By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: The third annual Great British Festival Qatar 2016 has officially opened in celebration of culture, education, tourism and business, with special events marking the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare.
The festival was opened by British Ambassador Ajay Sharma, with Darwish Ahmed, Director, Marketing and International Affairs, Katara Cultural Village, which is cultural partner for the celebration. The festival until March 19 in partnership with British Council features everything from traditional British spring fetes to a football tournament and activities in hotels.
“I am proud to launch the festival, which promises to be the most enjoyable yet. It provides a platform for both countries to forge partnerships in commerce, tourism, culture, education and science. I encourage residents in Qatar to get involved over the next fortnight and enjoy some of the superb activities on offer,” said Sharma.
The Reduced Shakespeare Company will perform all his plays in 97 minutes on March 11; the movie Much Ado About Nothing, arguably the best film adaption of Shakespeare, will be screened on March 15, Qatar’s Philharmonic Orchestra will play a selection of famous music inspired by Shakespeare to close the festival on March 19. The full programme and ticket details can be viewed at https:llwww.facebook.com/britfestga/or find out more about the festival on Twitter or Instagram by following the handle @britfestqa.
To highlight Shakespeare’s contribution to the arts, Qatar Airways is offering one lucky festival participant the opportunity to win two return flights on the new direct route to Birmingham to enjoy a Shakespeare Experience, with free accommodation.
The Great Britain campaign is the UK’s most ambitious international marketing event and showcases the best the country offers to encourage more people to visit, study, invest in and do business with the UK.
Prospective students are invited to visit the annual ‘Study in the UK’ exhibition from March 13 to 14 at La Cigale Hotel. You can register in advance to gain fast access to the event at http://ga.edukexhibition.org.
Many British researchers from University College London in Qatar and in partnership with Unesco, will share recent archaeological investigations about the origins of Qatar and its historic towns at a ‘Cafe Scientifique” event on March 17 at Museum of Islamic Art Park Cafe II.
Frank Fitzpatrick, Director, British Council Qatar, said, “The council is delighted to again support the festival, in its third year. I look forward to another programme that welcomes the strength of our relationship with Qatar while creating opportunities for further collaboration and the exchange of knowledge and ideas.” Qatar Shell, Ezdan Holding Group, Park House Community Initiative and Blue Rubicon are official sponsors of the festival. The Peninsula
