Exploring People and Place at the sixth British Festival in Qatar
The British Council, in partnership with the British Embassy, is proud to present the sixth annual Qatar British Festival taking place this year from 18 November - 7 December. The festival continues to celebrate the strong and long-standing relationship between Qatar and the United Kingdom through the expression of public art, photography, music and film. Officially opened by Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Qatar, His Excellency Ajay Sharma, with H.E. Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara Cultural Village and Mrs Sam Ayton, Director, British Council Qatar on 10 November, the festival’s events begin from 18 November.
This year’s theme of People and Place will examine the impact of ‘place’ on us and in turn, our impact on place and the long-lasting, positive effects of cultural connection and exchange between the people of Qatar and the people of the United Kingdom. The festival will conclude with the Qatar-UK Alumni Awards; a celebration of the enduring success cultural exchange can bring to societies, through education.
The 2019 program highlights include:
EVERY THING EVERY TIME; By turning open sourced data into snippets of poetry for the public, the artwork encourages a better connection between a city, its citizens and the technology that runs it. This artwork will tour to three locations during the festival and will be the basis for workshops and panel discussions held by the artist and UK partner.
The Place I Call Home; a contemporary photography exhibition that explores the idea of ‘home,’ related to the experiences of young people living in the region and the UK at a time of rapid change and social mobility. Hosted by Fire Station, the exhibition’s curator David Drake (Director Ffotogallery, Wales) will hold workshops and artist’s talks for the public along with a ‘PhotoWalk’ around Doha for budding photographers.
Elgar Enigma Variations; award-winning concert violinist, Savitri Grier performs two famous pieces by Edward Elgar, Enigma Variations and Violin Concerto, with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra.
For a full list of the activities happening throughout the festival please visit the individual event links below or download the full brochure listed at the bottom of the page.
We thank our partners for their support to this year’s festival:
Strategic Partner: Katara Cultural Village. Legacy Partner: Qatar Museums. Strategic Community Partner: Qatar National Library. Supported by: Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, HSBC, AFG University of Aberdeen, UCL Qatar and Al Mirqab. Delivery Partners: Qatar Museums: Culture Pass, Qatar University, Ministry for Municipality and Environment, Future Everything, Ffotogallery Wales, Doha Film Institute, Ajyal Film Festival and Qatar Music Academy. Official Airline: Qatar Airways. Social Media Partner: ILoveQatar.net. Eco Partner: Paper Cut. Hospitality Partner: Marsa Malaz Kempinksi. Media Partner: Gulf Times
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