as he said that he was afraid that the play would ""offend" Jews who "constitute a high proportion of the theater audience in any city, but especially in New York.""At Papp's Public Theater, a Show of Arrogance
July 15, 1989, by Alisa Solomon,

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

History and general information

The PNT was founded by the Palestinian El-Hakawati Theatre Company. After one year, the management of the center was handed over to a board of directors composed of artists, writers, and notable persons in the Palestinian community.

Mission and objectives

The Palestinian National Theatre (PNT) is a Palestinian non profit cultural institution which strives to create and to develop a unique cultural life in Jerusalem.

Main projects and activities

The PNT shall work on the basis of a national cultural policy that stems its spiritual strength from the pluralistic history, culture and heritage of Palestine. Its aim is to raise the literary and intellectual awareness of Palestinians by expanding their horizons and developing their awareness in order to produce a community of people that have confidence and pride in themselves and respect for the differences of others.

Awards

The Palestinian National Theater (Hakawati) received the Yasser Arafat Award for Excellence and Creativity in 2016.

References

External links