National Cultural Basket

The National Cultural Basket program has been responsible for exposing all Israeli students to culture and art as part of the formal education system for over 30 years. It belongs to the Ministry of Education and is operated by the Community Center Society in cooperation with local authorities, and within its framework, students from kindergarten to 12th grade are exposed to a variety of performances and meetings in the six fields of art - theater, dance, music, cinema, literature and visual arts.

This exposure to art on every issue broadens horizons, helps develop creative and critical thinking, encourages acceptance of others, creates a shared social infrastructure, and develops the next generation of culture lovers in Israel.

The artistic offering of the basket provides a solution for students from all walks of Israeli society – secular, religious, ultra-Orthodox, Jews, Arabs, special education students, students from the center, students from the periphery, and more. The offering is carefully composed by repertoire committees of leading professionals in the field and the quality of the meetings, performances of the artistic and cultural committees is checked. The arts determine the appropriate target audience and the right audience size. The additional offering consists of recommendations on the answers that these ensure are in accordance with the pedagogical criteria of the Ministry of Education and are suitable for the students.

The construction of the basket in educational institutions and authorities is accompanied by professional facilitators who ensure its adaptation to the calendar of dates and special events throughout the year and to the different needs and values of each institution. In order to make the experience more meaningful, the performances and meetings include preparatory programs before and after viewing. The prices of the meetings and performances are supervised by a special committee on behalf of the Ministry of Education.