Last August, artist Cindy El, who is Palestinian, started a workshop in Santa Ana titled “Letters for Palestine,” where she shared Palestinian poetry, heritage and history with her Orange County community.

El’s desire to keep speaking about about Palestinian culture evolved into “Art for Palestine,” a grant-funded series hosted at Santa Ana’s LibroMobile Bookstore.

“These workshops give people a chance to learn how to create (Palestinian) art and even tie it into their own culture,” the 25-year-old Santa Ana resident said.

The four-part workshop series is funded by nonprofit Community Engagement. From mid-May through June, events teach visitors about Palestinian art forms, including poetry, visual arts and theater.

The art, organizers said, explores themes of advocacy and resiliency.

One featured workshop discussed Palestinian poet and author Mahmoud Darwish and The Freedom Theater, a production company based in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, which works with Palestinian youth living under occupation, according to organizers.

El, who is Palestinian, Jordanian and Guatemalan, said that her identities and heritage inspire — and are usually incorporated into — her art.

El has been a teaching artist for around six years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in drama, with a minor in creative writing, from UC Irvine in 2023.

“While in college, I really wanted to tap into more of my Arab side and culture,” she said. “Besides embracing our culture and showing the beauty of it, I also wanted to bring awareness to others who maybe haven’t experienced this culture before.”

Through her own creative process, El said she wanted to use her words through poetry “as a tool of advocacy.” She brings these lessons into her teaching workshops. After a brief Palestinian history lesson, El connects with other artists, many want to show how their art can connect with Palestinians or what they’ve learned.

El said many workshop attendees have been from Anaheim’s Little Arabia area, resonating with the topic.

At one of her recent workshops, El and others heard from elderly Palestinians about their journey living through the Nakba displacement during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

The core of the series, El said, is to share voices, stories, art and experiences together.

A final “Art for Palestine” workshop is set for Friday, June 6, 4 p.m. at the bookstore. On Saturday, June 7, 4 p.m., the bookstore will host a free gallery show and open mic night, featuring workshop and community art.

The LibroMobile Bookstore is located at the Bristol Swap Mall, 1150 S. Bristol St. A3 in Santa Ana.