Qatar Foundation to Launch Second Edition of D’reesha Performing Arts Festival Sunday

Doha, December 06 (QNA) - Qatar Foundation announced Tuesday that the second edition of D’reesha Performing Arts Festival will kick off next Sunday, from Dec. 11 to 17. The festival is set to celebrate Qatar’s rich culture and heritage, in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. This year, the festival is being held under the theme "Travel and Adventure", and inspired by the explorer Ibn Battuta, it will showcase a variety of performances in Arabic and English, from storytelling, music, and poetry to visual arts and theater. HE Minister of Social Development and Family Mariam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad said: "Through this strategic partnership, the Ministry of Social Development and Family seeks to enhance the conception of Qatari citizens as being productive, and to change the culture of consumption to one of innovation and creativity." "At the Ministry of Social Development and Family, we are always keen to support productive families, and to increase their presence and productivity within the community. Their participation in the D’reesha Performing Arts Festival will provide them with an opportunity to showcase their efforts and to increase their integration in national events in Qatar, especially as D’reesha is a cultural event that will gather together different elements of society in line with the hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022," HE the Minister stressed. Mayan M. Zebeib, Chief Communications Officer at Qatar Foundation, said: "The D’reesha Performing Arts Festival is an opportunity for us to share Qatar’s rich cultural heritage with guests from around the world, as well as encourage international dialogue and engage our local community." "With D’reesha of Invention focusing on STEM, and interactive workshops and performances of music, poetry, and the visual arts taking place throughout the festival, we hope that our visitors will enjoy experiencing the performing arts in this unique way," she added. Dr. Ghanem Bin Mubarak Al Ali, Cultural Advisor at Ministry of Culture, said: "The D’reesha Performing Arts Festival is a space for cultural communication between people, and the importance of this year’s edition of the festival is that it takes place during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, allowing visitors to Qatar from different cultural backgrounds to explore Qatari heritage and culture." "In addition to this, the festival is an opportunity to exchange knowledge by enabling its audience to discover more about different aspects of art that reflect our local community’s ecosystem of values. It will showcase an accumulation of knowledge that can benefit humanity," he added. The D’reesha Performing Arts Festival is being held in collaboration with principal partners ConocoPhillips Qatar and the Social & Sport Contribution Fund. Strategic partners are the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Social Development and Family, Doha Film Institute, Torba Farmers Market, Woqod, and Dukhan Bank. Main performances during the festival include Ibn Battuta, which features regional artists, QF students, and members of the community; RUMI: The Musical; and Ajyal Tunes. The festival will also have cultural performances from Qatar and other nations such as Morocco, Senegal, Turkey, and Greece. STEM shows and workshops will also take place during the festival as part of D’reesha of Invention, which is being sponsored by ConocoPhillips Qatar, showcasing scientists, scholars, and researchers from the Arab world. Local heritage will also play a large part in the festival, with Al Khater House hosting the Poetry Majlis, traditional games, and film screenings, along with merchandising and the return of Torba Farmers Market. A series of artists will present poems about Palestine during the festival, including Rawdah AlHajj and Anas Al Dogheim, while Dalal Abu Amneh will showcase the history of the Arab and Islamic world by combining music with art and science. (QNA)