BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME:gcdndoha26
X-WR-CALDESC:Event Calendar
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//Sched.com GCDN Annual Convening – Doha 2026//EN
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260413T100000Z
DTEND:20260413T120000Z
SUMMARY:NEW MEMBERS LUNCH
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:Doha Design District\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:3ea6cc54a18c65b85dcb41787f010d7c
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/3ea6cc54a18c65b85dcb41787f010d7c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260413T143000Z
DTEND:20260413T150000Z
SUMMARY:REGISTRATIONS
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:Profiles Café and Restaurant - M7\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:640a06dc6a8af39a8f06dc858212c817
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/640a06dc6a8af39a8f06dc858212c817
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260413T150000Z
DTEND:20260413T180000Z
SUMMARY:WELCOME RECEPTION
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:Profiles Café and Restaurant - M7\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:813e28a2bd5b492475fffdf98afdc3d8
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/813e28a2bd5b492475fffdf98afdc3d8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T050000Z
DTEND:20260414T060000Z
SUMMARY:REFRESHMENTS AND REGISTRATIONS
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d5fb322cb61394ba5e19701056e6f8ae
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/d5fb322cb61394ba5e19701056e6f8ae
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T060000Z
DTEND:20260414T063000Z
SUMMARY:FILM SCREENING TBC
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7ed52a4c71653716c8dd6ffe2c40eda0
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/7ed52a4c71653716c8dd6ffe2c40eda0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T063000Z
DTEND:20260414T073000Z
SUMMARY:FROM THE PRESENT TO THE FUTURE: QATAR’S CULTURAL TRAJECTORY
DESCRIPTION:Over the past five decades\, Qatar has invested in cultural infrastructure – both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’' – as part of a long-term strategy to diversify the economy\, underpin and celebrate national identity\, cultivate talent\, shape public space\, and position the country as an active participant in global cultural exchange. In this opening session\, Her Excellency Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani will describe how Qatar is building its cultural ecosystem\, where some common assumptions miss the mark\, and the challenges and opportunities ahead. In conversation with Adrian Ellis\, Her Excellency will reflect on the considerations behind major investments\, the links between culture and place\, infrastructure and community\, and the local and global forces that shape cultural life – setting the scene for our wider explorations over the days ahead.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:f4c9165fd01af117de8437055abb1dc9
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/f4c9165fd01af117de8437055abb1dc9
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T073000Z
DTEND:20260414T080000Z
SUMMARY:BREAK & BREAKOUT
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c40bf6321c9e331cecd0409bc71169cb
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/c40bf6321c9e331cecd0409bc71169cb
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T080000Z
DTEND:20260414T090000Z
SUMMARY:[B/OUT] BLOWING HOT AND COLD: PUBLIC CULTURE IN EXTREME CLIMATES
DESCRIPTION:Climate and weather shape what public culture can be and when it can happen. Every place negotiates this\, but some geographies have always had to treat it as a primary design and programming question rather than a backdrop. In the Gulf and other arid regions\, heat pushes public life indoors or into the night. In far northern contexts\, long winters\, darkness and snow reshape how and when people gather outside. In both settings\, artists and cultural leaders have developed a distinct curatorial language for working with time\, seasonality\, and comfort in environments hostile to lingering. As climate extremes intensify everywhere\, these places are becoming laboratories for how culture can keep public space usable and meaningful under changing conditions. How do artists\, curators\, and cultural leaders treat climatic extremes as a creative brief rather than a limitation? What does creativity look like when concerns over materials\, maintenance\, and energy use must come before artistic choices? Looking at contrasting examples from the Gulf and the “great north”\, this breakout explores these tensions and asks what lessons other geographies might draw as they adapt to a less predictable world.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:8be076a467470727586cf8605f59f1a4
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/8be076a467470727586cf8605f59f1a4
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T080000Z
DTEND:20260414T090000Z
SUMMARY:[B/OUT] FROM FRANCHISES TO FRAMEWORKS
DESCRIPTION:Across the Gulf\, some of the most visible cultural projects of the past two decades have been built through partnerships with Western museums\, brands\, and consultancies. Those alliances have helped deliver at speed and brought useful standards. They have also raised harder questions about authorship\, dependency\, and the risk of being defined through imported templates. This breakout looks at how institutions can keep the value of global partnerships while shifting the terms. What does it take to move from one-way “knowledge transfer” to locally anchored frameworks that are co-written over time? What is worth carrying forward from Western models\, and what needs to be consciously unlearned? And how do you build the local capability and confidence that lets international connections strengthen an ecosystem\, rather than overwrite it?
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e3552bdf0bf4f5cf5f6a5ee662246457
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/e3552bdf0bf4f5cf5f6a5ee662246457
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T080000Z
DTEND:20260414T090000Z
SUMMARY:[B/OUT] ONLY CONNECT: HOW DIGITAL IS SHAPING MISSION
DESCRIPTION:Over the past decade\, cultural organisations and districts have adopted digital tools and experiences to keep pace with changing audiences and operating conditions. Increasingly\, though\, digital is no longer confined to that terrain. It is part of national and regional strategies for growth and innovation\, while continuing to shape how institutions understand their audiences\, their role\, and how they plan for the future. This opens a harder set of questions. If digital is serving multiple ends – access\, participation\, visibility\, revenue – which do we prioritise without losing the thread of mission? And what does “future-proofing” mean when the tools\, audiences\, risks\, and opportunities keep shifting? In a year shaped by Qatar Museums’ Years of Culture programme with Canada and Mexico\, this session brings three vantage points into the same conversation – national direction\, museum strategy\, and an artist’s practice of building participation in public life – to explore what it takes to move from reactive adoption to intentional digital strategy.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:3407e30c0d17fa6a99b787e40d3ceebd
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/3407e30c0d17fa6a99b787e40d3ceebd
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T080000Z
DTEND:20260414T090000Z
SUMMARY:[B/OUT] PRACTICE\, POLICY\, POWER: WOMEN LEADING CULTURE IN THE GULF
DESCRIPTION:Women have long been key figures in cultural leadership throughout the Gulf and the wider Arab world. They are not recent arrivals but have historically shaped institutions\, programs\, and cultural diplomacy. Although outside narratives sometimes depict women’s leadership as a recent development or merely symbolic\, the reality shows decades of meaningful influence across museums\, cultural agencies\, government ministries\, biennials\, and arts foundations. This session explores how women in the region navigate institutional power\, cultural governance\, and public mandates spanning identity and heritage\, creative economies\, and global engagement. It will examine what shapes what becomes visible and supported\, as well as how legitimacy\, trust\, and continuity are built – and how these leaders balance tradition and innovation across diverse sociopolitical environments.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:5d50407df4d7fc7caf8678a5073d7f1d
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/5d50407df4d7fc7caf8678a5073d7f1d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T090000Z
DTEND:20260414T093000Z
SUMMARY:BREAK
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:677a62ad61289fd5bfd2d0efb8452483
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/677a62ad61289fd5bfd2d0efb8452483
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T093000Z
DTEND:20260414T110000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] ADVANCING MUSEUM AND HERITAGE PROFESSIONALS IN SMALL STATES: FROM LOCAL CUSTODIANS TO SHAPERS OF INTERNATIONAL DISCOURSE
DESCRIPTION:Many small states\, including Qatar\, KSA\, and others\, are advancing national development strategies that place skills development at the center of societal growth. In this context\, cultivating talent within museums and heritage institutions becomes a shared national imperative that contributes to broader nation-building objectives. The challenge of advancing museum and heritage professionals\, however\, is no longer simply meeting global standards\, but how to actively shape locally grounded expertise that engages with international practices while preserving authenticity and cultural autonomy. At a pivotal crossroads between global collaboration and cultural self-definition\, this session invites cultural leaders and policy experts to share approaches in how capacity building\, professional mobility\, cross-border partnerships\, and talent pathways can foster not a one-directional transfer of expertise\, but a dynamic\, reciprocal process of mutual learning that advances skills within museum and heritage ecosystems. By examining scalable mechanisms that connect custodians of heritage and research from the region with global practitioners in sustained and equitable ways\, especially across small-states contexts\, participants will come out of the session with an understanding in not only new approaches to institutional resilience but also how to empower museum and heritage professionals in their journey to shaping international discourse. In particular\, this workshop situates museum and heritage capacity development within the national strategic frameworks of small states\, demonstrating how targeted talent pathways moves towards the goals of nation-building.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a111ab24a117b9d9c7425e745f61bce1
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/a111ab24a117b9d9c7425e745f61bce1
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T093000Z
