A Purim dragon for children in southern Israel

During the last military operation, Israelis and Jews around the world united to support the residents of Israel’s south, delivering assistance to those living under rocket fire. This support was invaluable. But now that operation “Pillar of Defense” is over and the south has disappeared from newspaper headlines, the scars, both physical and psychological, remain, along with the ever-present possibility of life being disrupted by sirens and missiles.

We, the members of the Mystorin Theatre Group, are committed to helping improve conditions for the residents of Israel’s south, especially children. The Mystorin Theatre Group specializes in organizing outdoor, site-specific artistic events open, free of charge, to the public. We have decided to organize “Follow the Red Dragon,” a huge open-air festival of outdoor recreation, theater and music in a forest near Arad during Purim 2013. The goal of the festival is to support children living in the south after difficult days of staying in bomb shelters, to help heal the wounds and forget the fear. We also want to bring 5,000 people from all over Israel to the south during the Purim weekend in order to support tourism and assist economic development of the region.

During Purim the forests in the Negev are in bloom, spreading a carpet of red flowers just waiting for the guests of honor to arrive. The Mystorin group will invite both children and grownups on a theatrical quest after the “Red Dragon,” a magical creature that guards the secrets of the enchanted forest. The happening will feature giant puppets four meters high, amazing costumes specially designed for the occasion, and an ensemble of professional actors, dancers and musicians, giving visitors an unforgettable experience of culture and fresh air.

Mystorin Theatre Group’s Dragon at the Israel Museum

The Mystorin Group is donating the artistic content from its repertoire and we have started a crowd funding campaign for this project, raising close to 10,000 NIS ($2,500 US) in just a few weeks. Unfortunately we still have an $8,000 US shortfall in order to carry out this initiative and if we do not raise this additional sum in the coming days we will not be able to implement the project!

Public support of this project is urgent and invaluable. It will guarantee that the hard work of organizing the Festival and the already secured donations from many people will not go to waste. But most importantly, these contributions will help bring a sense of relief and celebration to thousands of children who are looking forward to the Red Dragon magic fairytale.

Mystorin Theatre Group (photo: Alon Erschov)

The Mystorin Group uses visual art, music and movement to create unique outdoor theater productions. Its performances all over Israel and abroad are open to audiences free of charge. Mystorin Theatre Group is an NGO and can receive donations from foundations and private sponsors.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions at mystorin.group@gmail.com