Музыканты Консерватории Эдварда Саида проводят терапевтические занятия для журналистов и беженцев в Газе

Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock Palestinian girls learn music at the Mayasem Association in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, June 2026. In October 2023, the headquarters of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Gaza City’s Tel al-Hawa neighborhood was targeted by an Israeli military strike. The music rooms that once hosted students and artistic activities were reduced to rubble, and musical instruments and equipment were destroyed. Before the war, the institute was an important cultural space in Gaza, providing music education for children and young people and organizing activities aimed at strengthening the presence of music and arts in Palestinian society. The destruction of its main building did not stop its staff from continuing their work. Instead, they moved their activities to displacement shelters and educational tents despite the difficult circumstances. Through music sessions for children, displaced people, and journalists, Palestinian musicians with the conservatory are attempting to create spaces of relief and moments of calm amid an environment filled with fear and destruction. Fouad Khader, coordinator of activities at the conservatory, was displaced from Jabalia in northern Gaza to Gaza City and chose not to move to the southern part of the Strip. Throughout the war, he tried to continue engaging in music activities despite the constant danger and repeated displacement. Continuing these programs was difficult, Khader says. “I tried to continue engaging in music activities despite the constant danger and repeated displacement,” Khader says. “Continuing these programs was difficult, as I had to rebuild my connections with students after each displacement and search for them in new locations.” The conservatory attempted to organize music activities on twenty-five separate occasions throughout the war, but were forced to leave each location after a short period due to the security situation. Every displacement disrupted their ability to establish a presence in a new camp and maintain relationships with students. Khader says he hopes they can eventually find a safe place to conduct music activities more consistently. The organization has expanded its programming to include journalists who have experienced immense psychological pressure while covering the war. In cooperation with the Palestine Journalism Hub, the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music provided a psychological support program for twenty female journalists through group singing sessions and other musical activities designed to create a space for expression and emotional relief. Among the journalists who participated was Farah Hassan, a twenty-one-year-old field reporter from northern Gaza. Farah says that her work during the war has exposed her to extremely painful and difficult scenes, leaving her struggling with fear and stress. The music sessions, she says, helped her feel more comfortable and safe, giving her an opportunity to temporarily step away from the constant pressure and reconnect with her own human needs and emotions. “The thing I liked most about the music training was that they did not treat music as entertainment only, but as a tool for healing and expression,” Hassan says. “Music helped me have moments of safety and gave me the feeling that I am not only a journalist documenting the suffering of others, but also a human being who needs rest and someone to listen to me.” Hassan says music helped her regain her energy, reduce stress, and improve her psychological state, which allowed her to return to her journalistic work with greater strength. Through the music, she says she was able to reach and express feelings of both pain and hope. “These music sessions that help journalists regain their energy are important for journalists around the world,” she says, “especially those working in conflict zones and directly exposed to danger.” As the war continues and safe spaces for culture and arts become increasingly limited in Gaza, these music workers are trying to preserve their role—not only as part of Palestinian cultural identity, but also as a means of promoting psychological recovery.