The Culture and Arts programme announced the winners of both the Young Artist of the Year 2008 Award and the Young Writer of the Year 2008 Award in the genre of short stories and poetry. It also announced the winners of the Ismail Shamout Prize and the Qattan Distinction Award for distinguished cultural work. The announcements were made during the final ceremony of CAP of the Programme held at at Al-Kasbah Theatre in Ramallah on 24th October. The ceremony contained various artistic pieces including the piano performances by  Fadi Deeb and Nizar Al Khater; a piece by the qanoun player Suhail Nassar, in addition to a solo theatrical performance by  Adham Na'aman.

• The first prize of $6000 in the Young Artist Award was won by Layan Shawabkeh for her work Lost
• The second prize of $4000 was won by Wafaa Yasin for her work Stomach Ache
• The third prize of $2000 was won by Shada Safadi for her work In the Presence of the Crow
• The prize of $4000 for the Young Writer of the Year 2008 in the field of poetry was won by Abdallah Abushmaes from Rusayfa, Jordan, for his collection of poems The Mistake
• The Committee also commended the following works: A Piece of Fruit in the Basket of Night by Yasir Al Waqad (Gaza), Cooing on Wood by Nasr Shaat (Khan Yunis), What comes before Water by Eyad Al-Balawi (Khan Yunis)
• In the field of short stories, the Committee decided to withhold the first prize but recommended the issuing of encouragement prizes to each of the following works: Between the Houses by Eyad Barghouthi (Akka) who received $2000, The Prophets of the Stone of Heaven by Mays Dagher (Mazari Al Nubani, Ramallah) who received $1000, Zawwadah by Ahmad Saleh (Salfit, living in Germany) who received $1000
• The Committee also commended the following collections of stories: The Madman Said by Mona Abu Sharekh (Gaza), As if it is a Siege by Yousri Al Ghoul (Gaza)
• The Qattan Distinction Award for cultural work with a value of $5000 was granted to the First Ramallah Troupe for establishing and organising the Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival.
• The 2008 Ismail Shamout Prize, in its first year, , was granted to the artist Mona Hatoum

In Palestine, you can buy our books from the QCERD's Ramallah library. Please contact our Librarian Azmi Shunnara on email ( azmi@qattanfoundation.org ) or by calling 02-2960544. In Gaza City, you can call Hanaa Shafi on 082838819 or email her on hanaa@qcerd.qattanfoundation.org .

You can also order books directly from the Internet on http://www.almoultaqa.com .

In the UK, our books are usually available at Al-Saqi Bookshop in West London, telephone: (020) 7229 8543.

The Programme supported the production of the play An Autumn Tale at Al-Kasabah Theatre on 25th October, produced by Al-Midan Theatre in Haifa, starring Makram Khouri, Salim Daw and Salwa Naqara; directed by Nizar Al-Zoubi. In addition, it supported 4 performances of the children's play Layla by Al-Fawanis Theatre Group at the Said Mishal Foundation for Culture and Education in Gaza between 1st – 6th September, and 4 performances of Adnan and Lina – The Accursed Land , presented by the artists Imad Miziro and Adnan Abu Samina in various parts of the West Bank. Additionally, there were 8 performances of the play Wheat Grain by Nidal Al-Khatib of the Tantura Puppet Theatre Company.

The Programme supported the participation of the playwright Taher Najib in the Fence, a meeting of playwrights as part of the Romanian Drama Festival, which was held in Timisoara in Romania from 5th – 9th October. As part of the Performing Arts Grants (co-supported by the Ford Foundation), the Programme provided a grant to the Palestinian National Theatre for a workshop in making leather masks under the supervision of Abdul-Salam Abdu. The workshop was held between 5th – 15th October at Sandouq Al Ajb Theatre in Ramallah, with 9 artists.

The A.M. Qattan Foundation and the Hani Qaddumi Scholarship Fund announce the availability of study grants for practicing Palestinian school teachers to gain a masters degree qualification in education abroad which are conditional on the recipient returning to work in their profession and participating in educational and research work at the Qattan Centre for Educational Research and Development in Ramallah and Gaza.

Requirements for grant applications:

• a practicing teacher who has not spent more than 10 years in the teaching profession
• an average mark of at least 80% in the bachelor degree
• excellent command of the English language and the ability to attain the required grade in the TOFEL exam or other pre-requisites that the university requires
• acceptance at one of the approved universities and attaining all the required pre-requisites associated with it

Conditions of the grant:

1. Immediate enrolment
2. Return to Palestine to work for no less than 3 years after graduating
3. Obtaining a letter from the school you work in stating its obligation to absorb you at work upon your return
4. Presenting a study plan clarifying your desired study specialisation, and stating the reasons and methods of using it in your field of work upon your return
5. Signing the grant agreement and complying with its terms and conditions

Please hand in the applications and documents in person on the following dates:

15th March every year (for the first academic term deadline),15th June every year (for the second academic term deadline)

To obtain quarterly information on the grant, approved universities, eligible specialisations and the application forms, please contact:

Website : http://www.qattanfoundation.org/ qaddumi-qattanscholarship

Email: qqscholarship@qattanfoundation.org