The CAB's Cultural Center Rehabilitation and Reactivation Project

1-     Introduction:

The CAB is going under a major restoration and renovation process of the whole compound, in addition to constructing a new covered Sports Stadium that can fit 500 persons. The Stadium will include Basket Ball, Tennis, Volley Ball and Hand Ball playground.

The committees are working towards expanding and upgrading the CAB's facilities to revive sporting events as well as social and cultural activities. They consider the rehabilitation process of the facilities as an essential step and an opportunity to launch their different programs of the current year with renewed energy, in addition to contributing to the sustainable development of the children and youth by addressing their needs. 

2-     The CAB's Cultural Center Building: 

The CAB's Cultural Center Building consists of a multi purpose hall for conferences, social activities, musical events, in addition to the cinema hall. The Cinema hall is the only one of its kind in Bethlehem area, and one of the two Cinema halls in the West Bank.

The Cultural Center is in the main building of the CAB's compound and is one of the facilities that need to be rehabilitated and reactivated through the assistance of the proposed grant fund. Besides the multi purpose hall, the cinema hall consists of two floors with 380 seats that are well designed for film showings. It also has the necessary equipments to play the 35 mm movie videos. In addition, the hall has a wooden stage, which has been enlarged lately, for the use of movie theatre, folklore dancing, big conferences and educational contests among students from schools in Bethlehem area.

The Cultural Center has not been activated for the past 5 years. However, and in spite of its actual state of despair, the Cultural Center, mainly the Cinema hall, can be rehabilitated through facility maintenance including electricity. And can be reactivated though acquiring a new LCD projector for films showing, and hiring four part time employees to be responsible for implementing and monitoring the cultural, social and the entertainment activities as the planned program.

The CAB is open to the public during the whole year. However, it will officially launch the summer programs for this year on the 5th of June 2005. We are planning to have an official opening of the Cultural Center and its activities on the same date as well.

3-     The Cultural Center Program:

The Cultural Center program includes arranging movie theatre evenings and musical and folklore dancing events. In addition to educational contests among students from schools in Bethlehem area.

Furthermore, the program includes organizing public discussion sessions in the cinema hall that deals with crucial and sensitive issues related to the Palestinian situation, such as the elections, drug addiction among youth, education, poverty, unemployment, garbage waste, capacity building, empowering women and youth in building their societies, and other important issues according to the public request and needs. The program coordinator will make a research to choose the appropriate topics to be discussed in the sessions, and choose 3 to 4 guests who are specialists in the chosen topic, and who are able to create a positive debate and give answers to the questions of the participating public.

On the other hand, The CAB's management is planning to open the doors of the cinema to the public three times a week.

The plan is to dedicate one day during the week to show educational, historical and religious movies for students in the schools of Bethlehem area. This will be done in coordination and according to the request of the schools. The teachers will choose the subject of the movies according to the curriculum of each class, and the students will have a clear understanding of the material in an entertaining way.

The other two days would be during the weekends, where we will show social, cultural and entertaining movies for all family members of all ages.

4-     Objectives of the Program:

  • Provide extra curricular activities for the students in Bethlehem area.
  • Encourage local and international musical and folklore dancing groups to perform for the citizens of Bethlehem.
  • Provide a safe place for the youth for physical and emotional release.
  • Raise public awareness and stimulate debates among the citizens of Bethlehem on crucial social, political and cultural issues.
  • Increasing the level of participation from all sectors of Bethlehem society, particularly women and youth, in public debates.
  • Create sustainable part time jobs for four employees for the period of 12 months.

For more information Email us: info@ca-b.org