From an Indian music concert to a summer market, to art displays and film screenings, there’s a lot going on in Doha over the next the few days. Here are our picks:
Library resources training session
The Qatar National Library (QNL) will hold a series of events and training sessions for residents this month, including an Arabic book discussion and practical training sessions to make use of the free online databases that are available on the QNL website.
QNL offers registered members free online access to a vast collection of resources, including best sellers, classical works, concerts and documentaries. Registration is free for those with valid Qatar ID/Residence Permits and can be done online here (however, your identity must be confirmed in person).
The interactive training sessions will help residents familiarize themselves with online e-books, resources and databases such as SpringerLink, ScienceDirect and Scopus, which involve science-based subjects and include a variety of scientific collections. These sessions and the book discussion on Ali Izetbegović’s Islam between East and West will be carried out on various scheduled days of the month.
The SpringerLink training sessions will be on May 8 from 3 to 4 pm in English and from 4:15 to 5:15pm in Arabic in Computer Lab B014A at the LAS Building in Education City. Admission is free, but limited seats are available. More information can be found here.
The Horizon exhibition
The Middle East Art and Silk Painters (MAPS) community will hold its first exhibition in Qatar, inaugurating the artwork of eight artists, including Rashmi Agarwal, Huda Al Mansoori, Ruchi Goel, Abeer Harmouch, Regina Zakrzewska, Lyuba Jalladyan and Ibtihaj Americani.
The event will launch on May 8 from 7pm to 10 pm at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The exhibition will continue to run until May 17 from 9 am onwards at the gallery space of Grand Hyatt.
MAPS is an art community that provides a forum for budding artists from different cultures and countries.
It helps its artistic members through various exhibitions, gallery representations and curatorial projects.
Admission is free for all.
‘LEGENDS’ Live concert
Two Indian music legends, S.P.Balasubrahmanyam and K.S. Chithra, will perform live at the volleyball stadium of the Al-Arabi Sports Club from 7pm to 10:30pm on May 9.
The National Award winners have ruled the playback music industry for several decades with with a number of hit and multilingual songs.
Tickets are available online here and at Lulu Exchange, Al Zaman Exchange, Doha Rocks, Grand Mart, Al Osra Restaurant, Shalimar Palace Restaurant, Rotana Restaurant (Barwa Village), Zaiba Jewellery and MRA restaurant.
Prices start at QR 100/person and cost QR250 per family (three people). A few seats are currently remaining for the VVIP category for QR500. Tickets are mandatory for kids five years and older.
For any more information, contact 50144395 or 70178784.
Doha Mums 6th Annual Summer Market
Back with the sixth edition of the Summer Market, Doha Mums will be showcasing new talents and a wide range of vendors on May 10 from 11am to 4pm at the Radisson Blu Hotel.
The annual market features 100 tables of handmade children and adult clothing, maternity and organic baby clothing, handmade patchwork quilts, art prints of Doha, handmade soaps, myriad of handmade jewellery, personalized stationery, paintings and home decorations made by vendors from Doha as well as a handful of vendors from Dubai.
Entry is QR 20/adult. Entry is free for children under the age of 12 years old.
DFI-MIA exhibition series
Continuing with its series of documentaries, the Doha Film Institute will screen Brooklyn Castle on May 8 and 9 at the Museum of Islamic Art auditorium from 7pm onwards.
The 102-minute feature documentary involves an inner-city New York school with the best junior high-school chess team in the country, even though 65 percent of the students come from poor households.
Chess transforms the school from “a school in need of improvement” to “New York City’s finest” until a series of recession-driven public-school budget cuts threatens to undermine their hard-earned success.
Tickets cost QR35/person and can be bought online here. Parental guidance is advised for young kids.
Bonus:
- Italian food festival: Il Teatro restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel will serve 30 types of Italian dishes on May 8 at 7pm. The restaurant will have five live cooking stations, and is accepting reservations until dinner time. Seats at QR350/person. Children are not advised to attend due to the serving of alcohol. Reservations can be made at 44948631.
- Concert: The Qatar Music Academy’s Western Music faculty department will come together for a special performance at Auditorium 3 of QNCC on Saturday, May 10 at 5pm. Works of Mozart, Schubert and Debussy will be showcased at the concert. It will also feature special guest artists such as Nayoung Kim as well as JALC performers Dominick Farinacci and Matthew Rybicki. Admission is free of charge and children are welcome.
- Pearl Cup 2014: Two tournaments- StreetBall and Beach Football – will be played on Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 at the Pearl-Qatar from 10am to 7pm. StreetBall is basically basketball but with three players-teams contesting with one basket, while beach football will consist of six-player teams competing at the Lido Venezia beach. Tickets are not required for participation, which is open to the public. Today is the last day to register and registrations are free of charge. For more information about participation, email at [email protected]
- 2nd Annual CSA exhibition: The Katara Art Center (KAC) will host the opening of the second annual Community Supported Art (CSA) exhibition tonight at 7pm. The selected nineteen Doha-based artists will get to showcase various artworks to the public and sell them to interested art collectors. The exhibition will continue to run until June 4. Over the next month, there will be a series of Artist Portfolio workshops and other educational programs to help emerging artists and art enthusiasts, as part of the CSA extended program.
What are your weekend plans? Thoughts?
