Sharif Abdunnur:

Director & Producer
Actor, Director & Dramatherapist

A Palestinian writer, director, teacher and counsellor, Sharif was born in Beirut, but travelled around extensively as a child as his parents were members of the UN. Sharif grew up under the siege of 1982 and was raised under the heavy shelling of the Israeli invasion of Beirut. During this time, his mother worked with the Red Crescent Emergency services and the war resulted in Sharif spending his time in emergency make shift hospitals or with the freedom fighters in the streets. As a child he saw his share of blood and gore… yet he insists that his memories ‘of the guys with their guns slung behind their backs playing football with me in the streets or teaching me a card trick or two’ are fond memories, ‘It is a long story… with many tears and lot of laughs…’

After many years Sharif came to finally understand why even as young teen he constantly worked as a volunteer with refugee camps, kids, or even in the removal of rubble and destroyed houses. He knew what it meant to be child in a time of crisis, he understood what they felt, what they were going through. More importantly he realised that he had survived with his sanity because of those who would neglect their injuries and suffering in order to make him laugh or play with him. He also states that had it not been for his mother’s unbelievable bravery he would have never known how to live his life. Now when he sees a child in the street he cannot help but try and make them laugh even at times of peace. So now he is literally risking his own life to make children smile even if for just a few hours a day or a week, for he claims ‘I know it’s these brief laughs that last more than the tears… and I know the only way to continue is to learn to laugh through it all… it’s the only way to truly survive…’
Sharif is a perpetual student. During his MFA and MA he continuously signed up for intense workshops and certificates and diplomas in programmes in various academies and companies around the world – he currently holds various certificates and diplomas: in sports (in which he had a brief professional career), in alternative medicine, and the rest in production arts and stagecraft, as well as many writing and directorial credits.

Sharif has had many a job in his career: as a Lecturer at Fine Arts and Art History Department and the Civilization Sequence Program (CVSP) at the American University of Beirut (AUB); teaching at various schools(especially the IB Theatre Arts Program), working with NGOs, training of trainers and working with schools to implement more interactive methods of teaching into the school structure and classroom.
Sharif is the founder and director of Masrah Al Arab, and directs, writes, produces, acts, and designs many productions and projects each year. He also offers various workshops for professionals and amateurs in all fields of the performing arts and sports education; and has taught in the Middle East extensively, as well as England, Whales, Switzerland, and Greece. At the same time he concentrates much of his time on community work in particular with Palestinian Refugee Camps.

Sharif Abdunnur is currently a student at the European Graduate School (EGS) University in Switzerland where he is completed his PhD in Doctorate of Philosophy of Communication