Kan YaMa Kan Center - A Greenhouse for Young Artists
Artistic Director Aseem Zoabi, compares Kan YaMa Kan Center to a greenhouse - a place where creativity grows and flourishes away from the constraints of the outside world. Founded in 2009 as a dream of intellectuals who believed in the importance of theater education, the center began its journey in a modest rented house. In 2012, it moved to its current location, where the students themselves helped renovate and transform it into a unique creative space. Since then, the center has grown and evolved, promising a bright future for theater education.
What distinguishes Kan YaMa Kan is its unique educational philosophy and exceptional atmosphere. The center was born from experience - from those who found the path to learning theater challenging and lacked genuine guidance. Today, the center offers its students what its founders once missed - fertile ground for realizing dreams and authentic guidance in theater. Here, the masks we wear daily fall away, revealing our most authentic selves. Students acquire practical skills in theater arts - from stage presence and performance techniques to the art of confidently facing an audience. The center is more than just a learning space; it's a haven of freedom and love, where deep friendships grow, and human connections transcend theatrical training, empowering each student to grow personally and professionally.
The center is characterized by unique relationships between students and instructors - bonds built on mutual respect and continuous support. Each individual feels part of a large family, where differences dissolve, and team spirit prevails. The center provides a safe environment where students can break barriers and discover their true potential in an atmosphere of love and acceptance. In this warm environment, what some might see as "inappropriate" transforms into creativity, and mistakes become learning opportunities. As Aseem says, "If you can't make mistakes here, where can you?".
The center began as a donation-based institution, with all members, including the artistic director, volunteering for three years. Over time, it evolved into a comprehensive educational institution offering programs that align with Ministry of Education requirements.
The center's goal transcends mere theater instruction - it seeks to discover hidden talents and provide students with life tools, regardless of their future career paths. Over the years, the center has successfully educated and graduated successive generations of creators, with universities today filled with Kan YaMa Kan alums who carry their theatrical passion and tools wherever they go. The center also features an integrated administrative system, including a supervisory committee overseeing performances, emphasizing that it's a "center of the collective" rather than a "one-man show."
Today, the center looks toward new horizons by integrating cinematic arts into its programs while maintaining its strategic vision of developing professional theater. As the center's students say, "We are a handful of souls who allowed ourselves to realize our potential in art." At Kan YaMa Kan, we believe that history shouldn't pass us by unnoticed - we're making history that leaves an imprint on the theatrical and cultural scene. Kan YaMa Kan is more than an educational center - it's a home for art that embraces its students as they are, helping them discover and refine their artistic and human personalities in an atmosphere of freedom, creativity, and absolute love. We're proud to be making history in local theater, and we invite you to be part of it, leaving an indelible mark on local theater history.
