Qatar Foundation’s (QF) leadership in the field of sustainability and role in preserving and promoting Qatari folklore are reflected in its cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, through an agreement with its Nomas Centre that has been in place since 2015.
The centre works to educate and train QF school students on activities related to heritage and authentic customs, through interactive lessons and activities.
Al-Madoud is a popular Qatari game for girls aged 6-12 years, encouraging them to create dolls that resemble themselves through their clothes, hair colour, eyes, and features. What distinguishes these dolls is not their similarity with those who made them, but the materials they are made of - using remnants of fabrics and wood – and the way they imitates the details of their makers’ daily lives.
Al-Tilwah, Al-Makhla, Al-Burqa, and Al-Dass are terms that refer to falconry, which is part of Qatari cultural heritage. Falcon hunting has been preserved by the nation, which has been dedicated to the principle of sustainable hunting for nearly a decade.
“Our partnership with Nomas Centre is one way of instilling Qatari culture and identity in the hearts of the new generation through events and activities carried out by the Centre, such as the popular games at QF’s Oxygen Park, which witnessed a huge turnout of visitors in the pre-pandemic period,” said, Hend al-Mousawi, head of Arts, Culture and Heritage Programming at QF.
To achieve the goal of this partnership, QF’s Community Development team is collaborating with its Pre-University Education team as well. Al-Mousawi said, "One of the most important goals of this cooperation with QF’s PUE team is making our folklore sustainable, through consolidating national identity, activating interest in it, and engaging students in ancient heritage customs. We look forward to more cooperation and partnerships with the Ministry of Culture and Sports in order to continue cultural human development and connecting Qatar’s new generation even more to the Qatari cultural heritage.”
More than 500 students participated in the Nomas Centre’s activities when they were held in physical form at Oxygen Park and Tariq Bin Ziad School, one of the schools under PUE. With the easing of health precautions, and outdoor activities now able to take place within set guidelines, the centre is now organising community activities for women at Oxygen Park.
Salwa al-Kuwari, general supervisor of activities at Nomas Centre noted, “Our mission is to introduce its students and affiliates to the authentic Qatari customs and traditions, our ancient heritage, instilling the Qatari identity in them, and promoting the spirit of belonging and love of the homeland along with good morals and values.”
Haya al-Kuwari, a certified trainer at Nomas Centre added, “The joint cooperation between us and QF is a fruitful addition to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, as QF is considered one of the most advanced and successful educational institutions in Qatar for Qatari students.We take advantage of this to present workshops, in order to instill Qatari customs and traditions at a time when the commitment to heritage customs has begun to decline for several reasons."
The Nomas Centre has equipped 40 students from QF as ambassadors of Qatari culture, with the aim of sustaining Qatari folklore, and spreading authentic Qatari culture and traditions to others.
Al-Madoud is a popular Qatari game for girls aged 6-12 years, encouraging them to create dolls that resemble themselves through their clothes, hair colour, eyes, and features. What distinguishes these dolls is not their similarity with those who made them, but the materials they are made of - using remnants of fabrics and wood – and the way they imitates the details of their makers’ daily lives.
Al-Tilwah, Al-Makhla, Al-Burqa, and Al-Dass are terms that refer to falconry, which is part of Qatari cultural heritage. Falcon hunting has been preserved by the nation, which has been dedicated to the principle of sustainable hunting for nearly a decade.
“Our partnership with Nomas Centre is one way of instilling Qatari culture and identity in the hearts of the new generation through events and activities carried out by the Centre, such as the popular games at QF’s Oxygen Park, which witnessed a huge turnout of visitors in the pre-pandemic period,” said, Hend al-Mousawi, head of Arts, Culture and Heritage Programming at QF.
To achieve the goal of this partnership, QF’s Community Development team is collaborating with its Pre-University Education team as well. Al-Mousawi said, "One of the most important goals of this cooperation with QF’s PUE team is making our folklore sustainable, through consolidating national identity, activating interest in it, and engaging students in ancient heritage customs. We look forward to more cooperation and partnerships with the Ministry of Culture and Sports in order to continue cultural human development and connecting Qatar’s new generation even more to the Qatari cultural heritage.”
More than 500 students participated in the Nomas Centre’s activities when they were held in physical form at Oxygen Park and Tariq Bin Ziad School, one of the schools under PUE. With the easing of health precautions, and outdoor activities now able to take place within set guidelines, the centre is now organising community activities for women at Oxygen Park.
Salwa al-Kuwari, general supervisor of activities at Nomas Centre noted, “Our mission is to introduce its students and affiliates to the authentic Qatari customs and traditions, our ancient heritage, instilling the Qatari identity in them, and promoting the spirit of belonging and love of the homeland along with good morals and values.”
Haya al-Kuwari, a certified trainer at Nomas Centre added, “The joint cooperation between us and QF is a fruitful addition to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, as QF is considered one of the most advanced and successful educational institutions in Qatar for Qatari students.We take advantage of this to present workshops, in order to instill Qatari customs and traditions at a time when the commitment to heritage customs has begun to decline for several reasons."
The Nomas Centre has equipped 40 students from QF as ambassadors of Qatari culture, with the aim of sustaining Qatari folklore, and spreading authentic Qatari culture and traditions to others.