Art can be transformative – if you take it to the streets.

That’s what’s happening at the Medarom festival for arts and culture, a unique collaboration between the Negev town of Ofakim and the Department of Cultural Studies at Sapir Academic College. This multidisciplinary celebration of community is taking place in open spaces throughout city.

The idea is radical in its very simplicity: break down the barriers that separate artist and audience by partnering with a wide variety of community organizations. When seen this way, art does more than just reflect social realities. It shapes them. Among other activities, sculptor Nitai Halouf will build an environmental sculpture together with members of the general public; Alternative rocker Omer Kobi Ezra will produce a collaborative musical performance together with the audience; and local youth movements will design and build a new center for recreation and the arts under the direction of artist Itamar Faluga. In the evenings, Beit Hayotzer – a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, will become a dynamic venue for exhibitions and workshops organized by different community organizations.

Last year’s festival was cancelled due to hostilities with Gaza. This year, the Medarom festival is back in the streets – together with thousands of people in this Negev community.  Dates: May 23 - 25. Location: Surprising places throughout the City of Ofakim.

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