DTEND:20260414T110000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] CULTURAL VITALITY: MEASURING WHAT MATTERS
DESCRIPTION:Cultural districts are more than collections of venues\, they are civic spaces\, social infrastructures\, and places of identity and belonging. Yet what we measure often tells only part of the story. This interactive workshop invites GCDN members to explore how we define and measure 'vitality' in our districts. Moving beyond attendance figures and economic impact\, the session introduces a practical framework for understanding cultural vitality across seven interconnected dimensions. Through hands-on mapping\, peer exchange and a guided self-diagnostic\, participants will reflect on what their districts currently measure\, what remains invisible\, and how measurement shapes strategy and governance. The workshop will generate practical insights\, shared challenges and new questions to take back to your organization's leadership and teams. It will invite participants to rethink how we evidence success\, ensuring our cultural districts remain vibrant\, inclusive and resilient for the long term.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b33bc770944350f3bbff61f5e41821ee
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/b33bc770944350f3bbff61f5e41821ee
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T093000Z
DTEND:20260414T110000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] FROM MEANS TO AN END: HOW TO BUILD A BRIEF
DESCRIPTION:Many ambitious cultural infrastructure projects end up solving the wrong problem\, or trying to solve too many at once. The result can be architecture that is impressive on opening day but poorly aligned with the place it serves and the relationships it is meant to support. At its root\, this is a brief problem. The “why” needs to be clear before the “what”. Buildings are oftentimes seen as a means to an end\, but they can also be seen as vessels\, as a way to be part of the delivery and implementation of the mission of the institution it is home to. Drawing on the perspective of GCDN affiliate members\, this workshop works through the questions that make a brief useful to architects\, not just inspiring on paper. What is the project actually trying to change in this place? Who is it for in practice? What does “working” look like on a normal day? What are the non-negotiables\, and where is genuine flexibility helpful? The aim is a clearer shared language between client and architect\, so the building that follows fits its context and does what it was envisioned to do.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e7d516aab0a680da978a327e73947a99
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/e7d516aab0a680da978a327e73947a99
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T093000Z
DTEND:20260414T110000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] FROM PARTY TO LIFE: RETHINKING NIGHTTIME IN CULTURAL DISTRICTS
DESCRIPTION:Nighttime is often associated with parties\, music\, and alcohol. The Nighttime Foundation challenges this narrow view\, championing the hours after dark as a vital dimension of cultural\, social\, and civic life. Cultural districts can leverage the night as an extension of neighborhood life\, enabling unique experiences\, artistic experimentation\, intergenerational gathering\, and community building. This facilitates distinct forms of expression\, even if the core activities mirror those found during the day. As cities rethink how and when public life unfolds\, activities after dark can also offer a more sustainable and inclusive choice – providing more comfortable conditions for participation and opening up cultural spaces to a wider range of people\, including families\, children\, and older residents. Drawing on the Creative Footprint (CFP)\, VibeLab's research methodology for assessing cultural value at a city scale\, this workshop invites attendees to explore a more expansive vision of cultural life after dark. In collaboration with LUCI\, the session will incorporate perspectives on lighting practices\, examining how light shapes perceptions of accessibility\, safety\, comfort\, and belonging in public spaces. Together\, we will explore three interconnected dimensions of culture at night: community\, spaces\, and operating conditions\, to co-create a shared framework for inclusive cultural activity after dark. By translating global insights to hyper-local settings\, this workshop is designed as a mutual exchange where participants are encouraged to bring examples from their own cities or districts\, reflecting on how nighttime spaces are activated for culture\, which demographics or communities these spaces cater to\, and how lighting shapes the activities that can occur after dark.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b03d649b7844d02a319acaf2a7dfb6fe
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/b03d649b7844d02a319acaf2a7dfb6fe
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T093000Z
DTEND:20260414T110000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] WORKSHOPPING THE DOHA DESIGN DISTRICT
