Doha: Qatar Museums (QM) yesterday announced details of #QatarCreates, an extensive programme of workshops and panel talks organised to celebrate the inauguration of the highly anticipated National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ).

On March 25, Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts Qatar will host a panel discussion from 4pm to 5.30pm about how art schools have changed in the past decades and what the future of art education might look like. “Public Art & Cultural Heritage” will be take place from  5pm to 6.30pm at the Fire Station same day. On March 26 at 11am, Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art will host a panel discussion on “Museums of Modern Art—Current Trends, East and West,” focusing on aspects of curatorial practice, programming and socio-political engagement.

There will also be an interactive talk at MIA auditorium from 11am to 12.30pm on how celebrities dress for the red carpet and reveal the considerations that inform their choices followed by “The Women’s Gaze in Art and Life,” from 2.30pm to 4pm.

From 1pm to 2.30pm on March 27 Philip Jodidio, author of more than 100 books on art and architecture, will moderate a panel discussion on “Architecture as the Face of a Nation” featuring Jean Nouvel, architect of the NMoQ and Rem Koolhaas, architect of the Qatar National Library among others.

The official public opening day on March 28 will see four talks and panels at the NMoQ itself including “Designing the Desert Rose” from 9.30am to 11am, “Great Museums of the World” from 11am to 12.30pm, “The Art of Engagement” from 4pm to 5.30pm, and “National Museum of Qatar Art Films – Museum as Cinema-Space,” from 6pm to 9pm.

H E Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani will host a conversation with iconic designer Diane von Furstenberg on March 29 from 2pm to 3pm at the Qatar National Library. The talk will touch on art, fashion and life, addressing global developments in fashion and how the fashion industry has evolved over time. The series will conclude on March 29 with a presentation on “Arab Art Today”moderated by Reem Al Thani, QM’s Director of Exhibitions, held from 5pm to 6.30pm at Mathaf.

Meanwhile, starting from March 28, admission to NMoQ, MIA and Mathaf will be charged at the entrance. General admission will be QR50 for adults; QR25 for students and free for children under 16, Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family Members, and visitors with disabilities. Tickets will be free of charge for residents of Qatar, with a valid Qatar ID.

General admission tickets include exhibitions within the museum and are valid for three consecutive days from the date of first admission. Museum Pass is QR100 and permits admission to all museums and venues, valid for three consecutive days from the date of first admission.