AMQF Profile 2012

INSTITUTIONAL PROFILEA.M. Qattan Foundation 22 Al Jihad StreetAl MasyounRamallah PalestinePO Box 2276Tel: +970 2 296 0544 Fax: +970 2 298 4886Email: [email protected]

The Mosaic Rooms226 Cromwell Road London United Kingdom SW5 0SW Tel: + 44 207 370 9990Fax: + 44 207 370 1606Email: [email protected] [email protected] www.mosaicrooms.org

Serving Culture and Education in Palestine and the Arab World

A. M. Qattan Foundation 2012

CONTENT

VisionMission StatementValuesFunding and SustainabilityCountries of Involvement

GENERAL BACKGROUND

FOUNDATION’S TEAM

CORE PROGRAMMES

HIGHLIGHTS & FUTURE PROJECTS

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Qattan Centre for Educational Research & DevelopmentQattan Centre for the ChildCulture and Arts Programme - The Mosaic Rooms

Background: Untitled (detail) by Syrian artist Fadi Yazigi, included in his

exhibition, Che, Angel, It’s Me, Donkey, The Mosaic Rooms, October 2011

Cover: The shape of a girl at an easel is formed from a collage of images of

children involved with/benefitting from the Qattan Centre for the Child

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Vision

A just, free, enlightened and tolerant society with a global presence; one that embraces dialogue and is a producer of knowledge, art and literature.

Mission Statement

An independent, not-for-profit developmental institution working in the culture and education sectors, targeting a variety of social groups, particularly children, teachers and young artists, which:

Aims to empower free-think-ing, enlightened individuals to overcome the challenges of war and injustice and to create a flourishing and dynamic society in Palestine and the Arab World.

Adopts a long-term, par-ticipatory developmental ethos through programmes that foster critical thinking, research, creativity and the production of knowledge, while also providing an inspiring model of transpar-ency and excellence.

Advocates cultural and educational development as an essential tool of resistance for a society faced by conditions of acute political instability and humanitarian catastrophe.

The A.M. Qattan Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit developmental organisation founded in 1993. It is registered in the UK as a charity (no 1029450), and as a charitable company limited by guarantee (no 2171893). A branch of the Foundation is also registered in Palestine as a non-profit organisation (no QR-0035-F).

GENERAL BACKGROUND

A child performs during an activity of the Child-friendly Areas Project,

implemented by the Qattan Centre for the Child in the Al-Samouni

Area, Gaza Strip

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Values

Defence of the rights and dignity of all

Inspired by the enduring vision enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirms that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”, the Foundation supports women and men to combine their self-development with the service of others, specifically through the provision of inclusive public services of a high standard.

Freedom, pluralism, dialogue, the production of knowledge and new thinking

The Foundation believes in the individual’s rights to freedom of thought and creed, as well as to free expression. These rights are key components of its internal policies and its work in the fields of culture and education, where the sharing of ideas and practices is considered essential for the production of knowledge and new thinking.

Working in a collegiate spirit of productivity

The Foundation is aware that it can only realise its goals if it has the support of its target constituencies and their shared agreement on the value, meaning and potential effectiveness of its work. As such, it always aims to operate in a collegiate spirit of cooperation and partnership with its staff and the groups it serves, whether they are children, artists or teachers.

The courage to be just

The Foundation realises that long-term peace, equality and prosperity require the courage to be just and to defend the oppressed.

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covered by the Foundation’s own resources, with the rest being raised mainly from external sources including: American Near East Refu-gee Aid, the Belgian Government through the Belgian Development Agency, Drosos Foun-dation (Switzerland), Ford Foundation, Friends of Waldorf Education, Institute for Internation-al Education, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Norwegian Refugee Council, Prince Claus Fund, Save the Children UK, Swedish Inter-national Development Cooperation Agency, Swiss Development Cooperation, Walid and Helen Kattan and the Welfare Association.

Countries of Involvement

The Foundation’s operations are mainly in Palestine, with limited interventions in neighbouring countries. However, the Foundation has started increasing its regional work with developing an initiative in partnership with the Prince Claus Fund to support cultural initiatives in the Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. In addition, the Foundation will continue to expand its work in the UK through The Mosaic Rooms.

Funding and Sustainability

The Al-Qattan family supports the Foun-dation’s administrative expenses and the majority of its programme costs in order to ensure its independence and the highest level of services. The Foundation seeks external co-funding to expand existing activities or to introduce new projects within the framework of its core programmes, such that this fund-ing does not exceed 40% of its annual budget and does not in any way compromise the Foundation’s vision, mission and values. The Foundation’s 2012/2013 annual budget amounts to about $8 million, 60% of which is

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From the play In the Penal Colony produced by

Shiberhur, with support from the Qattan Fund

for Performing Arts 2011

A puppet theatre show, part of World Water

Day activities at the Qattan Centre for the

Child

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The Qattan Centre for the Child (QCC)in Gaza City contains over 111,500 books and other media and offers a variety of library, information, cultural and recreational services, making it one of the largest and most sophisticated chil-dren’s libraries in the Arab World. Established to compensate for the lack of opportunities and incentives open to children at school and elsewhere, it aims to nurture children’s curiosity, expand their knowledge, facilitate their access to outside cultures, enhance their appreciation of arts and sciences, and consolidate their sense of belonging to their cultural identity.The Centre also offers a variety of library and information services, cultural and recreational programmes, profes-sional empowerment programmes for childcare professionals, and joint activities for children and their parents. The QCC serves more than 45,000 children annu-ally, including those targeted by its Outreach Services Programme, or about 7% of Gaza Strip children under the age of 15.

