USA will be the Partner Nation for 2021 Year of Culture
Qatar Museums (QM), under the leadership of its Chairperson Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassabint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, announced that the United States of America will be the official partner nation for the 2021 Year of Culture.
After the Qatar-France 2020 Year of Culture the baton will be handed over to the USA as Qatar- USA 2021 Year of Culture will enhance cultural and artistic exchange and exemplifies the renewed commitment of the two nations to foster mutual understanding and promote intercultural dialogue. A cooperative agreement was signed on 14 September 2020 between the State of Qatar and the United States of America during the 2020 Qatar-United States Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C.
The specially curated 2021 Year of Culture will feature a wide-ranging programme of exhibitions, festivals, bilateral exchanges, and events to be held in both nations.
Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassabint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said: “We inaugurated the Year of Culture programme is celebrating Qatar’s successful bid to host the World Cup in 2022. We started our programme in 2012 celebrating Qatar – Japan’s 40 years of bilateral relations. We continued to celebrate cities hosting the World Cup, with Brazil in 2014 and Russia in 2018. The yearlong programme celebrates the two nations and the diversity of its people and cultures. Today it brings me great pleasure to announce that 2021 will be the Year of Culture between Qatar USA. Qatar will host the next World Cup in 2022 and the USA will bring the next version to its grounds in 2026. Culture goes beyond the arts, it’s a measure of lifestyle that extends to all areas of life. We celebrate culture, sports, business, education, music, and much more. I look forward to working on building on the existing strong relationship between our nations, and explore new opportunities together.”
Aisha Al Attiya, Head of Years of Culture at Qatar Museums, said: “We are excited to announce the Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture, which promises to be one of the exceptional artistic experiences and bilateral interactions. Over the months to come, we look forward to announcing details of the extraordinary programme, which will include artist exchanges, world-class exhibitions, concerts and events in Qatar and the United States.”
According to QM, The Qatar-USA 2021 Year of Culture builds on friendly diplomatic relations that were first established in 1972.
The Years of Culture” initiative is an annual international cultural exchange designed to deepen understanding between nations and their people. Though the formal programming lasts only one year, the initiative often sparks long-lasting collaboration. According to QM, culture is one of the most effective tools to bring people closer, encourage dialogue, and deepen understanding between nations. The First Years of Culture was the Qatar-Japan 2012, and the last one before the ongoing Qatar-France 2020 was the Qatar-India 2019 Year of Culture.
