circus arts help syrian children make new life
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

In a major city but a house in southeastern Turkey

Circus arts help Syrian children make new life

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Circus arts help Syrian children make new life

Young Syrian refugees learn to juggle on a rooftop of a house in Mardin, south-eastern Turkey
Mardin - Arab Today

Laughter rings out and there is an atmosphere of excitement and joyful chaos. Children are perched on stilts, others spin plates or happily perform aerial dances.

This is not a big top circus in a major city but a house in southeastern Turkey, where Syrian refugee children learn circus tricks in an innovative programme to help integrate into their foreign host country. 

The Her Yerde Sanat association (Turkish for 'Art Anywhere') works with 120 young people aged three to 20. 

Just north of the Syrian border, at the house in Mardin province, there is a beautiful view over the Mesopotamian plain to Syria, which 80 of the youngsters once called home. The other children are Turkish.

On the ground floor, some 15 children alternate between aerial dancing from ribbons suspended from the ceiling, juggling and the trapeze, while younger ones in a second room play percussion instruments with an impressive intensity. 

Upstairs, Turkish is being taught to Syrian children so they can integrate into school.

Some learn the circus arts everyday because they are unable to go to school; for others it is a weekend activity. Some become good enough to perform publicly in shows or regional festivals.

- 'Break down language barriers' -

Fifteen-year-old Eyad Haj Mahmoud, originally from Aleppo in northern Syria, believes the classes are helpful.

"I learned things here that have allowed me to become a better person," he told AFP.

It is a chance for the children to temporarily forget their past -- adult instructors, most of whom have a professional or amateur circus background, are told never to ask about their origins.

Surrounded by the sound of laughter and raucous activity, Pinar Demiral told AFP the children "are just here to create circus art".

One of the co-founders of the association, established in 2012, Demiral said: "We use the circus as a tool to break down all the language barriers."

In the daylong workshops, trainers switch from one language to another, helped by their students who also do music and hip-hop classes.

Syria's conflict has killed more than 310,000 people, forced over five million people to flee the country and left much of it in ruins since it erupted six years ago.The adults are mostly volunteers from outside of Turkey, who come for an average of three months; some speak Turkish and Arabic while all know English.

Turkey is home to over 2.9 million Syrian refugees, according to figures released by the Turkish interior ministry last month. 

Some 300,000 of those are in camps, while others live with the local population.

And this is where the association comes in, helping with integration through circus arts in a project partly funded by NGO International Medical Corps, together with the Swiss government.

- 'Respectful space' -

Activity coordinator Muhammed Kheir Kassim came to Turkey from Damascus four years ago and said he discovered the association through his son.

Having been a school headmaster in Syria, he soon got involved himself.

"I sent my son (to Her Yerde Sanat) to prevent him from hanging around on the streets, especially because he is a refugee and risks having problems in society."

He described his privileged relationship with the children, saying he was like "a father" and "a friend" to them.

"We get angry, we reconcile, we fight but at the end of the day, we have the same heart and the same goal," he said.

Teenagers are trained so they can mentor younger ones when volunteers are in short supply or need help. It is a role they take very seriously.

"They learn things from each other, they help each other," Demiral said, whose aim is to give children "a space, in which they are respected and taught skills so that they can find their own balance".

- 'Gained confidence' -

Turkish children benefit from the experience too.

Nursena, a girl from Mardin, has been taking part for a year, her mother told AFP.

Tuba Akburak said Nursena had "gained confidence after coming, she makes friends more easily". 

But, working with children who have seen war and been through trauma and experiences far removed from those of their Turkish friends, is not always easy.

"There are sometimes conflicts between Turkish and Syrian children, they might fight," Demiral said.

"But from day one, when they enter, we just tell them that the only rule is 'we cannot fight'."

While mindful that they are working with children with a "background of war", she added that she wanted to stop the cycle of violence.

"At first, they want to fight and show their power, but playing in the same space, being equal, it decreases the tensions between the groups."

source: AFP

 

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

circus arts help syrian children make new life circus arts help syrian children make new life

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

circus arts help syrian children make new life circus arts help syrian children make new life

 



GMT 09:16 2017 Wednesday ,13 December

Cape wearing tips

GMT 20:49 2017 Monday ,21 August

South Asia floods claim more than 750 lives

GMT 19:06 2016 Saturday ,10 December

IOF Close Al-Nabi Saleh Village's Entrance

GMT 18:01 2017 Wednesday ,22 February

Abu Sayyaf ‘likely’ behind Vietnam freighter attack

GMT 06:41 2017 Sunday ,03 December

Hamas threatens 'intifada' over US moves on Jerusalem

GMT 16:17 2017 Saturday ,21 January

BMW 7 series crosses 5,000 unit mark in 2016

GMT 12:17 2016 Wednesday ,24 February

United Technologies nixes Honeywell merger

GMT 23:37 2017 Monday ,31 July

Saudi Arabia sanctions Hezbollah member

GMT 05:45 2018 Saturday ,29 September

Abdullah bin Zayed hosts official reception in New York

GMT 04:12 2018 Friday ,12 January

Saudi-led coalition says Yemen rebels threat

GMT 11:18 2014 Monday ,22 December

Richard Ward adds to The Chelsea Collection

GMT 21:20 2017 Monday ,06 February

UN resumes food air drops in Deir Ezzor

GMT 22:24 2017 Friday ,15 December

HRH Premier thanked by Cambodian counterpart

GMT 02:11 2017 Monday ,23 October

Oct24/Nov22

GMT 21:31 2017 Monday ,11 December

HM King congratulates Burkinabe President

GMT 20:22 2017 Monday ,23 October

EU deplores attack against police
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday