The Cultural Programme is a cornerstone of the A. M. Qattan Foundation's contribution to building a living cultural infrastructure in Palestine, grounded in an understanding of culture as a tool for change and a liberating act of knowledge. The Programme produces, develops and shares contemporary cultural knowledge through an integrated set of tools – exhibitions, lectures, conversations, workshops, grants, artist residencies, writers' residencies, knowledge and cultural publications, events and initiatives – as well as by publishing and translating research. In this way, it offers Palestinian society in all its diversity, in Palestine and the diaspora, the chance to engage with cultural work that unsettles conventional thinking, proposes alternative models of knowledge, and opens new intellectual horizons across every sphere of life.
The Programme carries out this mission through its annual programming and a network of local, regional and international partnerships, using its diverse tools to address a range of themes and cultural issues. In doing so, it strengthens critical thought, research, creativity, participation and networking, giving rise to inspiring cultural models that champion social cohesion, pluralism and independence, and that generate cultural, social and economic impact, at times extending into public life.
The Programme's work is organised around four complementary areas of focus:
Grants and Artist Residencies: This area supports the freedom of Palestinian cultural and artistic production, offering a range of annual grants to individuals, collectives and institutions, wherever they are, across the visual and performing arts, film, literature and creative writing, critical research, and music. It is guided by the principles of transparency, independence and quality: open calls are announced on the Foundation's website and social media channels, followed by independent selection by specialized external juries. In this way, it brings new voices and experiences into the Palestinian cultural scene and encourages research and experimentation.
Curatorial Programming: This area designs and produces the annual public programme at the Foundation's centers in Ramallah and Gaza, either directly or in partnership with other cultural organizations. At its core are exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, curated in-house or with partners and accompanied by research, publications, guided tours and educational activities. It also offers audiences a diverse programme of poetry, performing arts, music, film, conversations, lectures and seminars, and science festivals, as well as programming on food culture, making the Foundation's spaces a living meeting point between audiences and cultural production.
Community Engagement: Working hand in hand with Curatorial Programming, this area widens the Programme's reach by developing cultural productions that draw new and diverse audiences, building frameworks for learning and interaction through a variety of events and activities, and deepening public familiarity with the Foundation and its spaces. It also carries these experiences further afield: in Ramallah, in partnership with the neighborhood committee and with children in different areas, and in Gaza, through the Mobile Library and a network of Child Friendly Spaces in partnership with community organizations.
Libraries: This area runs the Foundation's two libraries in Ramallah and Gaza and oversees their cultural and knowledge programming, enriching learning with resources in many forms and fields. It provides knowledge support that encourages reading, enquiry and research, and creates an environment that furthers the Programme's mission of fostering dialogue, critical thinking, and the production of knowledge and creative work. It works on two levels: one for the general public of all ages in Ramallah, and one dedicated to children and young people in Gaza (temporarily closed since October 2023).
A Note on Gaza
The Foundation's center in Gaza opened in 2005 as the Qattan Centre for the Child and, until 2021, was dedicated to children and their learning and exploration. It then became the Al-Qattan Cultural Centre – Gaza, opening its doors to a wider public while keeping children and the community at its heart. Since October 2023, the center has been temporarily closed because of the war on Gaza. The Foundation's work there has nonetheless continued: through grants to artists, and support to educators who offer lessons, workshops and cultural activities for children; through support for temporary learning spaces (TLSs) run by teachers, which provide education for children, including early childhood spaces; and through psychosocial support for children and young people in shelters and displacement centers, using music, storytelling, drawing and theatre. In this way, the Foundation remains alongside the people of Gaza, keeping culture and learning alive in the most difficult of circumstances.