DESCRIPTION:Envisioned by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and carried by Msheireb Properties\, Doha Design District was established to anchor Msheireb Downtown Doha as a hub for design\, innovation\, and creative exchange in Qatar. As a recently designated district\, it sits at a pivotal moment\, moving from early momentum toward the harder work of defining a durable identity. In this workshop\, GCDN members will work alongside the DDD Director to open the hood of the district and examine foundational choices around identity\, programming\, partnerships\, public space\, and operating models. Drawing on peer experience from other contexts\, the session focuses on what it takes to translate a strong creative ambition into a coherent\, sustainable piece of city life.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e47eda60d932b7ab818d51abac240861
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/e47eda60d932b7ab818d51abac240861
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T110000Z
DTEND:20260414T123000Z
SUMMARY:LUNCH
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:National Museum of Qatar\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:53fd8221cf5c57f9ef34c87365676183
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/53fd8221cf5c57f9ef34c87365676183
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T123000Z
DTEND:20260414T140000Z
SUMMARY:VISIT OR CULTURAL ACTIVITY TBC
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:TBA\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:08a82b2be7a0b87fd80c37c5ef3b7216
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/08a82b2be7a0b87fd80c37c5ef3b7216
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T123000Z
DTEND:20260414T140000Z
SUMMARY:VISIT OR CULTURAL ACTIVITY TBC
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:TBA\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:4fc81d756077cb6b12540267daa228ab
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/4fc81d756077cb6b12540267daa228ab
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T123000Z
DTEND:20260414T140000Z
SUMMARY:VISIT OR CULTURAL ACTIVITY TBC
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:TBA\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:805574d678a1a14230f8691e364e99c2
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/805574d678a1a14230f8691e364e99c2
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T123000Z
DTEND:20260414T140000Z
SUMMARY:VISIT OR CULTURAL ACTIVITY TBC
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:TBA\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:bfbc00ac9e67cf522c0c0b87edda8f3d
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/bfbc00ac9e67cf522c0c0b87edda8f3d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T123000Z
DTEND:20260414T140000Z
SUMMARY:VISIT OR CULTURAL ACTIVITY TBC
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:TBA\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e5de6178510e644bed29501d9c0bf537
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/e5de6178510e644bed29501d9c0bf537
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260414T163000Z
DTEND:20260414T193000Z
SUMMARY:HOSTED DINNER
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:Bayt Sharq\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2feb5e6b8b664fe46fc21a2a7e38a217
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/2feb5e6b8b664fe46fc21a2a7e38a217
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T050000Z
DTEND:20260415T060000Z
SUMMARY:REFRESHMENTS AND REGISTRATIONS
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7581f53144dca1bb5d9d5053a5ede534
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/7581f53144dca1bb5d9d5053a5ede534
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T060000Z
DTEND:20260415T063000Z
SUMMARY:KEYNOTE: LORD NORMAN FOSTER
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e0b5be73c9df43af5089640e23529fdc
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/e0b5be73c9df43af5089640e23529fdc
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T063000Z
DTEND:20260415T073000Z
SUMMARY:FROM THE PRESENT TO THE FUTURE: FOSTERING CULTURAL LEGACY
DESCRIPTION:Legacy is often spoken about as something that comes later\, assessed in hindsight once a project is delivered or a chapter closes. In practice\, it is shaped much earlier through a steady accumulation of choices made in the present. It is not something that arrives at the end. It is constantly being made. Opening a second day of conversations\, this plenary looks at legacy as the connection between today’s choices and tomorrow’s publics – a collective effort of policy and stewardship beyond personal imprint. What gets set early and becomes hard to undo? How do decisions about mandate\, governance\, investment priorities\, partnerships\, talent\, and the everyday relationship between institutions and public life shape what endures\, what fades\, and what others inherit? In places where cultural ambition moves fast\, what must still move slowly if the work is meant to last? And how do leaders build continuity in ways that leave room for the next generation – not simply invited in once the story is written\, but involved early\, with real agency to help write it? In other words\, how can cultural and civic leaders act today to foster the legacy of tomorrow?
