At Glance

“The Open Workshop for Culture and Art (OWCA)” is a neighborhood based art and cultural organization located in Ramallah/ Palestine. The OWCA was established in 2005 on a site of four huge houses to connect the work of artists with the revitalization of our community. It was inspired by the work of Local Palestine artist and writers.

The idea of “OWCA was raised by a group of culture and artists in order to promote the Palestinian culture and arts and to give younger innovators the chance to express themselves and produce their artistic pieces throughout suitable infrastructure that host the training and qualification activities.

The workshop lies in an open rural area emerges on Western Ramallah City Mountains implied in Beit Anat housing project near BirZeit, almost 3 km of the Birzeit University campus. The founders of the workshop provided an open and furnished area feasible for hosting 20 participants per course. In addition to accommodation places equipped with sleeping and comfort tools.

A group of famous artists and intellectuals supervise the workshop as they form the steering and supporting committee for all junior artists and interested individuals to help them develop their skills or art. A shifting program was set in which one or two facilitators should remain in the workshop venue to help, assess and qualify the participants. There are also evening leisure time programs where many local participants and guests attend from different West Bank districts.

As part of its non-curriculum activities, the workshop invites local Palestinian artists to meet with participants and exchange views and experiences related to Palestinian arts and culture.

The Open Workshop for Culture and Arts is considered one of the unique initiatives in Palestine that invites national and international artists to exchange views and experiences all year round. Due to the readiness of the workshop venue, more than 10 international artists and writers are expected to be invited to take part in planned programs during the current year.

Hence, the idea of developing the place was raised to make the workshop venue ready to receive visitors, guests, and participants to guarantee the quality of outputs and art products which are considered OWCA and the Palestinian people’s properties. Thus, we call upon all supporting institutions to contribute to equipping the workshop as a large number of equipment and tools are still needed.

Goals of the workshop:

The main goal of the workshop establishment is to achieve series of cultural and artificial goals which include:

1. Organizing workshops and cultural artificial meetings in different art aspects.
2. Organizing theatre and cinema shows.
3. Organizing cultural and artificial festivals.
4. Hosting international writers and artists.
5. Organizing and holding cultural and artificial conferences in Palestine.
6. Participating in conferences, courses, workshops, and cultural activities worldwide.

Workshop Beneficiaries

Every single Palestinian or foreign person interested in developing and enhancing the level of Palestinian art and culture will find the open workshop for arts and culture the appropriate place to feel distinguished and present Palestine their masterpieces. The entire workshop was founded to serve the idea of putting the Palestinian arts and culture at the highest level and to help Palestinian junior artists to bring up an innovator Palestinian generation aware of its national culture targeted by the Israeli occupation through a suitable work environment.

Each Palestinian can be a beneficiary of the workshop and participate in its activities and training courses in accordance to the conditions and rules adopted by the workshop. One of the workshop main conditions is to get the benefits of the workshop various activities. On the other hand, the main goal of hosting international artists and writers is based on the criteria of cultural exchange. A website will be developed which will address international artists that will enable them to communicate and coordinate meetings with their Palestinian counterparts.



Owca Tale

There was once a group of dreamers coming from scattered countries and areas, who were looking for a homeland; they came carrying their dream since 1994.

They started searching for a mountain, on which they could substantiate the dream; a virgin mountain; never been lodged in before. We were not looking for a house, just a house; we were searching for something else.

We have searched vigorously and desperately in the place.

In a rainy stormy day, an old woman stopped us; she wondered if we could drive her to her home. On our way, she asked where we were from; we replied that we are from this area. "But I have never seen you before?" she said wondering. One of us pointed to the mountain and said: "We took this mountain," at that moment we were driving toward Kobar village. Her features cheered up and commented "The Mountain was waiting for you," she silences for a while and pursued, "Sons, none has ever lived in this mountain. This is your destiny; your written fate. This mountain is still virgin, never touched or tread on before, sow whatever you like, because what you cultivate will grow from within the rocks slits.

From here our story begins; in cleaving the place, from a firm hard rock we graved the place and we are still sculpturing and drawing our dream; day by day.