ASHTAR Theatre (or ASHTAR for Theatre Productions & Training) is a Palestinian non-governmental organization established in 1991 in Jerusalem by Palestinian actors Edward Muallem and Iman Aoun. It was the first theatre training organization for youth in Palestine.
ASHTAR Theatre, currently based in Ramallah,focuses on drama education, community engagement, and the production of theatrical works.
ASHTAR for Theatre Productions & Training is a member of the Palestinian Performing Arts Network. and of the Anna Lindh Foundation
The collaboration between Iman Aoun (born 1963, Nablus) and Edward Muallem (born 1958 in Mi'ilya) began during their time at the El-Hakawati Theatre, formed in 1977 by Palestinian students from Israel and Franco-Palestinian artist François Gaspar, also known as Abou Salem.
ASHTAR Theatre was the first drama school in Palestine, offering young people acting techniques, physical theatre, and Theatre of the Oppressed professional trainings. It also promoted the first Theatre training program for school and university students in the West Bank. In 1993, the training program expanded to Gaza, and in 1995 ASHTAR Theatre was established in Ramallah.
Iman Aoun served as Artistic Director until 2021 when she was replaced by Edward Muallem.
ASHTAR's Professional Productions tour locally and internationally. Some of these productions are:
Forum Theatre, (one of the dynamics of the Theatre of the Oppressed' methodology by Augusto Boal) is part of ASHTAR Theatre community work. Some of the these productions are:
The Gaza Monologues is a collection of testimonies written by ASHTAR Theatre's youth in 2010, reflecting their personal experiences during the intense violence of the Gaza Strip. These monologues, which capture the experiences of Gazans, shed light on the humanitarian consequences of the conflict. The project was initiated by ASHTAR Theatre as a response to the first Gaza War in 2010 and has since been presented worldwide in solidarity events.
The monologues have been translated into 18 languages and performed by over 1500 young people in over 80 cities across 40 countries, raising awareness of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In 2023, ASHTAR Theatre called on global theatre makers to participate in a reading of the monologues on November 29, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
The Syrian Monologues is a project initiated by ASHTAR Theatre to give a voice to Syrian refugees who have been displaced by the ongoing conflict. Beginning in 2014, the project aims to raise awareness about the plight of refugees by encouraging them to share their personal stories through monologues. The project began with ASHTAR Theatre working with Syrian refugees in Amman, Jordan, in collaboration with CARE Jordan. Here, 120 refugees participated in workshops, with 22 of them creating monologues that were later presented on World Refugee Day, June 9, 2015.
The project's scope expanded internationally, inviting theatre artists worldwide, to work with refugees in their respective countries. The goal was to help refugees from different age groups write and perform their monologues, which were translated and staged as performances, radio dramas, or dramatic plays. These performances were coordinated to be held simultaneously in multiple countries, with a major event in December 2016 aimed at engaging with the United Nations in Geneva.
The Syrian Monologues serves as both an artistic and humanitarian initiative, providing a platform for refugees to share their experiences of displacement, loss, and hope for a safe future. Through this project, ASHTAR Theatre aims to amplify the voices of refugees while also contributing to the cultural exchange among artists and communities worldwide.
The Biennial International Theatre of the Oppressed Festival is a 2-5 week-long festival organised by ASHTAR Theatre. Launched in 2004, the festival features performances, masterclasses, workshops, discussions, webinars etc. Its director is Edward Muallem, the general director of ASHTAR Theatre.
The ASHTAR International Youth Theatre Festival (AIYTF) is the result of long years of cultural networking with the international theatre world. AIYTF, was first created in 2012, and is held annually.