Director of the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Abdulla Y. Al Mulla
Doha, Qatar: The Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum (QOSM) is placing young talent center stage through its 321 Cultural Olympiad, an innovative initiative uniting sport and creativity.
With over 400 student artworks from 28 schools across Qatar, the Olympiad represents a growing cultural movement that could soon reach global audiences.
Speaking to The Peninsula yesterday, Director of the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum Abdulla Y. Al Mulla, said, “The school culture around this initiative was really driven by our outreach and learning department in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the artistic committee in Qatar.”
“We started in January, inviting schools from across the country. Students were given the freedom to choose any of the 1,400 objects displayed in our galleries and they created truly fantastic artworks inspired by them," he added.
The exhibition, running throughout June before the summer break, not only celebrates youth creativity but also lays the groundwork for deeper international engagement.
“We are planning to select the most outstanding young artist to accompany us to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games,” Al Mulla said.
“It’s a way of showing how far their work can travel—literally and figuratively.”
Looking ahead, QOSM is also planning a professional artist-in-residence program in collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), set to take place in October and November.
The variety of media and techniques used in the Olympiad exhibition ranges widely from acrylic paintings to mixed media, with each student interpreting Olympic themes in a personal and original way.
“We left the medium and message entirely up to the students,” Al Mulla noted.
“What we saw was a rich diversity of styles and expressions. The way they’ve displayed their work is just remarkable.”
With strong support from both public and private schools, QOSM sees the Cultural Olympiad evolving into a flagship annual event.
“It’s open to everyone, but we are especially focused on encouraging even more schools to participate in the coming years. This is just the beginning and we want to make this a recurring national celebration of youth, culture, and Olympic values,” he added.
As QOSM continues to blend heritage with innovation, initiatives like the 321 Cultural Olympiad reinforce Qatar’s commitment to fostering global citizenship, creativity, and cultural dialogue through sport and the arts.
