Tala Abu Eid is the co-founder and the coordinator of Al-Harah Performing Arts Training Center (PARC) in Beit Jala. PARC was created to tackle high unemployment rate in Palestine. Possibilities available for young people who are not interested in studying at University, especially they have very limited departments. PARC was created to offer youth much needed creative vocational training in theatre in order to provide opportunities for new careers that are not available in Palestine.
PARC offers a two year training program in: Light, Sound, Costume, Stenography and managing cultural and artistic projects. The program is divided into 5 stages with local and international trainers, local and international internships at different performing arts spaces, and a graduation project.
Through these stages, students are able to build their capacity in local and international environments and develop their skills thus making new contacts that increase their opportunities in obtaining jobs after their graduation. As a result of the first pilot, PARC will graduate 25 students’ ages 17-30 years old from cities, villages, refugee camps and marginalized areas from Palestine who are ready to enter the job market. PARC benefited 19 local trainers from the West Bank and Jerusalem and 16 international trainers from different countries around the world. Many local and international partnerships with performing arts organizations were involved. PARC changed the lives of several young people who will contribute to the development of the Palestinian Performing Arts sector and to the economy of their families and communities in the future.