The Qattan Centre for the Child in Gaza concluded their summer 2013 activities, which had launched with the summer holidays at the beginning of June. All activities were designed to educate and entertain children, as well as develop their reading skills and their arts and cultural appreciation and abilities.
Activities included a variety of arts and culture courses, which targeted children up to 15 years of age and their parents. Courses were designed to stimulate creativity, and foster an appreciation for the arts and culture. Activities included Arabic calligraphy, performance, dance, drama, dabke, animation, science, computer courses, cultural and language competitions, literary activities, storytelling, etc.
The number of participants—parents and children—exceeded 13,497. The number of visitors to the Centre’s library during the summer holiday reached 20,000, and the number of borrowed books exceeded 30,000.
On 19 August, to celebrate the conclusion of the summer holidays, the Qattan Centre for the Child organised a closing ceremony which was attended by children, their parents, as well as a number of local children’s cultural institutions in Gaza. The Centre also organised an exhibition of children’s creations from the arts, science, and computer courses.
Summer activities took place both inside and outside the Centre. In line with the remit of the Partnership for Development project, implemented in partnership with the Al-Maghazi Community Rehabilitation Society, and with co-funding from Drosos Foundation, the Society’s library concluded its activities for summer 2013 with an exhibition of children’s paintings and other creations from summer activities.
The Centre also launched the summer season of the Mobile Library in partnership with Goethe Institute and a number of local organizations. The mobile library bus, provide by Geothe, will continue its activities with the start of the new academic year, by visiting schools and institutions until the end of September.
The Qattan Centre for the Child is a cultural development centre established in 2005 as one of the A M Qattan Foundation’s three core programmes. It is built on 3,000 square metres of land, which was kindly provided by the Gaza municipality.
The Centre holds a library and offers cultural, recreational and information services, as well as training opportunities and entertainment to children up to 15 years of age, their parents, and childcare professionals. The Centre aims to nurture children’s curiosity, expand their knowledge, and facilitate their access to the wider world.