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:5b0f8e218923366fad07afc1b6fca3ea
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/5b0f8e218923366fad07afc1b6fca3ea
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T073000Z
DTEND:20260415T080000Z
SUMMARY:GROUP PICTURE
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:256d27e2908378d28a193e4505d00b67
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/256d27e2908378d28a193e4505d00b67
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T080000Z
DTEND:20260415T083000Z
SUMMARY:BREAK & BREAKOUT
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:89b266c3d07e6c44902c033d4795f6f0
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/89b266c3d07e6c44902c033d4795f6f0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T083000Z
DTEND:20260415T093000Z
SUMMARY:FOR-PROFIT CULTURE IN DISTRICT-MAKING
DESCRIPTION:The most vital cultural ecologies – including cultural districts – are those in which the public\, non-profit\, and private sectors are all present\, engaged\, and interconnected. Much public investment is\, in practice\, aimed at encouraging private activity – whether cultural consumption through commercial galleries\, auction houses\, music venues\, commercial theatre and immersive experiences\, or production across the creative industries\, from film and TV to design\, fashion\, graphics\, recording and sound stages. This session considers the critical roles private sector cultural and creative entities play in successful districts – how this activity is planned for\, how it is managed\, and how its contribution to the cultural vitality of a district can be strengthened and optimised.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:6a980fbb275c67d56c10450f6d7e933b
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/6a980fbb275c67d56c10450f6d7e933b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T083000Z
DTEND:20260415T093000Z
SUMMARY:LOOKING TO THE PAST TO DESIGN THE FUTURE
DESCRIPTION:Most of the cultural infrastructure projects of the late 20th and early 21st centuries were envisioned to perform a simple trick: astonish. Over the past decade\, that model has been steadily eroded. Cities are under tighter environmental and resource constraints\, and cultural venues are being judged less on opening-day impact and more on long-term fit. That is pushing more projects toward reuse\, flexibility\, and buildings that can function as everyday civic space. In that shift\, the past is returning in a specific way. Not as nostalgia\, but as building practices that grew out of place. Materials that suit the climate\, layouts that match how people actually move\, gather\, and linger\, and a relationship to the wider urban fabric that can’t be imported. So what does this look like in practice? How do you learn from older techniques without just recreating the look? What gets carried forward\, and what gets left behind on purpose? And how do architects and cultural clients hold on to what worked then while making room for new uses and new publics now? In other words\, how can we successfully look to the past to design the future?
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e809949c9eb52c91d67cf21d064acf84
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/e809949c9eb52c91d67cf21d064acf84
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T083000Z
DTEND:20260415T093000Z
SUMMARY:MEGA-EVENTS AND THE SPECTACLE OF CULTURE
DESCRIPTION:Mega-events create connection at scale. For a few weeks\, cities and countries run at a frenetic pace with the eyes of the world fixed upon them. Arts and culture play a big part in that\, participating in many ways in crafting the spectacle with the promise of benefits for the whole ecosystem. This session asks what it takes to make that promise real. What does it mean when spectacle becomes part of national strategy\, tied to tourism ambition\, cultural diplomacy\, and long-term positioning? How do host cities manage the tension between opportunity and strain as visitor surges collide with everyday public life? And what is the artist’s job when a commission is asked to carry symbolism on a global stage\, while operating inside tight constraints and competing agendas? In other words\, what does it take to convert a temporary surge into value that still holds once the moment has passed?
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:882119f25743f311e0813a2a6b3a3a3d
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/882119f25743f311e0813a2a6b3a3a3d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T083000Z
DTEND:20260415T093000Z
SUMMARY:PLACEMAKING BEYOND THE WESTERN PLAYBOOK
DESCRIPTION:Successful public spaces are shaped through the careful cultivation of relationships. When done well\, creative placemaking moves beyond practical or visual outcomes to become cultural work\, shaping how people experience places\, recognise themselves in them\, and feel entitled to remain. However\, much of placemaking language\, knowledge and metrics are rooted in Western practice. In many other contexts\, the work sits in the grey zone between formal rules and informal life\, where public space is negotiated day by day rather than delivered as a finished product. This session leans into that reality and asks what we learn when we take local practice seriously while still looking for insights that travel. How do people come to feel ownership of place in practice\, not just in principle? How are responsibilities shared when no single actor fully controls the space? And what does it take to hold space for connection over time\, without defaulting to short-term visibility or imported templates that look good on paper but don’t hold on the street?
