“Tvibit is a family”, I heard this many times within the last years. Bahaa Eleyan means that too and is one the different voices of the community around the house, one of those whom makes the Tvibit richer and an including family, bringing in an important Palestinian - Gaza perspective to the creative melting pot.

Bahaa has been Erasmus plus volunteer for the Gaza Project at the Tvibit since 2019 and engaging in different part of the vibrant cultural life in Tromsø, after being the Twincity project leader for the Tamer Institute in Gaza since 2013.

We are very happy that he has been a part of the Tvibit, feel bittersweet that this adventure is for now over, but also look forward for future collaborations/projects with him in between Tromsø and Gaza.

In this interview, Baha will tell us something about the situation in Gaza after the heavy bombing of the last months, but also something about himself and his story, his experience living and working in Tromsø, what it meant for him being part of Tvibit and finally, for those that are new in the city and not used to ice, he will give some tips on how to walk like a penguin :D ."

(Interview and photos of Alessandro Belleli, Tvibit)

Bahaa about his story and community engagement with culture in Gaza:

“I grew up as an ideal good student, probably wanted to be a doctor, later on found my passion for writing when I turned 14, to start see myself being an author living in a cabin in the woods, smoking pipe by the fire place.

Everything changed for me when I turned 18, and witnessed the first big scale Israeli aggression on Gaza in 2008, 23 days of massive destruction all over the city, thousands of casualties, and continuous displacement seeking shelter with my family.

One week after this ended, I turned 19 becoming a different person, put my cabin in the wood dream aside, and went deep into a realistic awareness of where I live, and started my community engagement path that led me to 13 years of working experience with children, youth in the cultural, recreational and post emergency community projects “

About his experience in Tromsø:

The two years have been an incredible in-depth journey to experience living in the north in the most wonderful iconic city in the arctic, where I enjoyed both my work at Tvibit and my social life in town.

About the Tromsø-Gaza project at Tvibit:

“When you are living in a blockaded city for over 15 years, the young people suffer from the lack of experience and human interaction with the rest of the world, therefore connecting with their peers in Tromsø is more meaningful than we can ever imagine..”

Read more about him below! *

Tell a little about yourself, who are you, what do you work with?

My name is Bahaa Eleyan, 31 years old, I spent 29 years in my hometown Gaza where my personality and mindset was shaped under a very exceptional environment.

I grew up as an ideal good student, probably wanted to be a doctor, later on found my passion for writing when I turned 14, to start see myself being an author living in a cabin in the woods, smoking pipe by the fire place.

Everything changed for me when I turned 18, and witnessed the first big scale Israeli aggression on Gaza in 2008, 23 days of massive destruction all over the city, thousands of casualties, and continuous displacement seeking shelter with my family.

One week after this ended, I turned 19 becoming a different person, put my cabin in the wood dream aside, and went deep into a realistic awareness of where I live, and started my community engagement path that led me to 13 years of working experience with children, youth in the cultural, recreational and post emergency community projects.

What have these last two years meant for you? How has it been to live in the North, Tromsø and be an Erasmus plus volunteer at Tvibit?

I have a unique relation to Tromsø and Tvibit, since 2013 I was the ‘Gaza-Tromsø twincity’ project leader in Tamer Institute - Tvibit Partner in Gaza – therefore I visited Tromsø twice in 2014 and 2017 and always hoped to come back.

The two years have been an incredible in-depth journey to experience living in the north in the most wonderful iconic city in the arctic, where I enjoyed both my work at Tvibit and my social life in town.

What has motivated you the most about working with the Gaza project?

Basically the belief in how much it means to the young people in Gaza to be connected to the world, I have known this feeling very well as a participant in the early years of my involvement in the twincity project, and many years of leading the project for different groups among the years in Gaza.

When you are living in a blockaded city for over 15 years, the young people suffer from the lack of experience and human interaction with the rest of the world, therefore connecting with their peers in Tromsø is more meaningful than we can ever imagine.

We hear and read many info in the newspapers but can you like to tell us something about the current situation of Gaza nowadays, to help understand better how it is from an insider perspective?

It’s incomplete picture to portray the current situation without the background, to try to make it simple I will put it in a timeline flow:

2005 Israel disengagement from Gaza and dismantling settlements / 2006 the beginning of the blockage with a military operation / 2008 the first big scale aggression / 2012 the second aggression / 2014 the third aggression / 2018 the great return march boarder protests / 2020 Covid / 2021 The fourth aggression

- Each event is its own story and it’s own statistics of casualties -

Currently, Gaza still under air, land and sea blockade from Israel, no reconstruction is allowed yet, the economy is destroyed to its worst extent, and two million people are waiting for the international community to hold Israel accountable and end the blockade, yet nothing is happening since 15 years.

Can you recall 3 among the most important moments in your job at Tvibit?

- Taplass (opening house event) in August 2019

It was my first months and I loved the energy in the house, preparing for recruiting young participants in the different projects and activities that tvibit provide, there was also grilling and good food 😀

- Tales of two cities – Panel event to reflect on the Gaza Tromso twincity August 2019

My first partcipation in a panel discussion about working with Gaza youth, and how has the twincity project been developing among years.

- My quarantine journal , writing workshops between Gaza and Tromso during the lockdown, March-April 2020

A very interesting and challenging times, when suddenly both Tromso and Gaza participants were in lockdown, something Gaza youth could relate to in the frame of the blockade, and Tromso youth were processing the new life style under it, we took that into discussion and writing tasks, that resulted in beautiful texts from both sides, that was my favorite phase of the project the last two years.

What is Tvibit for you?

Tvibit is the house of potential, many resources and space to create creative and engaging projects, that definitely contribute to the cultural face of Tromsø with an international touch as well. It is also one of my homes in Tromso.

You are on your way out of Tvibit, what will you miss from the house? What are you looking forward to?

I will mostly miss engaging with an international artistic scene, opening my eyes to new experiences everyday, and feeling the peaceful rhythm of life where you can relate deeper to yourself and think clearly about a possible future.

I will miss the Tvibit family and house vibe.

Do you have something you want to say?

Long story short: I have known restrictions and limitations most of my life, I was hoping in a different place in the world I would not have to deal with more of them, and to be able to simply choose what to do and where to be, I found that within Tvibit frame and the people of Tromso, unfortunately not within the UDI system.

I’ve known in my heart first time I visited Tromso that this city intercept with my destiny , and I still believe in that.

Can you make a tutorial for us on how to walk as a penguin?

Hahaha , well first you have to remember ‘ Safety first ‘, you definitely would need extra time in your way, because you need to think over every step, spread your legs while walking, keep you eyes where your feet land every step, and don’t be offended when young kids pass by you sliding on ice making you look like a penguin.

* Sammen med andre kulturelle institusjoner i Nord-Norge bidrar blant annet Tvibit med å tilrettelegge for kultur og kreativ næring. Vi ønsker å bidra med å gjøre Tromsø til et spennende sted som tiltrekker seg aktører fra Norge og hele verden. Noe av det vi jobber med er å legge til rette for at unge og voksne skal ha en arena for å utvikle sine kreative sider, samt ha mulighet til å jobbe med kreativ næring i Nord-Norge.

Folk på Tvibit - Bahaa Eleyan