The Orphan Care Center (Dreama), one of the centres of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work, a Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF) affiliate, concluded the activities of the ‘Art Lab’ initiative that was held in co-operation with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), at a ceremony held at Bin Jelmood House in Msheireb, under the patronage of HE the Minister of Social Development and Family Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser al-Misnad.
The ceremony was attended by Assistant Undersecretary for Family Affairs, MSDF, Sheikha Sheikha bint Jassim al-Thani, HE the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Maryam bint Abdullah al-Attiyah, Unesco Representative for the Gulf States and Yemen and Director of the Unesco Office in Doha Salah El Din Zaki Khaled, and a number of officials and specialists participating in the programme and members of the Dreama Center.
The ‘Art Lab’ aims to train the centre’s members in using arts as a means of self-expression and to help them indirectly understand the challenges they may face. Social and psychological specialists were trained to present these activities and guide the children in expressing themselves more freely and effectively. This initiative was part of Dreama Center’s ongoing efforts to enhance self-confidence and develop life skills for its members.
Participants at the Dreama Center engaged in intensive workshops focused on expressive arts, gaining valuable skills in creative writing and acting. The closing ceremony included a discussion with Unesco experts and trainers, where insights from the workshops were shared, and recommendations for addressing challenges were made. Children also presented their own artistic performances, highlighting their progress in these fields.
In her speech during the ceremony, Dreama Executive Director Sheikha Najla bint Ahmed al-Thani emphasised that the ‘Art Lab,’ in collaboration with Unesco, aims to enhance children’s skills through the arts, highlighting that arts serve not only as a form of entertainment but as a powerful language that enables children to express their feelings, understand their surroundings, and engage with others through creative writing and acting.
Salah El Din Zaki Khaled said the ‘Art Lab’ initiative comes within the framework of the memorandum of understanding signed between Unesco and the Qatar Foundation for Social Work in 2022. He pointed out that the initiative, which was launched in 2018 and implemented in various contexts around the world, aims to facilitate social inclusion through artistic expression imbued with ethical principles based on cultural rights.
