1996:

1996 has witnessed a cultural explosion of sorts, with an increase in cultural events of all forms, big and small. Among them:

* The holding of 12 cultural festivals all over Palestine, many were taking place for the first time, or were revived after a 29 year interruption. Festivals featured local acts as well as international ones. Among them: the Palestine festival, the year-long Jerusalem festival, the Sabastia festival, and the Ramallah festival.

* The production of 8 new theatrical productions, and the revival of 4. Also, the Ashtar theatre school opened in Ramallah in May. The children's theatre festival due to be held this year was postponed to 1997 due to the repeated closures,

* The opening of the Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre in Ramallah, as well as a number of other Palestinian and foreign cultural centres in the country,

* The return of a great number of Palestinian artists and actors to Palestine, chief among them, poet Mahmoud Darwish, who announced the resumption of the publication of Al Karmel literary review from Palestine, and who gave readings of his poems to rave reviews and packed audiences at Bir Zeit and Najah Universities,

* The phenomenal success of the first Palestinian book fair in Gaza , attended by over 190,000 people, buying 500,000 books in 13 days.

* The increase in the number of public concerts, book publications and art exhibits,

* The critical and popular success of the film "Haifa", by director Rachid Machharawi, shown at the Cannes film festival, and award winner at a number of other festivals.

*The holding of three film festivals, the opening of a cinema club, and the opening of three renovated movie theatres.