Banksy and Danny Boyle bring the Alternativity Christmas Play to Bethlehem 2017
Banksy invited Oscar-winning film director Danny Boyle to Bethlehem in 2017 to help create The Alternativity, an alternative Nativity play staged in the car park of The Walled Off Hotel, beneath the shadow of the West Bank separation barrier.
The Alternativity was performed by local children on 3 December 2017 in The Walled Off Hotel car park, just around the corner from Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity.
The making of the play was filmed for a BBC Two documentary. Part One, broadcast on BBC2 TODAY Sunday, 17 December at 9pm , followed Danny Boyle over six weeks as he worked to bring the production together. With the help of Walled Off Hotel manager Wisam Salsaa and Palestinian theatre-maker Riham Isaac, the team found its local cast, created snow for Bethlehem and even sourced a suitably well-behaved white donkey.
Part Two, broadcast on BBC2 Wednesday 20th December at 11pm, presents the finished 30-minute performance.
Banksy’s Christmas Art in Bethlehem
During the same period, Banksy created two new works in Bethlehem. Peace on Earth, painted near the Chapel of the Milk Grotto, placed an asterisk beside the familiar phrase leading to the caveat “Terms and conditions apply.” A second work, Cherubs, showed two angels attempting to prise open the West Bank separation wall with crowbars.
Explore Banksy’s Peace on Earth and Cherubs Christmas works in Bethlehem
The Alternativity became another chapter in Banksy’s relationship with Bethlehem, bringing theatre, local participation and political commentary into the wider cultural world surrounding The Walled Off Hotel. Explore the complete guide to Banksy’s art in Palestine.
Discover Banksy
Explore Banksy artworks at GraffitiStreet or contact Banksy specialist Rosh Boroumand for availability, sourcing and acquisitions.
Calling all Street Art fans
If you are holding a street art festival please get in touch with us as Graffitistreet would love to cover your event and share it with our readers.
Street artists, please drop us a line to share your latest murals and the inspiration behind them; GraffitiStreet want to know about the thoughts and ideas that breathe life into your pieces!
Or, if you are a lover of all things street art and would like to write a guest Blog post for GraffitiStreet, get in contact too! We would love to hear from you and what you have got to say.
All words and photos used must be the author’s own or the author has gained permission from the source and clearly credits the source blog. Author takes full responsibility for copyright.