All the Papers have a Very Big Value: Restoring Al Hakeem printing press

About the Facilitator

Layal Srouji is a Palestinian designer and cultural worker with a focus in print media, bookmaking, and archival storytelling.

Objective

Inspired by the materials and history of the Al Hakeem printing press, this workshop explores how stories, language, and memory travel across generations.

The program begins with a screening and conversation about the restoration of Al Hakeem printing press, Palestine’s first Arabic printing press established after the Nakba.

Using paper engineering, collage, and simple moving mechanisms, participants will work individually or collaboratively to construct miniature “printing machines” from paper, cardboard, and found materials. Drawing from techniques used in the film’s animation process, participants will cut, layer, and assemble images of printing blocks, letters, gears, and machine parts to create functioning paper sculptures that mimic the movement of a working press.

The workshop invites reflection on the material realities of diaspora: what is preserved, what is lost, and how creative acts of reconstruction can keep histories alive.

What's Included

• A ‘machine’ booklet to work with/ within 
• Archival blockprints and ink 
• Many miscellaneous craft materials to experiment with

What To Bring

• A curious mind and crafty spirit

Disclaimer

Suitable for families, youth, and adults, the workshop requires no prior artistic experience and encourages collaborative making across generations.