Qatar Museums participates in World Conference on Creative Economy in Uzbekistan

Led by its Chairperson, Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar Museums (QM) this week participated in the Fourth World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

According to an official statement from QM, WCCE is organised by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF) together with the Republic of Indonesia, UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). It’s a major event on the international conference circuit for leaders and innovators to discuss overcoming challenges in international creative economies.

“What we see in Qatar, and elsewhere, is that the creative industries can transcend cultural and language barriers, enabling the exchange of ideas and the development of innovations across the globe. Whether in visual art, film, digital media, fashion, or the culinary arts, the creative sector drives societal progress, it brings people together to address global challenges,” Her Excellency the Chairperson said at the opening ceremony during her keynote address titled ‘Global Collaboration in Creative Industries’.

The three-day conference, held from 2 to 4 October, was organised around “Inclusively Creative: A Shifted Reality.” Among those in attendance were Abdulla Nigmatovich Aripov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Saida Mirziyoyeva, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Sylvie Forbin, Deputy Director General, Copyright and Creative Industries Sector, World Intellectual Property Organisation and Sandiaga S Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia.

QM representatives and speakers included Shaika Nasser al-Nassr, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art and Fahad al-Obaidly, Acting Director of Design Doha.

Al-Nassr joined international museum directors and entrepreneurs for a panel titled “Cultural Hubs: Museums as Catalysts for Creative Community in Urban Space” to provide her insights into how museums can foster collaboration, encourage education, and engage communities. Other panellists included Wang Xudong, Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum; Yannick Lintz, President of Guimet Museum in Paris; and Mareva Grabowski–Mitsotakis, entrepreneur and Founder of Mstudio. The discussion was moderated by Bobirmirzo Sayomov, Head of Museums Development Department at the Agency of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Al-Obaidly took part in a panel titled “Creative Structures: Bridging Architecture, Design, and Economic Growth.” The discussion, moderated by Cyril Zammit, an independent design advisor, also included Ahmed al-Mannai, Co-Founder of Shepherd Studio; Ekaterina Golovatyuk, architect and Сo-founder of Grace and Jayden Ali, Founder of JA Projects. The panel examined how architecture and design practices can be engines for economic growth.

Sara Raza, one of the curators of Seeing Is Believing: The Art and Influence of Gérôme, an exhibition organised by the future Lusail Museum in collaboration with Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art that opens in November, also attended the conference along with foreign dignitaries, entrepreneurs and founders of companies, CEOs and directors of major institutions. Uzbekistan, a vibrant nation at the crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, has long been a hub for thinkers, leaders, and creatives. Event attendees took part in networking opportunities, diverse talks, experiential workshops and live performances and enjoyed a vocal performance by Dana Al Meer, a Qatari singer.