Twelfth International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

This paper explores the transitioning social role of museums in a constantly evolving and increasingly globalized cultural landscape and how this discourse is situated in the respective social, economic, and political context of Doha, Qatar. As host to a diverse global audience of locals and international expatriates, museums have had a central position the nation-building mission of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, where over half a million visitors in the past year alone were reported to have visited exhibitions and galleries in the country in 2017. 2019 has seen the opening of the new and much-anticipated National Museum of Qatar. Weeks later, The Media Majlis at Northwestern University in Qatar followed, which is both the first digital museum in the Arabian Gulf, and the first university museum open to the public in the Arabian Gulf. Both museums are considered in their respective positioning to support increased social interaction, contribution, and engagement towards investing in local cultural capital. Stavenhagen identified three concepts of culture which are assessed in relation to the investment in museum-going culture, embodied within international and intra-government frameworks: cultural as capital, culture as creativity and culture as a total way of life. Following the release of the ICOM Guide for Local Governments, Commmunities and Museums (2018), pertinent discussions on creating more inclusive, participatory approaches to museum engagement and investment are growing in urgency among museum professionals. How are museums in Doha expanding networks of engagement to invest in local communities and redefine cultural value to acquire knowledge as institutions?