[ 124 ] Performing the Collective | Ruba Totah Performing the Collective Al-Hakawati and Beyond Ruba Totah Abstract The performance experience of theatre and dance has refected the Palestinian sociocultural situation under colonialism for decades. The early contribution of al-Hakawati theatre troupe to the Palestinian performance renaissance invites examination of how it promoted the centrality of Jerusalem and was the means for discourses about various collectivities in Palestinian society, the societal, religious, and gender discussions within the Palestinian communities. It examines how this discussion infuenced parallel performance endeavors in other Palestinian locations concerning social constructs such as class. By comparing the experiences of two generations of Palestinian performers, this essay argues that if national and religious collective identities constantly challenged a gendered one, some tactical initiatives by performing artists encouraged practices towards gender equality within Palestinian society. Keywords Collective identity; contemporary folklore; artists from the middle class; arts in Jerusalem; gender; performance in Palestine. In 2016, the Jerusalem Arts Network SHAFAQ 1 emerged with the vision that art is essential to the lives of Palestinians in Jerusalem and their steadfastness. Through this collaborative space of art activism for producing, promoting, and