Liwan Design Studios and Labs, a cultural centre in Msheireb Downtown (Doha), presents Honour the Past, To Celebrate the Future: Qatar’s Educational Vision. This permanent exhibition traces the journey of female education in Qatar from its early days to its current role as a cornerstone of national identity and innovation.
Located within the former Banat El Doha school building, which now houses Liwan, the exhibition unfolds across the newly inaugurated Amna Mahmoud Al Jaidah Hall. Named after the founder and first principal of the school, the hall and its exhibition celebrate the visionaries who championed the education of women in Qatar beginning in the late 1930s. Through archival photographs, rare documents, recorded interviews, and interactive media, the show explores the narrative of Qatar’s first girls’ school (later known as Umm Almo’meen Primary School) and its lasting impact on the country’s intellectual and social development.
Organised in collaboration with Qatar Museums and VCUarts Qatar, the exhibition is part of an academic design course led by Sheikha Reem Al‑Thani. It blends historical research with contemporary design, offering visitors an informative and emotionally resonant experience. The contributions of VCUarts Qatar students and faculty have played a vital role in shaping the exhibition’s spatial storytelling and curatorial depth.
Honour the Past, To Celebrate the Future is a tribute to the generations of Qatari women whose educational experiences laid the groundwork for a society that continues to value knowledge, creativity, and empowerment. It invites reflection on the Banat El Doha school building’s transformation into a multidisciplinary design hub: a symbol of how heritage and progress can coexist.
The exhibition includes oral histories from alumni, immersive video installations, and opportunities for visitors to contribute their reflections on learning, memory, and identity. Workshops and public programmes further extend its impact, turning the exhibition into an active site of dialogue and cultural exchange.
To get more information about Honour the Past, To Celebrate the Future, please go to the official web page of the exhibition.
You might also be interested in exploring Sites of Imagination by Wafa al-Hamad and Qatar: Close to My Soul — Art from the Collection of Abdulla bin Ali Al Thani. Additionally, we recommend that you visit the Women’s Museum.
