Arts & Culture
Homeland & Homemaking Exhibit at local library
Homeland and Homemaking was an arts exhibit over two years in the making. It explored themes of home, migration, storytelling, and identity within our Arab immigrant and refugee communities. Held on October 19, 2024, at the El Cajon Public Library, the exhibit was a powerful evening of art, performances, and community connection. It featured work from our youth arts programming, local artists, performers, and Majdal’s Dabke troupe. This exhibit was made possible through the support of the El Cajon Library, California Humanities, Imagine Brave Spaces, and our dedicated volunteers and staff.
Photography and filmmaking
With Fadi Taher of Impact Media
Fadi Taher a hosted a photography and filmmaking training. Over the course of five days, 20 youth explored the technical and narrative aspects of visual storytelling, using their mobile phones as powerful tools for communication and self-expression. By the end of the workshop, the participants produced A documentary on immigrant challenges that was later expanded into a professionally shot and edited documentary, “Stories of Home: Arab Migration Across Generations."
This initiative was designed not only to teach technical skills but also to empower the youth to express their identities and personal narratives through creative mediums. Through photography and documentary filmmaking, the participants found new ways to address the complexities of identity and communicate their stories to a broader audience.
Storytelling Workshop
Storytelling Club with Fadi Taher
The Majdal Center and Impact Media hosted a five-day Storytelling Club with 20 Arab refugee youth participants. The program is designed to build resilience, foster mental well-being, and nurture a sense of identity. This initiative provided a safe space for self-expression, allowing the participants to explore their inner strengths and embrace their unique stories. Throughout the workshop, the youth engaged in various artistic and reflective activities aimed at enhancing self-acceptance, overcoming fear, and identifying their personal strengths.
These activities encouraged participants to not only acknowledge their fears but also recognize their ability to solve problems and support others during challenging times. By the end of the workshop, the youth left with greater confidence, a stronger sense of identity, and practical tools to build resilience in their lives. This project, rooted in peer-to-peer learning and artistic expression, has provided a lasting impact on the participants, equipping them with the emotional and psychological tools necessary to navigate their identity challenges and thrive in the face of adversity.
Poetry and Writing Workshop
With San Diego Poet Laureate, Jason Magabo Perez, Ph.D.
During a 3-day poetry workshop led by San Diego Poet Laureate Jason Magabo Perez, Ph.D., Majdal youth explored themes of home, homeland, and identity through writing and discussion. Drawing inspiration from Arab poets like Mahmoud Darwish, Jabra Ibrahim Jabra, and Nazik al-Mala'ika, participants read poetry in both Arabic and English and crafted their own poems, culminating in a collaborative piece titled I Speak in My Own Voice. This collaborative pantoum draws from and is inspired by Arab poetry. The youth wrote it in both English and Arabic. The workshop introduced an accessible poetry practice that connected reading with writing, encouraging youth to reflect on their lived experiences and develop their voices as poets.
Theatre & Dance “Little Amal"
With Catherine Hanna Schrock from Imagine Brave Spaces
Majdal youth had the opportunity to perform with “Little Amal,” a 12-foot Syrian refugee puppet, in Amal & Sueños—an immersive, multilingual performance at Chicano Park that explored themes of home, displacement, and solidarity with refugees. In collaboration with Imagine Theatre and community partners, the event brought people together through dance, music, and storytelling. Leading up to the performance, Majdal youth trained in Dabkeh, a traditional Levantine folk dance, learning its foundational movements and cultural significance. Following the event, Catherine Hanna Schrock from Imagine led a day-long workshop introducing youth to socially-engaged theater as a tool for connection and social change.
Youth at the Majdal Center participated in two art workshops led by Lorain Khalil Rihan, exploring printmaking and embroidery as tools for personal and collective expression. In the printmaking workshop, youth created linocut prints that reflected their dreams and contributions to their communities, while learning about the historical role of print media in social movements. In the embroidery workshop, youth used thread to “draw” emotions and memories, engaging deeply with themes like mental health, trauma, and healing, and reflecting on how slow, intentional artmaking can serve as a form of self-expression and presence.
Embroidery & Printmaking with Lorain
With visual artist, storyteller and educator Lorain Khalil Rihan
Storytelling Workshop
Storytelling Club with Fadi Taher
The Majdal Center and Impact Media hosted a five-day Storytelling Club with 20 Arab refugee youth participants. The program is designed to build resilience, foster mental well-being, and nurture a sense of identity. This initiative provided a safe space for self-expression, allowing the participants to explore their inner strengths and embrace their unique stories. Throughout the workshop, the youth engaged in various artistic and reflective activities aimed at enhancing self-acceptance, overcoming fear, and identifying their personal strengths. By the end of the workshop, the youth left with greater confidence, a stronger sense of identity, and practical tools to build resilience in their lives.