Inspired by the Countryside: A Place to Live, Not to Leave exhibition, this programme includes a community harvesting activity, a mangroves workshop focused on ink and dye making, a painting workshop, a talk on agriculture and the countryside in Qatar, a tatreez (embroidery) workshop, and a screening of children’s short films presented by the Doha Film Institute (DFI).
Programme Schedule:
Community Harvesting
Language: English
Location: QPS Garden and Fields
Age: All age groups (Families and children welcome)
Time: 3.30–5pm
Registration: info@hadiqaa.com
Join us at QPS’s garden and fields for a community harvesting event focused on sustainability and shared giving. Participants will harvest a variety of produce, donate a portion as part of the Feed a Friend initiative, and take home the remaining harvest.
Families are kindly asked to bring their own reusable bags (minimum four and maximum ten) for packing harvested vegetables. This helps reduce single-use waste and allows more produce to be shared within the community.
Mangroves: The Alchemy of Inks and Dyes
Language: English
Location: Workshop room
Age: For ages 12+
Time: 8–10.30pm
Registration: info@al-mangroves.com
Presented by Dr. Sadra Zekrgoo, an expert in ink and dye making, this hands-on experience introduces participants to the history of inks and dyes through recipes drawn from Persian master calligrapher treatises. Guided by the instructor, participants will create two different types of ink and two plant-based dyes, learning how these materials are prepared and applied on paper. Participants will then create a countryside-inspired greeting card, drawing on scenes of rural Qatar.
Countryside Painting
Language: English with Arabic translation
Location: Greenhouse
Age: For ages 6–16
Time: 8–10pm
Registration: Register online
The workshop teaches participants to draw a still-life vegetable composition inspired by the Countryside project, incorporating a Palestinian Sadu (woven textile) motif in the background. Participants will also learn the basic principles of painting to create a successful artwork.
The History of Agriculture in Qatar
Language: English
Location: Lecture room
Time: 8–9pm
Registration: hprograms@qm.org.qa
Join Dr Guillaume-Augustin de Vaulx, philosopher and biologist working in the field of agroecology, for a talk on the history of agriculture, its uses, and its introduction to Qatar. Dr. De Vaulx will explore the complexities of the subject and their implications in Qatar, a country whose agricultural story has yet to be fully written.
Tatreez Workshop
Language: English
Location: Reading room
Age: All age groups
Session 1: 9–10pm
Session 2: 10–11pm
Registration: hprograms@qm.org.qa
A workshop introducing participants the basics of tatreez, a form of traditional Palestinian embroidery. Participants will be able to take home their completed work.
Doha Film Institute at The Countryside: Tales from Home
Language: Arabic with English subtitles
Location: QPS Courtyard
Age: For ages 8+
Time: 10–11pm
Registration: No registration required
A heartwarming programme of short films from Qatar featuring reimagined folktales, stories from the past, and touching reflections on home and family.
The film programme will include:
Emsahar (2020)
Directed by Hassan Al Jahni | 7’
A young girl attempts to prevent the imminent death of her beloved grandmother by harnessing the magical powers of a local Ramadan drummer.
Land of Pearls (2011)
Directed by Mohammed Al Ibrahim | 11’
A pearl shopkeeper tells his grandson of his encounters with the sea in the 1950s.
Above the Tamarind Tree (2023)
Directed by Buthyna Al-Mohammadi | 8’
An introverted Qatari girl ventures into a wild valley, risking her life to reclaim her precious necklace from a mischievous parrot.
Gubgub (2018)
Directed by Nouf Al-Sulaiti | 9’
An adventurous young girl goes crab-hunting with her family. Discouraged when her father undervalues her accomplishments compared to her brother’s, she sets out to win his approval.
Sh’hab (2018)
Directed by Amal Al-Muftah | 13’
In the old village of Al Wakrah, a mischievous 8-year-old girl would do anything to spend time with her father and older brother at sea. In an effort to keep her home and safe, her mother begins to share with her the most elaborate mythological tales about falling stars. But this only stokes the little girl’s imagination further, and she sets out to find one at night in an enchanting tale about childlike curiosity and wonder.
Ya Hoota (2020)
Directed by Latifa Al-Darwish, Abdulaziz Yousef | 11’
A little girl attempts to save the moon from a gigantic whale along with her cousin. Will she succeed?