December, 1998:  NEW!

* Special Events:

-The second annual Palestine Awards for the arts and humanities were awarded in a special ceremony chaired by President Arafat at Najah’s Nablus University. For more details see the November section.

* Visual Arts:

- Visual artist Sharif Waked held his new exhibit at the Jerusalem Matall gallery. The works are a visual reflection on the Nakba.
 
- A special exhibit by ceramic students of the Ramallah UNRWA training college for girls was held at the Ramallah Matall gallery. The exhibit was the result of a workshop organized by visiting Mexican ceramist Patricia Carrasquilla. She had earlier executed a large ceramic mural in the town of Tulkarm.

* Film:

The Ramallah-based Cinema Production Center organized a series of film screenings of classic Hollywood films for children in refugee camps in the Nablus and Gaza areas.

* Music:

- The Jerusalem YMCA hosted a festive program for the Christmas season: the National Conservatory’s Chamber Music Ensemble gave a concert of Mozart and Bach works, the Jerusalem Choir gave its traditional Christmas recital, the folklore dance ensemble Al-Funoun performed their new ballet, and pianist Salim Abboud gave a recital.

* Theatre:

The Ramallah Goethe Institute organized performances in Beit Jala, Jerusalem, Ramallah and Nablus of a bilingual German-English play “Uber die Kunst of Saying Good Bye”, by Melanie Peters, and produced by the Thalia Theater Halle.