Rawand Arqawi
Fragments Theatre
Palestine · Performing Arts
Palestinian cultural leader and educator Rawand Arqawi was nominated for the 2025 AFIELD Fellowship for Fragments Theatre, a cultural center in Jenin providing children, youth, and women with creative space for theater, film, and visual arts, fostering artistic skills, resilience, and social cohesion in a conflict-affected community.
Founded in 2016, Fragments Theatre harnesses art as a tool for social transformation in Jenin, a city often marked by conflict, poverty, and restricted movement.
Through workshops, performances, and community projects it provides a safe space and promotes healing, dialogue, and empowerment. Its long-term program trains participants in acting, writing, and directing while developing leadership among youth who later become trainers themselves. Beyond skill development, the initiative nurtures confidence, creativity, and collaboration, offering cultural resistance in a place where freedom of expression is often suppressed. By integrating art into daily life, Fragments Theatre strengthens social bonds and promotes lasting peace within a fractured community.
Dance performance at Fragment Theater
Born and raised in Jenin, Rawand Arqawi is a Palestinian cultural leader and founder of Fragments Theatre. With a background in education and activism, she has worked across art, film, and community engagement to promote women’s participation and social awareness through creative expression. Previously a coordinator at the Freedom Theatre and Cinema Jenin, Arqawi has dedicated her career to demonstrating how art can empower marginalized voices and foster resilience. Through Fragments Theatre, she continues to lead transformative programs that turn creativity into a form of resistance and community renewal.
Rawand Arqawi
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