Starting to renovate the mural at the bible college (Photo: © Frederica Venn/CMS) Have you heard the one about the Englishwoman, a couple of Palestinians, Banksy and the three Easterners?
No, neither had we. Artist and former CMS Make A Difference volunteer Frederica Venn paints us a picture.
“I fell in love with Bethlehem.
“Palestine. The light is wonderful. The place is hilly and fresh even at the height of summer. And Jesus was born there.
“The Palestinians are very friendly and welcoming, despite the appalling deprivations that they suffer living beneath the Wall that surrounds them, trapping them like prisoners.
“They are rarely allowed the freedom of movement to travel a few miles away to Jerusalem or take advantage of the produce, hospitals or educational services in Israel.
“Every view from Bethlehem shows ‘settlement’ hilltops covered by houses and trees. However, in the West Bank, there are few trees left, but an abundance of rocks and dry desert.
“Three large refugee camps dominate Bethlehem. Established 60 years ago, they are no longer a muddle of tents but badly built, cramped houses. They are often without power or water – although the water, essential to life, actually rises in Palestine before it is diverted to Israel and then ‘sold back’ to the Palestinians.
“The majority are Muslim, but there is a small, diminishing Christian community.
“During my stay, the Holy Land Trust introduced me to two artists from separate refugee camps, and I did all my work with them. Both were Muslim.
“The main project on which we worked was the renewing of a mural – which was badly deteriorated – at the Bible College of the Magi.”
The Magi marooned in Bethlehem? Who knew?
Frederica explains, “The work, repainting a mural of the Magi, entailed an unsteady scaffold and avoiding the risk of sunstroke. That’s why we tended to begin at 5.30 am and work until 11 am, and then tried to bypass the excessive heat of the afternoon, restart at 5 pm and work until midnight – with the aid of a spotlight.
“Many of my fellow artists’ friends came to look at us and our work, and to listen to the story of the Magi.
“One artist is now on a scholarship, doing a Master’s degree in Ramallah, and the other runs a busy community centre and raises funds for a studio for talented artists.
"Both are very young, talented and hard working, and have known many of the deprivations common to their people.
A graffiti wall painting, attributed to Banksy, located in Israel/Palestine(Photo: © Frederica Venn/CMS)“One of them had an exhibition with the evasive Banksy – whose wall-graffiti paintings are so well known to us in the UK – a few years ago.
“Both of them have painted a large number of murals on street walls and in community centres across Palestine so it’s not surprising that Banksy contacted them.
"Ironically, they said that they weren’t sure which one he was because he came in a team of four – two men and two women – so his famous anonymity was upheld, albeit inadvertently.
“I helped them to paint happy cartoon figures on the walls of a school for children with learning difficulties and those affected by war trauma.
“I also helped in a summer camp, held in the fields where the Shepherds saw the Heavenly Host proclaiming the birth of Jesus.
“The children I met are very deprived and normally have nowhere to play. We studied rocks and stones and created a mosaic of 'Hanzulla', a popular cartoon figure in Palestine.
Frederica and the two Palestinian Muslim artists in front of the completed mural of the Magi in Bethlehem(Photo: © Frederica Venn/CMS)“While working on the mural of the Magi though, my being not only female but over 60, yet working on a scaffolding many stories high, caught the interest of many local people.
“Just goes to prove that we all find very different ways to witness!”
Frederica is hoping to return to Israel/Palestine as soon as she can obtain the funding to do so.