Qatar Museums (QM) begins 2026 with a rich and varied January programme that blends creativity, learning, and community engagement across its museums and creative hubs. Designed for audiences of all ages, the month-long line-up spans hands-on workshops, thought-provoking lectures, film screenings, and family-friendly outdoor activities.
At M7, creativity takes centre stage through a series of practical workshops that invite participants to experiment with craft, design, and self-expression. The Turkish Mosaic Candle Holder Workshop Friday (January 9) offers a calming introduction to mosaic art, guiding participants step by step as they assemble colourful geometric designs on glass.
The Make Your Own Garangao Tote Bag workshop, scheduled January 10, introduces the punch needle technique in a festive edition inspired by local tradition. Those interested in design at a more conceptual level can join the four-day Design Your Interior Space programme running on selected dates throughout the month, which provides a structured, professional approach to planning interior projects and creating digital mood boards.
Rounding out the programme, the Macrame and Colour Workshop on January 11 combines texture and painting, allowing participants to create personalised artworks on wooden bases in a relaxed, beginner-friendly environment.
The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) offers an equally engaging slate of activities that focuses on memory, storytelling, and sustainability. From Me to NMoQ, held on Saturdays throughout January in collaboration with Qatar Post, invites visitors to take Polaroid photographs, write personal messages, and contribute to a growing collective postcard display celebrating connection and shared experience.
The Ancestral Registry workshop on January 10 and 14 centres on oral history, encouraging participants to document stories of grandparents and elders, and to reflect on everyday life, values, and customs in earlier generations of Qatar.
Textile and environmental themes come together in Fabricated Horizon, a hands-on sculpture workshop inspired by the exhibition Countryside: A Place to Live, Not to Leave, in which participants explore heritage and sustainability through creative practice. Throughout the month, families can also enjoy film screenings of Hope and Turtle Odyssey, two engaging films that follow the journeys of sea turtles while raising awareness about marine conservation and environmental responsibility.
The International Children’s Day at the Museum of Islamic Art on January 10 invites families to explore the museum’s outdoor spaces and engage with activities inspired by the iconic I M Pei building and exhibition.
Young aspiring designers can take part in Architects: Build Your Own Modern Monument on January 20, a hands-on workshop introducing children aged 8 to 12 to architectural thinking through creative model-making.
Older children can join Flowers of the Past on January 26-27, which combines a gallery tour with a practical workshop exploring Islamic motifs found in historic pots and vases, culminating in the creation of functional cardboard designs for plants and flowers.
January also marks the launch of season one of Lusail Museum Conversations, a new public lecture series examining the Late Ottoman world through art, politics, and cultural exchange.
The opening lecture on January 13, delivered by historian Edhem Eldem, explores the paintings of the last Ottoman caliph, Abdulmecid II, and how art was used to project modernity and responsibility during a period of reform.
The second lecture, on January 27, turns to 19th-century Tunisia, examining how rulers reshaped political imagery, diplomacy, and architecture to position the country at the crossroads of Ottoman reform and emerging modern statehood.
Liwan Design Studios and Labs adds a strong cinematic and narrative dimension to the month with workshops focused on visual storytelling, costume design, and sound.
Storyboarding = Storytelling, running from January 12 to 15, introduces participants to the power of storyboards as a visual blueprint for film production, led by Belgian filmmaker and visual artist Vincent Bal.
From Script to Stitch, held from January 14 to 18, examines how costume design shapes character and narrative, guided by costume designer Mohammed “Simba” Elmur. Sound takes the spotlight in The Craft of the Foley Artist from January 19 to 21, where participants learn to create and record sound effects under the guidance of Rome-based foley artist Mauro Eusepi.
For younger audiences, Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar continues its popular Dadu Gardens activation every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until April.
