This story first appeared in JRS INSIDER, a monthly newsletter including stories of impact across JRS global.

In Amman, the JRS Jordan Youth and Arts Program brings the refugee community together, across cultural, experiential, and faith differences through acting, music, and dance.

This year, their hard work culminated in a powerful musical that celebrated their diversity and shared a story of welcoming one another.

For this month’s INSIDER, JRS Jordan’s Communications and Advocacy Manager Silvia Mazzocchin, and Project Manager Mara Giordano sat down to talk about how the performance came to fruition and its lasting impact.

JRS Jordan serves refugees from Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Eritrea, each group facing challenges accessing services and opportunities to which they are entitled. The disparities often keep people in insular communities, not speaking amongst each other.  Yet music and the arts help bring people together and, as the JRS team saw, dissolve these barriers.

“We are lucky to have so many talented artists in our community,” said Mara, who joined JRS Jordan in 2023 and spearheaded a series of pilot workshops in theater, music, and dance. At the core of these programs is a commitment to honoring and celebrating the rich cultural traditions of each refugee community.

In early 2024, Mara convened a brainstorming session with refugees and host community members, encouraging them to share their stories and the messages they wished to communicate through art. The group brought up themes of belonging, living together, celebrating diversity, and peace. These stories inspired a Sudanese refugee and author, Mohamed Hussein, to create an original story titled “On Planet Safar.”

On Planet Safar, life is divided between darkness and light. In the North, the sun always shines, while the South is a land of darkness and cold. The planet’s inhabitants live in peace and harmony,
until a disaster divides the planet, separating them and scattering them to inhospitable new lands. The inhabitants of Planet Safar must deal with forced displacement and search for safety.

They struggle to see beyond one another’s differences and build a sense of community. But through a series of events, the people of Safar find harmony and recognize diversity not as a threat, but as a source of enrichment.

With the partner organization, Seenaryo, JRS Jordan developed “On Planet Safar” into a musical. To start production, JRS Jordan trained members of the refugee communities in music, art, dance, and acting so that they could teach the children. Under their guidance, children embraced the music and dance traditions of one another’s cultures, including learning Dabke, a folk dance that originated in the Middle East.

“Through these art and cultural activities, we try to break the barriers between communities that would not usually find many chances to interact and create something new and beautiful together,” Silvia said.

In July, when the musical premiered, families and guests from local communities filled the auditorium. The performance played to a sold-out house of 500 attendees. Following the show, the cast and crew participated in a Q&A session, sharing how the experience had shaped their understanding of collaboration and cultural appreciation.

In the weeks following, some unexpected gifts arose from the project. The group of instructors formed a band, blending their diverse backgrounds and talents to perform a mix of music from Middle East, Iraq, and Sudan. Meanwhile, the original “On Planet Safar” story is becoming a children’s book. Artists from Iraq, Jordan, and Syria, are creating the illustrations.

“I was impressed by how well the children understood the significance of the story and the gift of cultural diversity” Silvia shared. She remarked on the children’s enthusiasm to connect with one another and how that offers a sign of hope.

“This musical was more than a performance,” Mara added. “It was a chance for people in our refugee communities to reclaim their human dignity. They are more than the label of ‘refugee.’ On stage, they showcased their talents and celebrated their shared humanity.”

Stay tuned for more information about the children’s book and other great projects from the JRS Jordan Youth and Arts Program!