As high anticipation builds in the country with two days ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Qatar Foundation (QF) opened a unique exhibition featuring photographs and stories by a diverse group of people, yesterday.
‘Goals’ exhibition shares insights into people’s World Cup journey through a range of mediums including digital and analogue photography, videography, public presentation, and the written word.
A diverse group of storytellers share their experiences of living in Qatar in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and demonstrates how football can serve as a catalyst for change.
People during the ‘Goals’ exhibition.
In the exhibition, some 40 storytellers from 20 countries ranging from workers and students to artists and football coaches, tell their personal experiences of football, society, and culture in the run-up to the tournament.
“Goals programme started out of wanting to hear the stories from Qatar; enabling people to have a platform to communicate to the world on how they associate with football and journey of the game,” said Manager of Engagement and Activation at QF’s Education City, Brooke Reid while speaking to The Peninsula.
“For the past year we have been working with the storytellers teaching them how to use analogue and digital cameras, about storytelling and written words,” she added.
Reid said that the fact being all storytellers are from different walks of life makes the exhibition unique.
“The storytellers want the world to know more about them and what life is like for them in Qatar,” she added.
‘Goals’ programme was launched in November 2021 by QF in partnership with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy’s Generation Amazing programme, The Sports Creative, Goal Click, and Al Salam International. Among one of the exhibitors at the ‘Goals’ exhibition - Inamul Hasan shares an inspiring story coming from Sri Lanka to work in a private company in Qatar and he is today a football coach, ambassador, and workers’ advocate.
“The ‘Goals’ programme helped me improve my photography skills, I used the camera to capture and document the lives of workers and their passion for football,” he said showing range of 10 photos including about workers practicing football and people with disabilities enjoy a game at Education City Stadium during the FIFA Arab Cup 2021.
Fellow ‘Goals’ participant Mehreen Fazal, shares the story of her football journey including volunteering with refugees at the Afghan compound and the changes she sees taking place in Qatar – through photos and words.
“I was a volunteer at QF when joined ‘Goals’ in November 2021, which gave me the opportunity to share my World Cup journey and document it with words and pictures,” said Fazal.
‘Goals’ is being showcased at QF’s Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar and is set to run until December 10.
