Summer workshops on various handicrafts and other creative activities were a big draw, especially among students, during the past couple of months at Katara – the Cultural Village, according to the QatArt Handmade Community.
QatArt has been a regular fixture at the Katara Art Studios Building 19 where the group holds different types of workshops for both children and adults. Its members also sell a wide variety of handmade products usually on Fridays, making the venue a popular weekend destination.
“Just like the last couple of years, QatArt has conducted summer workshops at Katara Art Studios in June and July where we had a few new workshop ideas such as handmade paper making, wood turning, string art, decoupage, origami, and calligraphy. 
“The participants were provided with all the materials required for the workshops. Despite the summer weather, we saw some great response and interest. We look forward to seeing some new workshop sessions in the coming months, too, before we start our market days from October,” QatArt board member Swapna Namboodiri told Gulf Times on Friday.



A child learns the art of paper making.




Samples of string art products. 

Namboodiri also noted that social media played a significant role in attracting many participants despite the summer lull.
“Considering the fact that there were no walk-ins because of the location, most of the participants that came to Katara were students, specifically for the workshops. This is a win for QatArt’s social media promotions,” said a QatArt member in charge of the group’s social media.
Notwithstanding warmer temperatures, Namboodiri noted that encouraging children to participate in summer workshops and similar activities play a role in the development of a child’s creativity and other learning skills.
“During the summer months, we usually plan for workshops, which turn out to be a good learning experience for participants of varied age groups. And craft lovers find it as inspiring sessions, which they can also pursue in the future,” she noted.
For QatArt’s upcoming workshops, Namboodiri said the group is still in the discussion phase with Katara. “The workshop concepts are chosen differently this year so that they can be enjoyed by kids, as well as adults with both beginner level and intermediate level skills,” she pointed out.
In the previous workshops, Namboodiri said QatArt’s calligraphy workshop saw “excellent response from the public and was well-attended”, as well as the woodturning workshop, which had a large number of enquiries online.
QatArt Handmade Community is a group of Qatari and expatriate artists that utilise social media, newsletters and markets to promote and sell their handmade products, which range from jewellery, bags, clothing, paintings, illustrations, graphic designs, stationeries, greeting cards, craft kits, home decors, furniture and accessories, to homemade food and party supplies.
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