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0f46fd1a7c6ffa56b43c12ea54eaab63
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/0f46fd1a7c6ffa56b43c12ea54eaab63
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T093000Z
DTEND:20260415T100000Z
SUMMARY:BREAK
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:daa5dae5cd0d3ea8366f6c03c1dbd41b
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/daa5dae5cd0d3ea8366f6c03c1dbd41b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T100000Z
DTEND:20260415T110000Z
SUMMARY:BEYOND FOLKLORE: HERITAGE AS CONTEMPORARY STRATEGY
DESCRIPTION:In many places\, cultural prestige has long been signalled through Western canons and global contemporary circuits\, while heritage practices and traditional crafts were pushed to the side as tourism attractions or symbolic backdrop. At the same time\, local contemporary artists have often been drawing on their own histories\, techniques\, and materials\, with or without institutional backing. That balance is shifting. Cultural leaders are increasingly treating heritage as a live source for contemporary work\, and asking artists and communities to carry it forward. This breakout asks what it means to build that shift into policy and long-term strategy. What does it look like to centre heritage in ways that strengthen ecosystems\, leave room for artistic risk\, and still speak to diverse publics? And what kinds of long-term commitments\, governance arrangements\, and investment choices are needed for this turn to the past to genuinely reshape how places present themselves to their own publics and to the world? In other words\, how do past and present connect in ways that shape the future on their own terms?
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:bcb8900d09d2ac0274aaf521acf0f641
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/bcb8900d09d2ac0274aaf521acf0f641
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T100000Z
DTEND:20260415T110000Z
SUMMARY:FROM INFRASTRUCTURE TO ECOSYSTEMS
DESCRIPTION:In the last quarter-century\, many cities and countries have poured immense resources into cultural infrastructure designed to anchor urban renewal and project global ambition. As these assets come online\, it is increasingly clear that long-term sustainability rests less on the buildings themselves than on what surrounds and activates them: workforce\, commissioning and programming strategy\, institutional culture and governance\, and the relationships that tie organisations to their publics and wider stakeholders. So how do we connect capital projects to operating reality? How can cultural leaders navigate political pressure for visible capital projects while insisting on the slower investments that determine whether an institution takes root and matures with its community\, or stalls after opening? Looking at the Gulf context and beyond\, this session examines what it means to shift from infrastructure-driven strategies to the work of cultivating cultural ecosystems.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:682c2b5adb80342b841ac7632f94ceb6
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/682c2b5adb80342b841ac7632f94ceb6
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T100000Z
DTEND:20260415T110000Z
SUMMARY:GOVERNANCE IS ALL
DESCRIPTION:The quality of governance fundamentally affects organisational effectiveness. It is where vision either takes root or unravels. It shapes how choices are made\, who carries authority\, and what happens when things go wrong. Effective governance creates clarity and continuity. Ineffective governance blurs mission\, saps confidence\, and shrinkens resources. This session treats governance as a working relationship\, not a structure. How do boards and CEOs stay aligned on mission when trade-offs are real and conditions keep shifting? What does healthy challenge look like? How is the line between governance and management walked? And how should boards manage the tension between their roles of representation\, resourcing\, oversight and self-renewal in a context of greater transparency\, sharper expectations\, and faster-moving risk?
