Art for Palestine
ART FOR PALESTINE is HYPEPEACE’s first own initiative. 
WHY PALESTINE?
HYPEPEACE has always been vocal about supporting human rights and this region has faced decades of injustice and political crisis.
For many people across the West Bank and Gaza, cultural opportunities are severely limited.
It’s a critical time to support Palestinian youths and more than ever they need our support not just in aid but also help build foundations for their future.
Help us provide creative outlets for children and young adults to use creativity as self-expression, gain skills and bring out their natural creative talent to pursue their own goals and dreams.
HYPEPEACE 'In Solidarity'
ART AS THERAPY
Art and it's creative process relieves stress, encourages creative thinking, boosts self-esteem, and provides a sense of accomplishment.
Whatever the case, the arts play a big role in how humans see and interact with others and the world in general. There are so many reasons why art is important in the world, today and always.
WORKSHOP, ACTIVITIES & COLLABORATION
This Art Facility will open and be run by Aida Youth Center (AYC) who is located in Aida Refugee Camp, an area north of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. It was founded in 1968 with the main purpose of serving the local community – especially its children and youth. Today it represents a recreational hub that aims to improve living conditions for camp residents.
LEARNING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
AYC caters to children from the age of 5 and the youth up to the age of 25. We will set up age appropriate creative learning activities that are fun and imaginative for the young people.
For the older age group we hope to further refine their creative skills by introducing the craft of screen-printing. This technique is used for creating bold canvases, posters and artwork, but also used to print fabrics and textiles, so it's great for creating all sorts of custom clothing and products. We want to pass on our experience with using the craft and inspire them to create their own projects and pursue their own goals and dreams.
COLLABORATION
As part of our commitment in supporting young people, we will host an annual creative competition together with an artist or organisation to give an exceptional young talent a platform to showcase their work to an international audience. This will further provide them collaborative experience, have fresh perspective and be more empowered.
We also welcome creative VOLUNTEERS from all fields to host art workshops in Aida Camp. This can be done remotely or in person. If you are interested in volunteering please get in touch via info@hypepeace.com.
THE IMPACT
We understand the importance of supportive engagement for young people. It helps build on important protective factors related to mental health, since it provides opportunities for youth to connect with their peers, build networks, and increase the sense that they're not alone.
This is why we want to launch this Art Facility together with Aida Youth Center so that we can maintain this vital contribution for the Palestinian children and youth. We have seen how such organisations really play an important role.
Our biggest contribution to date was donating £6,000 to Sharek Youth Forum. We understood the important work they do and thanks to all our customers who purchased our clothes we were able to raise and donate the money to help expand their Youth Village playground area. Now they can host more young people and enjoy more activities.
Watch HYPEPEACE contribution to Sharek Youth Forum
RISK & CHALLENGES
Launching this project has some challenges. Palestine is a contentious country, with the growing political crisis we can face restrictions in setting up the facility. Sending materials or donations can be flagged by border control and jeopardise the whole project.
We will do our utmost to launch this on time. We have been supported by Aida Youth Center throughout the process so far and we would not be able to do this without them, so both of us will deliver our best, and we will keep you updated on any challenges along the way.
