The Museum of Islamic Art’s (MIA) Ambassador Programme came to a stunning conclusion this week when students from secondary schools across Qatar were recognised for their dedication to research, as part of the museum’s continued focus and commitment to educating society about the arts, heritage and creativity.

The Ambassador Programme, which launched in October 2016 under the patronage of Qatar Museums’ Chairperson, H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, sought to introduce young generations to the culture of museums and to promote their creative skills through active participation in cultural programmes.

The Ambassador Programme saw MIA reach out to a number of schools from around Qatar to introduce students to the Museum of Islamic Art and its different departments, including Conservation, Exhibitions and Art Education. Following an in-depth introduction to museum operations, each school chose a department within the Museum that they wanted to research and get involved with through further meetings, library visits and tours of the museum.

Participating schools included:

· Ibn Taymia Secondary School for Boys

· Jordanian Community School

· Al Karanna Secondary School for Girls

· Saliyyah Secondary School for Girls

· Saliyyah Secondary School for Boys

· Audio Education School

· Al Resala Secondary School for Girls

· Al Wakra Secondary School for Girls

· Sherborne School, Qatar

· Al Tamakon for Comprehensive Education School

· Hassan bin Thabet Secondary School for Boys

· The Lebanese School

· Al Hayat International School

· Middle East International School

The final stage of the Ambassador Programme initiative, held at the MIA Auditorium on April 25, saw school teams present their findings in a variety of creative formats to a panel of prestigious judges, which included representatives from the Ministry of Education and MIA.

Prizes were awarded to first, second and third place winners. Al Wakra Secondary Independent School for Girls walked away with the top prize, while Middle East International School took home the second-place prize and Ibn Taymir Secondary School for Boys came in third.

The winning teams demonstrated true passion for the project, putting together visually stunning presentations.

Salem Al Aswad, Deputy Director, Learning & Outreach at MIA said:

“We’re delighted with the success of the MIA Ambassador Programme. One of our key priorities is to align with the school curriculum in Qatar and find creative ways to inspire students to consider the impact of art on their cultural heritage and daily life. The Ambassador Programme was a major contributor to that by encouraging students to improve their sense of responsibility and involve them in research to help achieve winning results.”

Qatar Museums prides itself on its commitment to contributing to the educational landscape of the State of Qatar as a provider of informal education and life-long learning through arts, culture and heritage.

Qatar Museums offers a wide selection of educational programmes and dynamic activities across the country all year around. All activities and workshops aim to strengthen family bonds, develop creativity, build confidence and improve communication skills. For more information, visit: http://www.qm.org.qa/en/education

The MIA Ambassador event was generously sponsored by Seashore Group.

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