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:cfbd1171c8e6d594b67af0f79051c658
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/cfbd1171c8e6d594b67af0f79051c658
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T110000Z
DTEND:20260415T123000Z
SUMMARY:LUNCH
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:fdff055a60e7c625bf0958685f2bce33
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/fdff055a60e7c625bf0958685f2bce33
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T123000Z
DTEND:20260415T140000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] ADVANCING MUSEUM AND HERITAGE PROFESSIONALS IN SMALL STATES: FROM LOCAL CUSTODIANS TO SHAPERS OF INTERNATIONAL DISCOURSE
DESCRIPTION:Many small states\, including Qatar\, KSA\, and others\, are advancing national development strategies that place skills development at the center of societal growth. In this context\, cultivating talent within museums and heritage institutions becomes a shared national imperative that contributes to broader nation-building objectives. The challenge of advancing museum and heritage professionals\, however\, is no longer simply meeting global standards\, but how to actively shape locally grounded expertise that engages with international practices while preserving authenticity and cultural autonomy. At a pivotal crossroads between global collaboration and cultural self-definition\, this session invites cultural leaders and policy experts to share approaches in how capacity building\, professional mobility\, cross-border partnerships\, and talent pathways can foster not a one-directional transfer of expertise\, but a dynamic\, reciprocal process of mutual learning that advances skills within museum and heritage ecosystems. By examining scalable mechanisms that connect custodians of heritage and research from the region with global practitioners in sustained and equitable ways\, especially across small-states contexts\, participants will come out of the session with an understanding in not only new approaches to institutional resilience but also how to empower museum and heritage professionals in their journey to shaping international discourse. In particular\, this workshop situates museum and heritage capacity development within the national strategic frameworks of small states\, demonstrating how targeted talent pathways moves towards the goals of nation-building.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:6ce377db98bae78a7e1dc97e65294456
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/6ce377db98bae78a7e1dc97e65294456
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T123000Z
DTEND:20260415T140000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] CULTURAL VITALITY: MEASURING WHAT MATTERS
DESCRIPTION:Cultural districts are more than collections of venues\, they are civic spaces\, social infrastructures\, and places of identity and belonging. Yet what we measure often tells only part of the story. This interactive workshop invites GCDN members to explore how we define and measure 'vitality' in our districts. Moving beyond attendance figures and economic impact\, the session introduces a practical framework for understanding cultural vitality across seven interconnected dimensions. Through hands-on mapping\, peer exchange and a guided self-diagnostic\, participants will reflect on what their districts currently measure\, what remains invisible\, and how measurement shapes strategy and governance. The workshop will generate practical insights\, shared challenges and new questions to take back to your organization's leadership and teams. It will invite participants to rethink how we evidence success\, ensuring our cultural districts remain vibrant\, inclusive and resilient for the long term.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:613dcf1343b65f936ead21665f6210db
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/613dcf1343b65f936ead21665f6210db
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T123000Z
DTEND:20260415T140000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] FROM MEANS TO AN END: HOW TO BUILD A BRIEF
DESCRIPTION:Many ambitious cultural infrastructure projects end up solving the wrong problem\, or trying to solve too many at once. The result can be architecture that is impressive on opening day but poorly aligned with the place it serves and the relationships it is meant to support. At its root\, this is a brief problem. The “why” needs to be clear before the “what”. Buildings are oftentimes seen as a means to an end\, but they can also be seen as vessels\, as a way to be part of the delivery and implementation of the mission of the institution it is home to. Drawing on the perspective of GCDN affiliate members\, this workshop works through the questions that make a brief useful to architects\, not just inspiring on paper. What is the project actually trying to change in this place? Who is it for in practice? What does “working” look like on a normal day? What are the non-negotiables\, and where is genuine flexibility helpful? The aim is a clearer shared language between client and architect\, so the building that follows fits its context and does what it was envisioned to do.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:6dfc77a5dc6b21b0ce796d2ba17550bb
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/6dfc77a5dc6b21b0ce796d2ba17550bb
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T123000Z
DTEND:20260415T140000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] FROM PARTY TO LIFE: RETHINKING NIGHTTIME IN CULTURAL DISTRICTS
