As Bader al-Baijan noted in his ‘memory’, education has always been an integral part of the Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah’s (DAI) mission. One of the first publications completed by the DAI in 1983 was a guide for visitors to the Kuwait National Museum, ensuring that they not only knew where to go but also understood what they were seeing. This year, DAI education activities were varied – in application, audience and geography.

Of course, the cultural seasons (parts of 17 and 18 in 2012) continued to provide opportunities for people in Kuwait to learn more about Islamic art and culture from 22 international experts, speaking on subjects ranging from “Muslim artists, Christian patrons and the painted ceilings of the Cappella Palatina” to “Scent and sensibility in Islamic gardens”. Recognising that the lively arts are also important to promoting cultural affinities, theatre workshops, films, documentaries and concerts featuring international performers from around the world were included in the programme.

Visiting exhibitions, “Japanese Pottery – The Rising Generation from Traditional Japanese Kilns” and “The Golden Age of Arab Sciences”, co-organised with the Institut du Monde Arabe, added to the educational value of a visit to the Amricani Cultural Centre. Both the exhibitions and the related supporting programmes were complimentary to the permanent multi-media presentation “Story of Amricani” and “Treasury of the World: Jewelled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals”, the DAI’s opening exhibition.

Visiting exhibitions and visiting scholars brought information to Kuwait; the DAI cultural expedition to Spain allowed more than two dozen friends of the DAI to discover the art and culture of Islamic Andalusia first hand.

Loans of DAI objects to three prestigious foreign exhibitions gave people in the United States, Europe and Asia the chance to learn about the “Gifts of the Sultan”, “Pathways to the Modern World: Travelling the Silk Road” and “Beauty and Belief: Crossing Bridges with the Arts of Islamic Culture.” Objects from The al-Sabah Collection helped the exhibitions tell a more complete story.

Carpets from Islamic Land, a new book by Dr Friedrich Spuhler gives the reader an in depth look at carpets in The al-Sabah Collection. Dr Spuhler describes the spectacular collection in the context of the history of Islamic art and the 110 photographs beautifully illustrate his text.

Finally, two new programmes help the DAI reach a broader audience. Family Day @ Amricani, held the last Saturday of each month. Activities for parents and children between the ages of 4 and 16 give the participants the chance to learn about some aspect of Islamic art and culture and have fun in the process. The DAI Junior Docents Programme, a two year programme for students between the ages of 13 and 16, trains participants as docents and introduces them to art history and six disciplines within a museum.