A child visitor at the National Children’s Museum in Washington DC, yesterday.
Washington: Children and families in the US are being given a taste of the Arabic language through the Alif Ba Exhibition in the country’s capital organised by Qatar Foundation (QF) as part of the celebrations of the Qatar-USA Year of Culture 2021.
The exhibition, which runs until February 2022, at the National Children’s Museum in Washington DC. is part of the activities of the Year of Culture program managed by Qatar Museums (QM) and is in partnership with the US for the year 2021. The program aims to promote cultural understanding and mutual respect between cultures by organising various events, activities and festivals.
At the Qatar America Institute of Culture, until August 2022, visitors can touch the letters that make up the letters of the Arabic alphabet and listen to the sound of each of them to discover Arabic words that start with those letters. From this, they can practice writing and tracing the Arabic alphabet for themselves.
Head of Culture Engagement and Activation at QF Hend Al Mousawi said: “As a culturally diverse organisation committed to building bridges of knowledge, preserving and promoting the Arabic language, culture, and heritage, and fostering social interaction, we are delighted to have brought the Alif Ba Exhibition to the capital of the United States.”
“This exhibition is an engaging, interactive, and fun way of sharing the beauty, richness, and enduring relevance of the Arabic language with a US audience, and reflects how Qatar Museums Years of Culture programme which QF is proud to support broadens minds and perspectives through bringing people together to learn, explore, and discover,” she added.
To celebrate the opening of the Alif Ba Exhibition, Qatar Foundation International partnered with the National Childrens Museum to host a festival that included an exploration of calligraphy, Arabic music, and storytelling. Over the coming weeks, the partnership will provide families in the US with the opportunity to enjoy a series of cultural programs led by Arabic language educators, including Arabic calligraphy classes, Arabic animal name sessions for children, and Darbuka drumming sessions.