DESCRIPTION:Nighttime is often associated with parties\, music\, and alcohol. The Nighttime Foundation challenges this narrow view\, championing the hours after dark as a vital dimension of cultural\, social\, and civic life. Cultural districts can leverage the night as an extension of neighborhood life\, enabling unique experiences\, artistic experimentation\, intergenerational gathering\, and community building. This facilitates distinct forms of expression\, even if the core activities mirror those found during the day. As cities rethink how and when public life unfolds\, activities after dark can also offer a more sustainable and inclusive choice – providing more comfortable conditions for participation and opening up cultural spaces to a wider range of people\, including families\, children\, and older residents. Drawing on the Creative Footprint (CFP)\, VibeLab's research methodology for assessing cultural value at a city scale\, this workshop invites attendees to explore a more expansive vision of cultural life after dark. In collaboration with LUCI\, the session will incorporate perspectives on lighting practices\, examining how light shapes perceptions of accessibility\, safety\, comfort\, and belonging in public spaces. Together\, we will explore three interconnected dimensions of culture at night: community\, spaces\, and operating conditions\, to co-create a shared framework for inclusive cultural activity after dark. By translating global insights to hyper-local settings\, this workshop is designed as a mutual exchange where participants are encouraged to bring examples from their own cities or districts\, reflecting on how nighttime spaces are activated for culture\, which demographics or communities these spaces cater to\, and how lighting shapes the activities that can occur after dark.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a091b87647ec3ef06ec6d571509d4ea8
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/a091b87647ec3ef06ec6d571509d4ea8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T123000Z
DTEND:20260415T140000Z
SUMMARY:[WORKSHOP] WORKSHOPPING THE DOHA DESIGN DISTRICT
DESCRIPTION:Envisioned by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and carried by Msheireb Properties\, Doha Design District was established to anchor Msheireb Downtown Doha as a hub for design\, innovation\, and creative exchange in Qatar. As a recently designated district\, it sits at a pivotal moment\, moving from early momentum toward the harder work of defining a durable identity. In this workshop\, GCDN members will work alongside the DDD Director to open the hood of the district and examine foundational choices around identity\, programming\, partnerships\, public space\, and operating models. Drawing on peer experience from other contexts\, the session focuses on what it takes to translate a strong creative ambition into a coherent\, sustainable piece of city life.
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c46571ec46513131120d217fd379adaf
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/c46571ec46513131120d217fd379adaf
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T140000Z
DTEND:20260415T143000Z
SUMMARY:BREAK
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:BREAKS & MISC
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:5db7ee95db01fba4bec9483df8a90ac0
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/5db7ee95db01fba4bec9483df8a90ac0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T143000Z
DTEND:20260415T153000Z
SUMMARY:NAVIGATING THE NOISE: THE URGENCY OF CONNECTIONS
DESCRIPTION:Culture connects people to places\, to ideas\, and to each other. It’s one of the few ways a society keeps talking to itself when so much else pulls it apart. Leadership\, among other things\, means taking responsibility for fostering those connections. That is becoming harder. Connection seems increasingly transactional\, visibility often outweighs depth\, and trust is harder to earn than attention. Leaders feel the pressure to respond quickly\, be present everywhere\, and prove relevance at all times. This plenary asks what it takes to lead a cultural institution in 2026. How do you create enough consensus and momentum to move an organisation forward when trade-offs are real and scrutiny is constant? What do you owe to continuity\, to stakeholders\, to mission and values\, and to staff\, and what happens when those obligations collide? Are the expanded roles our organisations have taken on still the right ones? As societal and economic stresses grow\, do we narrow our ambitions or set them more clearly and push harder? Which tensions have to be held rather than solved?
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:bc6b1df84c0079d0d668b3b89ed21c19
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/bc6b1df84c0079d0d668b3b89ed21c19
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T153000Z
DTEND:20260415T160000Z
SUMMARY:CLOSING REMARKS & 2027 ANNOUCEMENT
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:CONVENING SESSIONS
LOCATION:Museum of Islamic Art\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:19c5a62bcbdeee179fd2a8c2c571d59f
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/19c5a62bcbdeee179fd2a8c2c571d59f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260415T160000Z
DTEND:20260415T173000Z
SUMMARY:CLOSING RECEPTION
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:MIA Park\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:f4815f4ef2f3d84b622ce9bb8d575bc2
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/f4815f4ef2f3d84b622ce9bb8d575bc2
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260416T073000Z
DTEND:20260416T163000Z
SUMMARY:OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES & TOURS TBC
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:TBA\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:68b2d1f000a570bf49154223e826e2ea
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/68b2d1f000a570bf49154223e826e2ea
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260726T233357Z
DTSTART:20260416T080000Z
DTEND:20260416T110000Z
SUMMARY:ADVISORY BOARD MEETING & LUNCHEON
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:SOCIAL EVENTS
LOCATION:Jiwan Restaurant\, Doha\, Qatar
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2ee53383c1e1da68d9d1989ee7043218
URL:http://gcdndoha26.sched.com/event/2ee53383c1e1da68d9d1989ee7043218
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR