Qatar Museums and NMACC Announce Five-Year Partnership to Reimagine Museum Education
Qatar Museums and Mumbai’s Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre launch a five-year partnership introducing museum-in-residence education programmes, bringing playful, cross-cultural learning models to schools and communities across India and Qatar.
A significant new chapter in cross-cultural arts education has been unveiled with the signing of a five-year strategic partnership between Qatar Museums and Mumbai’s Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC). The agreement will see the development of Museum-in-Residence educational initiatives across India and Qatar, bringing museum-led, play-based learning into schools and community spaces.
Signed in Doha on 22 December 2025, the agreement was formalised at the National Museum of Qatar by Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, and Isha Ambani, Director at Reliance Industries. Rooted in a shared belief that education and creativity are inseparable, the collaboration aims to introduce innovative museum-based pedagogies to young learners while equipping educators with new tools and methodologies.
Learning through play and cultural exchange
At the heart of the partnership is the creation of Museum-in-Residence programmes designed primarily for early childhood education. These initiatives will draw on Qatar Museums’ experience in immersive, hands-on learning, adapting them to diverse educational contexts in India and Qatar. While children remain the central focus, teachers, volunteers and facilitators will also benefit through training, masterclasses and mentoring that encourage experimentation and creativity in the classroom.
Speaking at the signing, Sheikha Al Mayassa emphasised the long-term vision of the collaboration, noting that creativity and cultural exchange are fundamental to nurturing “confident, empathetic young learners”. She described the partnership as a continuation of the Year of Culture between India and Qatar, allowing Qatar Museums to extend its educational expertise while strengthening the already robust learning programmes at NMACC.
In India, the programmes will be implemented in collaboration with Reliance Foundation, ensuring reach across multiple regions. Specialists from Qatar Museums, including educators from the Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar, will guide the rollout through on-ground engagement and capacity building. Importantly, the initiatives will extend beyond urban centres to schools, anganwadis and community spaces in rural and underserved areas.
Dadu’s Light Atelier arrives in India
One of the first programmes to be introduced under the partnership is Dadu’s Light Atelier, part of its Museum-in-Residence framework. Designed for children aged three to seven, the Light Atelier creates immersive environments that encourage exploration, sensory engagement and collaborative play. Ms. Maha Al Hajri, Acting Director of Dadu, described the initiative as an opportunity to take the museum’s learning-through-play philosophy beyond its walls, fostering meaningful cultural exchange with Indian partners.
Although Dadu, Children’s Museum of Qatar is still under development, it has already established itself as a leader in early childhood engagement through community programmes and school-based residencies in Doha. Its forthcoming campus, including the expansive Dadu Gardens conceived as ‘living classrooms’, reflects a broader commitment to experiential learning aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030.
A growing educational mandate for NMACC
For NMACC, the partnership reinforces its ambition to function not only as a premier cultural destination but also as an educational catalyst. Since opening in March 2023, the Centre has positioned itself as a multidisciplinary hub for performing and visual arts, welcoming millions of visitors and hosting major Indian and international productions. Through this collaboration, NMACC strengthens its educational outreach by embedding global museum practices within local learning environments.
Isha Ambani underlined this dual vision, stating that while NMACC seeks to bring global ideas to India, it is equally committed to sharing India’s cultural richness with the world. Describing culture as “where imagination begins” and education as “where potential becomes real”, she noted that the partnership aims to empower children to learn confidently and dream boldly.
A milestone in global cultural education
Beyond individual programmes, Qatar Museums and NMACC have signalled their intention to develop further initiatives that promote empathy, discovery and creative thinking. The partnership stands as a broader statement about the evolving role of museums as active participants in education and social development, rather than static repositories of objects.
As Qatar Museums marks two decades of shaping the nation’s cultural landscape, and NMACC continues to expand its influence as India’s leading cultural centre, this collaboration represents a meaningful convergence of vision. By embedding museum learning into everyday educational contexts, the initiative sets out to create lasting impact across borders, generations and communities.
