General Information

What is the Sakakini Cultural Centre?

The Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre Foundation is a non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of arts and culture in Palestine. The Sakakini was founded in 1996, and is located in Ramallah in a restored traditional mansion.

KSCC was established in May 1996 as a branch of the Palestinian Ministry of Culture but functioned with programmatic independence; nonetheless, in 1997, it was decided to transform the status of the centre to a non-governmental institution (NGO) to allow it to achieve its mission and goals fully. As a result, KSCC was registered in the Ministry of Interior in May 1998 and obtained a tax-exempt status granted to non-profit organizations from the Palestinian Ministry of Finance; and in August 1998 KSCC signed an agreement with the Ministry of Culture, whereby the Sakakini’s building remains the property of the Ministry, while it is used rent-free by KSCC.

Mission and Objectives:
KSCC strives to promote art and culture in the Palestinian society, through actions committed to the encouragement of creativity and the enhancement of the aesthetic in everyday life. The main goals of the centre are:

The Khalil Al Sakakini is unarguably one of the most prominent and active cultural organizations in Palestine. Indeed, the Center has also acquired an impeccable regional and international reputation because of its specialization and the high standards of the activities it offers to the public.

The Sakakini works in three_____ areas: The visual arts, Palestinian identity & narrative, and holding regular public activities such as: Art exhibits, concerts, literary events, film screenings, children's activities, & lectures. Our goals & areas of work are:

1. Nurturing the visual arts:

Developing visual artists’ creative skills, nurturing new talents, and exhibiting and collecting art works.

2. Recording & disseminating Palestinian narrative:

Organizing projects that express intimately and creatively the Palestinian experience. Developing programs exploring Palestinian cultural heritage, and collective memory.

3. Energizing cultural life:

Making the arts available for all by organizing regular, diverse, and public art events, as well as organizing outreach programs to encourage the emergence of new audiences for the arts in various segments of society, age groups, and localities.

Organizing regular, diverse, and public art events. Organizing outreach programs to encourage the emergence of new audiences for the arts in vasrious segments of society, and age groups. As such, the Sakakini conducts 6-8 activities monthly ranging from concerts, art exhibits, book readings, poetry readings, kids activities, film screenings, and other seasonal programs. In addition to long term projects in the three fields described above. The Sakakini also transfers some of its activities outside of Ramallah, such as to Bir Zeit, Gaza City, and Bethlehem, to break the Israeli siege.

Regular monthly activities

At least seven main activities take place in Sakakini; apart from art exhibitions and visual arts activities, KSCC organizes other cultural activities on monthly basis such as lectures, films, memorial tributes to local and Arab cultural figures, meetings with visiting artists and prominent writers…etc.7 In the past, Al Sakakini has held the only two major readings by the renowned poet Mahmoud Darwish ever to take place in Palestine. Also, the Center has organized a series of cultural days with foreign consulates and embassies (Spanish, South African, Peruvian and Black American).

4. Outreaching projects

How was the Sakakini Cultural Centre Founded?

Since its opening in May 1996, the Sakakini functioned as a branch of the Palestinian Ministry of Culture, albeit with programmatic independence. Within a year of its opening, consultations by the director assessing the Sakakini's work recommended that in order for it to better fulfill its mission and serve the local community, the Sakakini should change its status into a non-governmental organization (NGO).

For that purpose, a founding board made up of artists and philanthropists was convened by the Director in July 1997, and among its tasks were the drafting of bylaws, and helping in fundraising. In May 1998, the Sakakini obtained its NGO registration from the Palestinian Ministry of the Interior, and a tax-exempt status granted to non-profit organizations from the Ministry of Finance. In August 1998, an agreement was signed with the Ministry of Culture, whereby the Sakakini's building remains the property of the Ministry, while its premises are used rent-free by the new Sakakini-NGO. The Sakakini's general assembly meets annually and elects the Centre's board of Directors.

How is the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre financed?

Current sources of revenue are: Donations, project-specific grants, members' dues, and partial coverage of overhead costs by the Al- Karmel literary quarterly located in the Sakakini building. The Sakakini' s first funding priority is to secure more donations to cover its running costs deficit, and to contribute to the endowment fund to enable the Centre to pursue its activities in financial security

Past and current projects are funded by grants from private individuals, and also from organizations such as: The Ford Foundation, the Prince Claus Fund, the Heinrich Boll Foundation, the German Fund for Palestinian NGOs, the Swiss Development Corporation, The Australian Aid Agency, the Ramallah Representative Office of the Netherlands, the Jerusalem US Consulate General's Public Affairs Office, the Jerusalem French Consulate General, the Pontifical Mission to Palestine, UNESCO, UPA, etc.

Annual Report

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