From Palestine to the World: British Council Launches 10 New SARD Storytelling Projects Empowering Young Voices

The British Council in Palestine is proud to announce a new round of 10 grants under its flagship programme Stories of Adversity, Resilience and Determination (SARD). This initiative continues to expand its English and empowerment work, responding to the growing need to support young people and communities across Palestine through storytelling, creativity, and language learning.

SARD is designed to enable Palestinians to share their stories, and the stories of their culture and heritage, with each other and with the world. Through this programme, English and storytelling come together as powerful tools for self-expression across multiple creative mediums.

By working with local and international partners, SARD will reach diverse communities across Palestine, including Gaza, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and refugee camps. The projects will engage hundreds of children, youth, and young adults, strengthening English language skills, fostering resilience, and promoting inclusion.

Shahida MacDougall, British Council Director in Palestine, commented:

“SARD reflects the British Council’s continued commitment to supporting Palestinian communities through creative, inclusive and collaborative programmes that respond to today’s realities and aspirations. By bringing together local and international expertise, the programme creates spaces for learning, storytelling, cultural exchange and language development, while empowering participants to share their experiences, strengthen connections and inspire positive change within their communities”

The newly supported projects, running over the coming months, include:

Byline Palestine (led by Sophie Ruane)

Engaging 12–16 young men (aged 18–20) from the West Bank, this intensive journalism programme builds core reporting, interviewing, and English writing skills. Participants will produce broadcast-style journalistic content for online publication.

English StoryLab — Girls’ Digital Stories from East Jerusalem (led by AlHamawi Education Center)Working with 36 adolescent girls (aged 12–16) in East Jerusalem, this project supports participants to develop personal digital stories in English, strengthening confidence, voice, and creative expression.

Writing Through the Archive (led by Khazaaen Archive)

Supporting 10–15 young Palestinian writers (aged 19–35) in East Jerusalem, this programme transforms archival materials into contemporary narratives in English and Arabic, exploring personal and collective memory.

Storying Gaza (led by Prof Khader Khader, Islamic University of Gaza, and Dr Khawla Badwan, Manchester Metropolitan University)

Engaging 6–8 university students studying English language and linguistics in Gaza, this programme explores storytelling as a multilingual, multimodal practice reflecting lived experience, trauma, and resilience.

Siti’s Stories: Palestinian Heritage, Memory, and Lived Experience (led by Teacher Creativity Center)

Reaching 200 students (aged 13–15) across 5 schools, alongside 10 teachers and 10 media students, this project explores intergenerational storytelling centred on heritage and identity using English and media tools.

Animating Gaza’s Stories (led by Luzan Mattar and David Heathfield)

Engaging 30 young people (aged 11–16) in Gaza, this project supports participants to develop personal stories in English and transform them into short animated films shared globally.

Writing Gaza Within (led by Dr Ahmed Kamal Junina)

Supporting 25 young writers (aged 18–30), with 15–18 selected for publication, this programme develops English-language short stories culminating in a published anthology and digital outputs.

Tile Tales (led by Tashkeel – Wasan Qarman)

Working with 50 children (aged 10–13) in Askar Refugee Camp (Nablus), this initiative combines English language learning, storytelling, and ceramic art to build confidence and communication skills.

Voices That Remain: Oral Histories from Palestine (led by Nuwah)

Engaging 40–50 young Palestinians (aged 20–35) across multiple locations, this project documents lived experiences through storytelling and audio production in English.

Palestinian Stories Beyond Borders (led by Leyan Zahdeh and Esah Bannister)

Working with 40 young adults (aged 18–30) online across Gaza and the West Bank, this programme supports participants to create digital art, games, and podcasts to share their stories globally.