Doha: The National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ) has welcomed over 132,000 visitors in the first month since opening, firmly establishing its keystone role in the country’s cultural infrastructure.
Since opening its doors to the public on March 28, the NMoQ’s immersive experience has attracted thousands of residents and tourists with its use of audio-visual presentations, digital exhibitions, historical artifacts, and immersive, multisensory approach.
It has also hosted several workshops, talks, and presentations for members of the community. From welcoming some of the world’s best-known artists to creating new go-to sites for families, NMoQ has become a destination for those who want to learn about the country and its people.
As the country’s national museum, NMoQ also strives to create a dialogue with members of the community to gather feedback, ideas, and recommendations for improving the museum experience. It held the first ever seminar in Qatar to specifically address the field of Visitor Studies in museums and cultural institutions.
Distinguished international speakers including Jo Hargreaves, Director of Morris Hargreaves MacIntyre, Dr Alexandra Bounia, Professor of Museum Studies at UCL Qatar, and Dr. Karen Exell, Senior Museum Development Specialist at NMoQ, gave insightful presentations, and a keynote address was delivered by Professor John H. Falk from the Institute for Learning Innovation, Oregon State University.
Sheikha Amna bint Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al Thani, Director of the National Museum of Qatar, said, “After more than a decade of planning, we are deeply gratified to welcome the people of Qatar and our international visitors to this exciting, multi-layered, experiential museum. From the start, Qatar Museums and the National Museum team knew that we wanted to create a living experience for our people—a museum with a heart. We have created galleries full of movement, sound, and color in order to engage our public fully, with their senses and emotions as well as their intellects, and have assembled creative and authentic content that is so rich that people will discover something new with each visit. It is now time for the discoveries to begin.”
QM has also developed strong ties with local schools through a number of interactive and inclusive programmes, including the Teacher’s Council, and creative teaching materials. Since the museum opening, 18 schools visited NMOQ to discover its galleries and educational offerings.
Building on QM’s long-standing role as partner to Qatar’s educational institutions, NMoQ educators are also offering ‘welcome tours’ featuring insights into how the topics and themes of the museum can support classroom learning and curriculum development. Schools can now book structured workshop sessions taking place from September.
NMoQ is planning a range of events and programmes to run across the summer, including launching ‘Activity Backpacks’ which children and families could pick up at reception to have access to themed activities related to the gallery they are visiting. In collaboration with the Friends of the Environment Centre, NMoQ will be installing an insect breeding cage in the Natural Environments galleries for visitors to learn about and observe the lifecycle of insects, with FoEC specialists on hand to talk to visitors.
Working with Al Thuraya Planetarium (Katara), NMoQ will launch a programme of in-gallery expert talks and short films connected to celestial navigation and traditional practices. Later in the year, to celebrate the opening of the NMoQ playgrounds in the fall, NMoQ will organize a week-long festival of family activities, including drama, film, art, and food.