UAE Pavilion at Expo 2023 Doha: Encouraging environmental stewardship among the young
The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2023 Doha continues to welcome its guests for a multisensory journey under the theme ‘Nurturing Legacy,’ which details the UAE’s agricultural legacy and its pioneers and dreamers who contribute to food resiliency and sustainability.
The February programs at the pavilion shed light on important topics such as food and water security, agricultural innovation, and sustainability. The program is open to Expo visitors and the local community of all ages.
Children’s program
On February 9 and February 10, 2024, in the lead-up to the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, the UAE Pavilion will host two days of bilingual educational workshops and storytelling reading sessions for children in English and Arabic.
The workshops and reading sessions in partnership with Early Starters, will be centered around two female Dreamers Noura AlMansouri, a specialist at the Marine Conservation and Assessment Team at Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), and Dr. Tarifa Al Zaabi, Director General at International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), featured in the UAE Pavilion at Expo children’s storybook “Dreamers: Where Land Meets Sea.”
The reading sessions will be followed by educational crafting activities, open for children of all ages, that are inspired by the stories of the female Dreamers. These educational sessions seek to instill a deeper understanding and appreciation for marine conservation and agricultural innovation, bringing the UAE’s natural environment to life.
Workshops
The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2023 will also host the ‘Beauty in Nurturing Nature series,’ that focus on environmental mindfulness and a deeper appreciation for sustainability through the creative process.
The first session ‘Beauty in Nurturing Nature series,’ will take place on February 16 and 17, co-created with the UAE-based Swalif Collective, a UAE-based art and literature collective that develops platforms for young artists to share and build their written and visual practices.
The session ‘Archiving our Garden,’ led by Yoshi (Aisha Al Ali), a multidisciplinary visual artist from Abu Dhabi, seeks to encourage environmental mindfulness and a deeper appreciation for sustainability through the creative process.
The workshops will lead guests in print-making activities, utilizing techniques to create beautiful designs on tote bags and recycled paper for guests to take home. The creations will be inspired by the UAE Pavilion’s garden.
In addition to teaching artistic skills and fostering a deeper appreciation for nature, participants will be able to create beautiful and sustainable artworks.
Zine making
‘Notes on Our Environment’ is the second in the UAE Pavilion’s Beauty in Nurturing Nature series of workshops that will encourage nurturing nature and environmental stewardship through the creative process.
The workshop, hosted by the UAE Pavilion, wiil be led by Salem Al Suwaidi and Abdulla Al Klindi, two Emirati multidisciplinary print and visual artists who lead the Swalif Collective.
The workshop and sessions are tailored with sustainability in mind through exploring the world of zine-making, a captivating and engaging creative outlet for self-expression that allows for personal storytelling and artistic exploration through print media. Using recycled materials and sustainable paper, this workshop will encourage guests of the UAE Pavilion to create mini-booklets as a reminder of the importance of nurturing nature and the environment.
During March, the UAE Pavilion at Expo 2023 Doha will continue its creative programming with more storytelling and activity sessions for audiences of all ages to learn about the natural landscape of the UAE, our Dreamers and their innovative contributions to advancing food and water security.
The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2023 Doha opened in October 2023 and will run until March 28, 2024.
