The British Council, the British embassy, and Katara Cultural Village have announced the programme for the ninth annual Qatar-UK Cultural Festival, from November 25 to December 6 across various venues including Katara and Doha Design District at Msheireb Downtown Doha.
With themes of community and collaboration at its core, the festival will showcase a lineup of performances by leading UK and Qatari artists. This year’s festival also marks the British Council's 90th anniversary, emphasising its presence in Qatar since 1972.
Key events from the programme include Up to Us, a project exploring identity through clothing, featuring an exhibition, schools’ workshops, a film followed by a panel discussion on people from different communities living in Qatar.
A live DJ set at Katara will feature Mo Ayoub from the Selector Radio show. A European Jazz Festival is to have Welsh band Huw Warren: Cowbois and Shepherds perform in partnership with European Union National Institute for Culture, Katara, and Welsh Government.
In partnership with Tasweer Photo Festival, GREAT and Msheireb, the British Council launched 'Great Stories Photography Competition' - celebrating creativity and connection with big focus on people-to-people links.
A series of podcast interviews with 90 influential stakeholders, celebrating the contributions that have shaped British Council’s success over the past 90 years, is also part of the itinerary.
Katara general manager HE Prof Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, told a press conference on Tuesday: "This event celebrates the enduring friendship and cultural partnership between our nations, reinforcing Qatar's role as a global cultural hub."
British ambassador Neerav Patel, said: “This is a Festival for everyone. It showcases the power of art, music, photography and shared stories to link people of all ages and backgrounds. As we prepare for the first ever state visit by His Highness the Amir to the UK, I am delighted that we can all experience these vibrant connections between our two
countries in particular. I also congratulate the British Council on 90 years of creativity and connection.”
British Council Qatar director Dr Waseem Kotoub, said: “As the UK’s cultural relations organisation, the British Council is dedicated to fostering mutual understanding and collaboration between nations."
