Gaza music students find smart ways around travel ban

(pic: Violin teacher Elena Radwan playing with a student at Gaza Music School)
(CNN) -- Elena Lidawi is preparing her piano students to take part in a national competition. Lidawi's students will not perform in front of the judges in person, but by video conferencing.

Lidawi teaches at Gaza Music School and the Palestinian national competition they will enter in March and April is only 50 miles away in Jerusalem.

But the children are unable to leave Gaza because of travel restrictions imposed by Israel and Hamas, which governs Gaza. Israel imposed an economic blockade of Gaza when Hamas took over in 2007, to stop what it says is the transit of weaponry to be used by militants in attacks on Israel. Movement of people is severely limited.

This is one of many logistical problems faced by staff and students at Gaza Music School, the only music school in the 360 square kilometer strip of land controlled by Israel.

The school was set up three years ago by the UK-based Qattan Foundation and is about to be transferred to the Palestinian Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, which has branches in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Nablus. more

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