Every year Qatar museums runs a cultural exchange program that aims to convey Qatar to an international audience. Through a variety of exhibitions, festivals, competitions and events, their programs promote mutual understanding, recognition and appreciation between countries. They invite people to explore their cultural similarities, as well as their differences. Initiated in 2012, this program has highlighted various cultures around the globe, such as Japan, UK, Brazil, Turkey, China, Germany and Russia.

This year, they have declared India as the partner nation for 2019 Year of Culture. This announcement kick starts a thrilling schedules of educational events and festivities throughout the year.

Photo by Vitaliy Lyubezhanin

The meticulously curated program is specifically devised to encourage communal understanding, acknowledgment and gratitude amongst the two sovereign nations of India and Qatar. The 2019 Year of Culture with India will invite spectators from both countries to explore and celebrate their differences, as well as similarities.

“We are happy to partner with Qatar Museums for the Qatar India 2019 Year of Culture and look forward to organizing a number of cultural events during the course of the year, in a manner that effectively showcases the deep cultural roots and people-to-people links between India and Qatar over the years,” said Indian Ambassador P Kumaran.

In Qatar, locals, residents and visitors will be able to take part in the Year of Culture experience at the Doha International Book Fair 2019, where India will be celebrated as the Guest of Honor. Other highlights include an exhibition by Raqs Media Collective, which makes contemporary art, edits books and curates exhibitions, and a ‘Festival of India’ event that will feature a range of visual arts and performances such as classical dance and music (both Indian and Western), as well as cinema and theatre. The abundant and wide-ranging celebrations will be hosted by Qatar throughout the year, offering a distinctive way of approaching Indian culture.

The focus for most of the programs of Qatar India 2019 Year of Culture will be on exploring and celebrating cultural, artistic and educational exchanges between the two countries. The Years of Culture program, developed under the patronage of H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, has gone from strength to strength with each passing year and the breadth and depth of activities have continued to expand.

Qatar India 2019, sponsored by Qatar Airways, was planned in collaboration with leading institutions in Qatar and India, including the Embassy of Qatar in New Delhi, the Embassy of India in Doha, Qatar’s Ministry of Culture and Sport, Qatar foundation, The National Tourism Council, Doha film institute and many more.

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