The children standing in front of the (centre) panel showcasing their beaded prayers
Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar recently hosted a group of pupils from Compass International School Doha to participate in ‘The Beaded Prayers’ project. The children, aged three to five years – the youngest participants of the project since it was launched in 1998 – made ‘beaded prayers’ containing their own individual written dreams.
The materials were modified slightly replacing needles and sewing with elastic threads that the beads could be strung with, so the children could work with them.
The children then joined VCUQatar exhibition and speaker curator Caitlin Doherty as she read them a story.  ‘The Beaded Prayers Project’ is an international, collaborative project to celebrate diversity and unity through a participatory art form.
Since 1998, more than 5,000 people - ages six to 90, from 35 countries - have participated in the project by creating and contributing the beaded packets exhibited at VCUQatar. There are four parts to the project – a lecture, a workshop, a travelling exhibition, and a reflective publication.
The exhibition at VCUQatar represents the culmination of this project, concluding a tour that has taken it to over 25 venues.The Beaded Prayers Project is curated and directed by Sonya Clark, chair of Craft/Material Studies at VCU Richmond.
“Each packet contains the wish, hope, dream, blessing, or prayer of an individual participant, written on a piece of paper and encased with a covering that includes at least one bead on the surface,” said Clark.
“Most participants made two packets: one to keep and the other for this installation, which celebrates the role of the individual and the importance of that person’s place in the community.
“From the exquisitely crafted to the crudely stitched, each beaded packet is the unique expression of an individual aspiration. Even those pieces that resemble one another on the outside no doubt have different messages sealed inside.”
The exhibition runs at the Gallery at VCUQatar until April 19.