‘Astonishing' exhibition of Palestinian children's poetry and art coming to Hastings this summer

Oh Big Blue is a four-day exhibition of stunning poetry, written and illustrated by children aged nine to 17 from all across Palestine.

The poems are entries to a competition run by British educational charity The Hands Up Project last year in response to two paintings by Palestinian artists.

One painting of the sea is by student Laila Mohammed, who escaped from Gaza the day before the Rafah crossing was closed last year. The sea holds special meaning in Gaza - it is Gaza's breathing place, representing horizons, possibilities, freedom and hope.

The title of the collection was taken from one of the competition entries, a poem by 13-year-old Joud Isleem, who wrote: “Oh great sea, oh big blue! Take my dreams and bring me hope.”

Award-winning British poet Alice Oswald, who edited the collection and will be opening the exhibition on 9th July, said that the work of the young poets had ‘astonished’ her.

‘These are poems written by children, written in a second language, written from the centre of impossibility, written under bombardment, written with no water, written with no internet, written in a notebook and decorated with butterflies and sometimes decorated with blood,’ she said.

‘They show the beauty of the world, even in impossible circumstances.’

Children from all over Palestine - including Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Gaza and Jenin – contributed works to the collection.

Author and competition judge Max Porter said: ‘Reading these poems was like walking in a spectacular light show made of feeling. The courage, hope and pride in these poems is an antidote to the poisons of this world. With their resilience, tenderness and clarity these poems amount to a genuine miracle of the human spirit.’

Hosted by the Hastings & District Palestine Solidarity Campaign (HDPSC), the free exhibition at Stade Hall at Rock a Nore, is supported by The Chalk Cliff Trust and the Hastings & District National Education Union.

It comes after a successful exhibition of a previous book curated by the Hands Up Project ‘Oh Moon Tell Me Truth’, which was exhibited in Hastings in February 2024.

Katy Colley, from HDPSC, said: ‘We hear about what is happening to Palestinian children right now through the lens of the outsider, from reports of their suffering and their needs. But this is a chance to get to know Palestinian children just as they are, as children, To peer into their hearts, to listen to their voices and hear their hopes, dreams, ideas and creative expression.’

Jenny Sutton from the Hastings & District NEU said: ‘We are proud once again to support this exhibition. We want our young people to gain some insight into the realities of life for children in Palestine, and we want to inspire them with a sense that we can make the world a better place. We urge schools, youth groups and families to visit.’

Oh Big Blue is free and open daily 10am-4pm, from 9th-12th July with tickets available for the opening launch event on Wednesday 9th July featuring dramatic performances of the poems by local young people and actor Philip Woodford.

Young visitors are invited to enter an exclusive poetry and art competition, judged by renowned Hastings-based poet Salena Godden, based on the same paintings that inspired the work of the Palestinian children.