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The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the highest governing body of the A.M. Qattan Founda-tion. It has ultimate responsibility for setting the overall policies and strategies, overseeing programmes and activities, monitoring and evaluating the legal and financial position of the Foundation, as well as providing the resources for its sustainability and advancement.

The Board has been reviewing its governance structure with a view to expand-ing its membership to include independent specialists and professionals. In June 2012, Nadia Hijab joined the Board as its first member from outside the Al-Qat-tan family. Further Board expansion is expected in the near future.

Current members of the Board of Trustees:

Abdel Mohsin Al-Qattan Chairman

Leila Al-Qattan Trustee

Najwa Al-Qattan Trustee

Leenah Al-Qattan Trustee

Omar Al-Qattan Secretary of the Board

Nadia Hijab Trustee

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FOUNDATION’S TEAM

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Human Resources

Merit and excellence are at the basis of the Foundation’s staff-ing policy, which has a strict policy against discrimination based on gender, ethnic, confessional or party-political allegiance. Currently more than 80 staff members work at the A.M. Qat-tan Foundation offices in London, Ramallah, and Gaza, 45% of whom are women.

The executive director is the highest-ranking administrator in charge of overall management of the Foundation, and the main liaison with the Board of Trustees. Consultations on strategy, policies and work plans are carried out through the Manage-ment Committee, which comprises:

Ziad KhalafExecutive Director

Mahmoud Abu HashhashDirector of the Culture and Arts Programme

Wasim KurdiDirector of the Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development

Bashar IdkaidekDirector of Finance

Nida Tawil Disi Director of Communications and Resource Development

Nehaia Abu NahlaDirector of the Qattan Centre for the Child

Reem Abu JaberDirector of the Qattan Centre for the Child until September 2012

Part of the ninth round of

the Performing Arts Sum-

mer School, Talitha Qumi

School in Beit Jala

A course in drama and

early childhood for a group

of teachers from Nazareth

A drama course for second-

year teachers at the Drama

in Education Summer School

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Ariella Azoulay, curator of the exhibition

From Palestine to Israel speaks to students

from University College London, November

2011

A scene from Snow White, Qattan Centre for

the Child

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A workshop on physics and energy for

teachers in Jericho, part of the Walid and

Helen Kattan Science Education Project

A training workshop organised by the Arab

Puppet Theatre Foundation in Lebanon, with

support from the Qattan Fund for Performing

Arts 2011

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CORE PROGRAMMES

Since its establishment, the Foundation has worked towards the development of culture and education in Palestine and the Arab World. With a particular focus on children, teachers and young artists, it operates through three main programmes:

QCERDQattan Centre for Educational Research and Development QCCQattan Centre for the Child

CAPCulture and Arts Programme

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The Qattan Centre for the Child (QCC) in Gaza City contains over 111,500 books and other media and offers a variety of library, information, cultural and recreational services, making it one of the largest and most sophisticated children’s libraries in the Arab World. Established to compensate for the lack of op-portunities and incentives open to children at school and elsewhere, it aims to nurture children’s curiosity, expand their knowledge, facilitate their access to out-side cultures, enhance their appreciation of arts and sciences, and consolidate their sense of belonging to their cultural identity.The Centre also offers a vari-ety of library and information services, cultural and recreational programmes, professional empowerment programmes for childcare professionals, and joint ac-tivities for children and their parents. The QCC serves more than 45,000 children annually, including those targeted by its Outreach Services Programme, or about 7% of Gaza Strip children under the age of 15.

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The Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development (QCERD) aims to participate in raising the standards of education and teaching in Palestine. It engages directly with schoolteachers to develop their skills and knowledge as well as to encourage reflec-tion on their profession to improve learning conditions for their pupils. The Centre adopts a research-oriented approach based on direct educational practices through continuous professional development programmes in the use of drama in education, early childhood, science education, and an approach known as ‘Learning through the Project’. The Centre regularly organises research seminars, conferences and study days. It further provides library services, issues the quarterly “Ru’a Tarbawiya” educational magazine and other educational publications, supports teachers’ initiatives and forums, as well as higher studies scholarships for teachers. In 2011, the Centre launched the Walid and Helen Kattan Science Education Project, an ambitious programme focused on science education in Palestine through the profes-sional development of teachers, the creation of model science laboratories at schools, research, extra-curric-ular activities and scientific literacy initiatives. A com-prehensive study on the establishment of an interactive science museum will be one of its main outputs.

