The Freedom Theatre

The theatre's goals are to "develop a vibrant and creative artistic community [that] empowers children and young adults to express themselves freely and equally through art [while] emphasizing professionalism and innovation.

[4] The theatre was inspired by Care and Learning, a project established during the First Intifada in response to the chronic fear, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by children in the Jenin refugee camp as a result of the violence of the uprising.

[5]: 256  Arna Mer Khamis, an Israeli political and human rights activist, created the project to support the education of children in the West Bank.

"[7] Located on the top floor of a local family house, the theatre was destroyed by an Israeli bulldozer during the 2002 Battle of Jenin resulting in the deaths of several of Mer Khamis' students.

[citation needed] On 4 April 2011, Juliano Mer Khamis was killed by a masked gunman near the Freedom Theatre and was pronounced dead en route to the hospital.

[8]: 16  Recently the theatre's youth acting group wrote and performed an original play called Stolen Dreams an homage to his legacy as a "symbol of culture.

[12] Three employees, including the theatre's artistic director, general manager, and a recent graduate of the performing arts school were arrested by Israeli soldiers.

[14] According to Juliano Mer Khamis, the organization had no intention of creating a professional school and initially intended to use drama as a tool for overcoming the emotional and psychological trauma of occupation.

[15] The Freedom Theatre produced several adaptations of famous literary works such as George Orwell's Animal Farm (2009), Ghassan Khanafani's Men in the Sun (2010), and Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland (2011).