A new month begins, and with it a new calendar of cultural events that will delight Doha. The beauty of Uzbekistan, the Stomp ‘street show’, chamber music, films and other events will help the city cope with high summer temperatures.
From May 30 until June 8, Katara Esplanade hosts an exhibition of photographs taken by participants in the Senyar contest for pearl diving and fishing, which was held from April 17 to 30 this year. The photos bring to life the emotions felt by the contestants during their journey through the rich heritage of Qatar.
The Senyar festival this year attracted 30 participants. The contestant finishing first was rewarded with QR300,000, the one placed second got QR200,000 and the one placed third got QR150,000. The rest of the teams were rewarded with QR15,000 each, while a prize of QR100,000 was given to the contestant who caught the largest fish.
Also at Katara, in building 13, Qatar’s first ever celebration of the timeless and diverse Uzbek culture will take place from May 31 to June 16. A project jointly undertaken by Katara and the Forum of Culture and Arts of the Uzbekistan Foundation, Traditional Culture of Uzbekistan will feature four distinct sections, including presentation of a new book on eastern calligraphy, exhibition of classic and modern Uzbek art and rarities, and a display of the traditions and heritage of Uzbekistan.
Until June 23, Katara Gallery 2, building 18, will showcase the works of Omani artist Moosa Omar and Qatari artists Hassan El Mulla and Maryem Al Moussa. The exhibition is hosted by Qatar Visual Arts Center.
Moussa Omar stated: “In my opinion, art is not only a means and a tool to express and communicate with others; I see inside that invisible and irrepressible inherent force in the spirit that makes a world parallel to the reality and crossed at the same time. So I triumphed to use the code in many of my works, due to my deep faith of the vast expressive space similar to the heavens dimension, where I can fly like a mythical bird with thousand wings.”
The Drama Theater located in Building 16 will host, from June 13 to July 19, The Sapphires, Australia’s answer to The Supremes. The event is organised by Katara DFI Cinema. Based on a true story about a 1960s girl group that left the Australian outback to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, ‘The Sapphires’ is a tale of sisterhood, beating the odds, and soul music. Tickets are on sale online at dohafilminstitute.com and at the DFI ticket outlets.
Performers from Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will bring chamber music to the atrium of the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) on June 6, while from June 6 to 8 Qatar National Convention Center will host Stomp, a show for the entire family that was performed in the London Olympic Games closing ceremony. The show has been performed on stages around the world for 20 years and is playing at its own theatres on Broadway in New York and London’s West End.
The Buzkashi Boys, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Short Film, will play at MIA on June 6 and 7. It is set against the landscape of Afghanistan and the national sport of buzkashi – a game of polo played with a dead goat. Tickets for the show are on sale at the MIA DFI ticket outlet.
On June 15, MIA will conduct a behind-the-scenes Tour of Conservation Laboratories. Conservators will offer a first-hand look at the objects that are being worked on, the methods employed to conserve and restore different materials, and the part conservation plays in creating world-class exhibitions.
In addition, the exhibition Ferozkoh: Traditional Arts from Contemporary Afghanistan, will continue until July 20 at MIA. Ferozkoh is a partnership between the Museum of Islamic Art and students and teachers of the Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture in Kabul. The unifying theme of the exhibition is the preservation of traditional arts of the Islamic world – in both themes and materials – and the role of education in the transmission and translation of traditional arts.
On June 22, at 7.30pm, the winner of the 2012 Malko Conducting Competition will present Hector Berlioz’ imaginative “episodes in the life of an artist,” with Rafael Payare as conductor and Fabio Presgrave as cello. The venue is the Opera House, Building 16 of Katara Cultural Village.The Peninsula