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From a tree-planting activity in the village of Aboud

as part of the Olive Tree Project

A drama course for first year level teachers, Drama

in Education Summer School 2012

Students watch Venus transiting across the face of

the sun, Al Taybeh village. Part of the Walid and

Helen Kattan Science Education Project

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Children of the Performing Arts Club perform during

Abdel Mohsin Al-Qattan’s visit to the Qattan Centre

for the Child in 2010

Children read their favourite stories at the Qattan

Centre for the Child’s library

A bubble show performed by a team from the French

Cultural Centre at the Qattan Centre for the Child

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Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development

Qattan Centre for the Child

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Contrary to What Women Like, by Dina Matar,

acrylic on canvas, 200×200cm

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From the play Keffiyeh/Made in China, co-produced with the Royal Flemish

Theatre, Brussels, as part of the Performing Arts Summer School

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A child learns to play violin at the Gaza Music School2.

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The Mosaic Rooms

Culture and Arts Programme

The Culture and Arts Programme (CAP) mainly aims to support talented young artists by offering them incentives to develop their talents, enable them to achieve and/or present their creative projects, advance their knowledge and experiences, and take more prominent positions in the cultural scene locally and abroad. In support of artists’ technical, vocational, and educational development, the Programme offers scholarships, production and promotion grants and prizes which it awards on a competitive basis. The Programme’s support is not limited to individuals; a significant share of its resources is allocated to support cultural and artistic programmes, activities, and productions organised by organisations and artistic troupes in Palestine and abroad. The Programme works across a number of different disciplines including the performing arts, visual arts, literature, and the audio-visual arts. The Programme also promotes cultural collaboration between Palestine, the Arab region and the rest of the world.

The Mosaic Rooms (MR) was established in 2008 as a cultural centre in West London showcasing some of the most exciting, progressive and crea-tive voices from the Arab world. As the UK arm of the A.M. Qattan Foundation, it aims to reveal aspects of Arab society that are often not covered by the media, with the view that culture, in its widest and most generous definition, plays a vital role in facilitating cross-cultural dialogue and understanding (www.mosaicrooms.org).

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A still from the set of the film No Exit by Mohannad Yaqubi with support from

the Production Support Project 2012

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Audience at a lecture by artist Mohammed Joha,

at the Mosaic Rooms, June 2011

Part of the exhibition Che, Angel, It’s Me, Donkey

by Fadi Yazigi, The Mosaic Rooms, October

2011

Artist Mohammed Joha stands by one of his

paintings, part of his exhibition Dreams in Black

and White at the Mosaic Rooms, June 2011

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HIGHLIGHTS AND FUTURE PROJECTS

A.M. Qattan Foundation Cultural Centre and Office Building The Foundation is planning a new building in Ramallah to house its administrative and programmatic operations, and to serve as a multi-facetted cultural venue. With an invest-ment of over $4.5 million, it expects the building to be an example of architectural design excellence, setting a standard for public buildings in Palestine. The building, set on a site of almost 6,000 m2, will include a cultural centre with dedicated space for art exhibitions; a library and book cafe; and a multi-purpose hall for lectures, workshops, forums, concerts and film screenings.

SELAT – Links Through The Arts, LebanonIn June 2012, the A.M. Qattan Foundation launched SELAT: Links through the Arts, a grant-making programme in support of cultural initiatives benefiting the Palestinian refugee communities in Lebanon and Lebanese-Palestinian cultural collaboration. Marking the beginning of the Foundation’s expansion beyond Palestine into the region, the project was made possible through partnership with the Netherlands-based Prince Claus Fund. The programme will run for three years with a budget of EUR310,000.

SELAT will promote cultural life in the camps, focusing on emerging artists and new crea-tive practices. The project also aims to strengthen links between the camps’ cultural prac-titioners and their peers in Lebanon and abroad. The initiative follows a recent scoping survey of cultural organisations and activities in Lebanon’s twelve Palestinian camps.

Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency Grant for Performing ArtsIn June 2012, the Foundation and the Swedish International Development Coopera-tion Agency signed an agreement whereby the former will implement a two-year, $1.8m Palestinian Performing Arts Network Programme (PAN).The PAN focuses on two main work tracks.The first involves development of a fully-fledged and active performing arts network where efforts are consolidated to place arts and culture at the forefront of national priori-ties. The second track concentrates on joining efforts to create a vibrant performing arts community that enhances self-expression and strengthens cultural identity in Palestinian society.

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From the production Dreams for Sale by the Palestinian Circus School with support from

the Qattan Fund for Performing Arts 2011

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A training workshop organised by the Arab Puppet Theatre Foundation in Lebanon with support

from the Qattan Fund for Performing Arts 2011

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King-Che, bronze sculpture by Fadi Yazigi

INSTITUTIONAL PROFILEA.M. Qattan Foundation 22 Al Jihad StreetAl MasyounRamallah PalestinePO Box 2276Tel: +970 2 296 0544 Fax: +970 2 298 4886Email: [email protected]

The Mosaic Rooms226 Cromwell Road London United Kingdom SW5 0SW Tel: + 44 207 370 9990Fax: + 44 207 370 1606Email: [email protected] [email protected] www.mosaicrooms.org

Serving Culture and Education in Palestine and the Arab World

A. M. Qattan Foundation 2012