Generations for Culture

More than 200 students and alumni and 100 members of faculty and staff community from Education City based universities and Qatar University participated in a lively and thoughtful discussion at Georgetown University in Qatar about the role of art and creativity in bridging cultures. The unique event was organised under the patronage of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums (QM).

HE Sheikha Al Mayassa was joined at the event by members of the senior leadership team from Qatar Museums who participated in a 45-minute panel discussion and answered questions from the students on a wide variety of topics including the role of art and museums on diplomacy and culture and the development of societies.

Opening the event, Qatar Museum’s CEO Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al Mahmoud highlighted the growing opportunities for young people interested in working in the creative industries in Qatar, and the vital role played by arts, creativity and heritage in supporting the Qatar National Vision 2030. 

HE Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has long believed art can be a valuable bridge between cultures. In support of this aim, Qatar Museum’s mission enriches the lives of all those who live in and visit Qatar and inspires an indigenous culture of creativity and innovation.

The organisation has made significant progress during the last ten years in connecting the nation’s cultural institutions and heritage sites to enable them to flourish. As a result, Qatar’s arts and culture scene has developed considerably, its creative community is maturing and the country is increasingly seen as a progressive hub for the arts.

To encourage a tradition of critical and artistic appreciation, Qatar Museums supports a wide range of education programs and initiatives – including Generations for Culture – designed to preserve the country’s cultural and artistic heritage through the effective use of knowledge, experience and creativity. These include learning opportunities for families, university students and adults at museums – including Mathaf: Arab museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Islamic Art – as well as galleries both throughout and outside Doha.

The event supported Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar’s mission of promoting intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding through serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures and beliefs.

Commenting on the event, Dr. Gerd Nonneman, dean of Georgetown University in Qatar, noted: “We are thrilled to host HE Sheikha Al-Mayassa Bint Hamad Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums and her team of experts to share their insights about the role of museums in Qatar in the field of culture and history, and about the rich potential for collaboration amongst our organizations: QM, Georgetown, and the universities within and outside of Education City. Both our research and our teaching touches on many of the same issues QM is concerned with, as shown in our majors and certificates, from International History to Culture & Politics, Arab & Regional Studies, in our wide-ranging research and publications, and in our world-leading program in Arabic for learners with an Arab heritage. We look forward to working with QM to further strengthen our relationship.”

Qatar Museums connects the museums, cultural institutions and heritage sites by centralizing resources and providing a comprehensive organization for the development of museums and cultural projects, with a long term ambition of creating a strong and sustainable cultural infrastructure for Qatar. Under the patronage of His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, QM is consolidating Qatar’s efforts to become a vibrant center for the arts, culture and education, in the Middle East and beyond.

Since its foundation in 2005, QM has overseen the development of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, and the Al Zubarah World Heritage Site Visitor Centre. The QM also manages the QM Gallery at Katara and the Al Riwaq Doha Exhibition Space. Current projects include the opening of the Fire Station as an artists in residence space since 2014 and the launch of the highly anticipated National Museum of Qatar and the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.

QM is committed to instigating Qatar’s future generation of arts, heritage and museum professionals. At its core is a commitment to nurturing artistic talent, creating opportunities and developing the skills to service Qatar’s emerging art economy. By means of a multi-faceted program and public art initiatives, QM seeks to push the boundaries of the traditional museum model, and create cultural experiences that spill out onto the streets and seek to involve the widest possible audiences. Through a strong emphasis on originating art and culture from within and fostering a spirit of national participation, QM is helping Qatar find its own distinctive voice in today’s global cultural debates.