By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter
The Learning Festival organised by the World Innovation Summit for Education (Wise) will have 12 innovative projects from eight countries, including Qatar, festival curator Alexis Vallegeas has disclosed.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Vallegeas said altogether there would be 80 projects from around the world at the festival. Many of the makers of the projects will be in attendance during the festival, which will take place at Katara from October 23 to November 8.
“The festival is aimed at engaging the general public in education and providing them with a view of social entrepreneurship with a focus on technology and education,”
he explained.
“The festival will be held outdoors at the esplanade of Katara - the Cultural Village. It will lead the public through a large panel of experiences and enrich them with exciting concepts.
“The 12 projects that will be showcased at the festival have many unique and innovative ideas. Texas A& M University at Qatar as well as Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar have contributed to some of the innovative projects.”
He also revealed that the Wise Book for the year will be launched during the festival. The Book will feature photographs taken by renowned Iranian photographer Newsha Tavakolian.
“Through a photo exhibition and a series of demos, workshops, performances and other pop-up events, the festival will showcase uses of technology in the classroom from around the world and invite leaders from the Maker Movement to demonstrate how they utilise accessible technology to enhance creativity,” he added.
The curator elaborated that the festival will feature the works of innovators of the Maker Movement, which will cover topics such as art, science and math, among others. “Innovators from the Maker Movement will present their ideas such as 3D printer and many more. They will transform conventional media and arts into an interactive and playful journey. This will be something special for everyone taking part in the festival.”
He continued that the festival was expected to draw a large number of people from around the country. “We are visiting the schools and encouraging the students to come and participate in the festival. The Wise Photo Exhibition in 2012 had around 25,000 visitors. This year, we hope that there will be a greater number of visitors at the festival and will be an enjoyable one for everyone,” he concluded.