“I have learned a very important secret: Be simple and avoid complication. You can be good at animation by the most simple tools you have at your disposal. In the workshop, I learned that all the people who were creative and mesmerised us started off from simple, but practical, ideas. Today, we have applied this by ourselves.”
This was the secret 13-year-old Yasmine Abu Khatru learned and revealed after she participated in an interactive animation workshop. Bringing together 35 children, the workshop was organised at the Child Centre – Gaza of the A. M. Qattan Foundation (AMQF). Curated by Artist Nabil Abu Ghanimah, the workshop was designed to introduce children to the history, evolution, concept and production of animation. Children applied the concept of animation using simple raw materials.
The workshop was part of Animate.ps Animation Festival, the first Palestinian animation festival. Under the auspices of the AMQF, the festival was organised by the Animate.ps Initiative in partnership with and support from the Palestinian Cultural Fund of the Ministry of Culture.
In the context of the festival events, the CCG organised eight animation film screenings over 10-13 April 2017. A total of 340 children enjoyed watching these films. The show captured the imaginations of children and made them happy. In their content, films showcased the idea of animation.
Film screenings were not limited to children. On 12 April 2017, the CCG screened animation films for adults. Involving filmmakers and producers, a discussion ensued the film screening event.
It is worth noting that almost 50 animation films from around the world were screened in Animate.ps Animation Festival. Including short and long films for adults and children, films were showcased in the Palestinian cities of Ramallah, Jerusalem, Jenin, Nablus, Hebron, Bethlehem and Gaza.