In October, just as the Bukjeh team was preparing to celebrate the announcement of their work A’AMAR as part of Sydney Festival, they were robbed of this joy by the escalation of violence in Gaza. Horrifically, all of Bukjeh’s collaborators based in Palestine have been killed one after another, including journalist and filmmaker Roshdi Sarraj.
The devastation is almost beyond human comprehension. While photographs and videos coming out of Gaza have drawn attention to the violence Palestinian people have been subjected to, and thousands have marched in the streets of our cities in Australia in protest, recent events have also highlighted how little Australians know about the lives and culture of the Palestinian community.
Bukjeh is the only Palestinian-led arts collective in Australia. The word Bukjeh means ‘a small pack of belongings carried by travelers’. Bukjeh uses the power of storytelling to create awareness, facilitate connections and humanise the experiences of people who have been displaced. The vision of Bukjeh is to change the world one story at a time.
In the wake of the most recent and deadly violence in their homeland, the Bukjeh team is somehow finding the strength to continue on. Creative Director Aseel Tayah says, “it is with heavy hearts that we have new stories to tell. Stories that we feel, more strongly than ever, must be told”
There is an urgent need for funds for Bukjeh to be able to deliver activities and events that share the stories and culture of the people of Palestine, facilitate community healing and build social cohesion, harmony and inclusion for those who have been displaced. We are asking for your support to help raise $70,000 by 31 December 2023 to enable the delivery of:
Regular community events for collective art-making where children, families and people of all cultures, languages and identities are welcome. These require materials including fabric, thread, wool, tapestry needles, facepaint, craft materials as well as photography and videography.
Public speaking, singing and storytelling sessions as part of Bukjeh’s advocacy work led by Aseel Tayah which require fees for speakers, venue costs, and documentation through photography and videography.
Presentation of the performance A’AMAR at Sydney Festival in January 2024 including artist fees for additional development, script rewrites, interstate travel costs, and materials for set and props due to losses caused by the war in Gaza and impact on appropriateness of the content previously created.
While Bukjeh is grateful for generous in-kind support received to date, we are unable to deliver these significant projects without financial donations. Please donate so Bukjeh can share the stories and rich culture of Palestinian people, honour those who have been lost, and celebrate the power of coming together through food, poetry, song and storytelling.

If you would like to learn more about Bukjeh’s work please see more information on our website: https://bukjeh.org/