In the heart of central London, a new Palestinian cultural center is under construction. Located above Hiba Lebanese and Palestinian restaurant on High Holborn, this building is being transformed with traditional Palestinian design elements like colorful tiles, intricate windows, and exposed stone. A large wooden key, symbolizing the displacement of Palestinians, is a striking feature of the center.
Palestine House has already hosted a variety of events, including supper clubs, live music, visual art, poetry readings, and a bustling Palestinian market. Filmmaker Osama Qashoo, the visionary behind this cultural center, is now spearheading a £300,000 crowdfunding campaign to complete the project by early 2025.
“Palestine House is the birth of a dream I had some 17 years ago as a young refugee when I was feeling lonely and sought refuge from the world. Palestine House is a place which I’ve always felt was missing,” says Qashoo. He envisions it as a space where pain and sorrow can be transformed into strength and beauty, welcoming everyone.
Once all five floors are completed, Palestine House will offer a year-round program of events celebrating Palestinian culture, including film screenings, lectures, book readings, exhibitions, and concerts. It will also serve as a haven for those in solidarity with Palestine and other oppressed or displaced communities.
High Holborn, a bustling street leading to iconic locations like the British Museum and St Paul’s Cathedral, is the site of Qashoo’s dream project. Above the Hiba Express restaurant, which he runs using family recipes, Qashoo is recreating a serene corner of the Middle East. During a visit, he highlighted the distinctive yellow-orange exposed stone walls, a color he struggled to find in the UK. “In Palestine, we have stones colored by the region, from dark black to bright white, and we say that memories and lives are stored in those stones. … You communicate culture through a place – in the walls, furniture and décor. The idea is still evolving – the rooms are named after different parts of Palestine. Hopefully, it tells a story,” he said.
Qashoo’s journey began during the second intifada while studying engineering at An-Najah National University in the West Bank. His aspirations of graduating were halted by the uprising, which also ignited his passion for documenting Palestinian stories. His efforts caught the attention of international journalists and ultimately led him to the UK, where he attended the National Film & Television School.
Despite initial success in filmmaking, Qashoo faced setbacks due to his pro-Palestine advocacy. This led him to shift his focus from film to falafels, resulting in the establishment of Hiba and now, Palestine House.
Currently, Palestine House hosts informal but regular events to build an audience and raise the funds needed to complete all five floors. Although crowdfunding has been challenging, Qashoo remains determined, rejecting funding from larger institutions to maintain control over the narrative of the space.
The center will also feature a co-working space operating on a membership basis to help subsidize its activities. “I want people to be taken away from central London, where it’s noisy and crowded,” Qashoo explains. He envisions a diverse space where people can engage in various activities while respecting its Palestinian identity.
Qashoo’s ambitions for Palestine House are vast, with plans for over 500 events a year and a dedicated programmer. The space has already begun holding events like shared brunches and drop-in bazaars featuring Palestinian goods and activities. This Saturday, the “Seeds of Freedom” event will showcase musical performances, artworks, poetry, and Palestinian food.
“This insistence on the vibrancy of Palestinian life is quite obviously an act of resistance,” Qashoo states. He remains committed to showing the resilience and humanity of Palestinians despite the challenges they face. With his family still in the West Bank and personal losses from the conflict, Qashoo draws inspiration from a story his grandmother told him about a man who turned a pot of stone soup into a feast with the help of his community.
“I hope I’m doing the same thing,” says Qashoo. “This is the incubator we’re trying to create for every marginalised community in London. For makers, chefs, artists, journalists, lawyers, leaders, grassroots start-ups, whatever. It’s going to be a place where everybody can be fed and loved,” he added.
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