DAl children’s programmes took centre stage at the Amricani Cultural Centre – quite literally

– in October. After six months of hard work, the Children’s Art Workshop participants officially invited a large audience to be the first to visit the Long Ago Zoo: Animals in The al-Sabah Collection exhibition. The kids, with the help of students in 10 classrooms around Kuwait, created an exhibition that has been a big hit with schools, families and even adults.

Of course, the new exhibition was just one of the many educational programmes that made up Cultural Seasons 19 and 20. Once again, Monday was rich with lectures from scholars and cultural leaders around the world. Music filled the theatre on Sundays and Wednesdays, giving the audience a chance to discover new music genres and enjoy musical styles that are already favourites. In addition, Tuesday mornings and weekends were lively, as the new children’s programmes expanded the DAl’s offerings to include 18 month – 12 year olds.

There was a lot buzz at the Yarmouk Cultural Centre, the home of most cultural season activities starting in September 2015. Completing the renovation of the new centre has been a priority for much of 2014, as the DAl continues to expand its programmes and services to the community.

Friends of the DAl took to the road, exploring the historic desert villages of Saudi Arabia and the cultural and natural wonders of Turkey. Both trips brought out the adventurous sides of our intrepid travelers, as they discovered sites well off the beaten path.

Objects from The al-Sabah Collection shone in exhibitions in Spain, Belgium, Russia, Qatar and the United States. Acting as ambassadors for Islamic art and Kuwait, their inclusion in important exhibitions helps educate and enlighten visitors who might otherwise not be exposed to this important part of our culture.

Object loans to leading institutions around the world, local and touring exhibitions, new and exciting cultural season voices, expanded offerings in the lively arts, international cultural expeditions, more collection-specific publications, increased education opportunities for children, teens and adults: all this was delivered in 2014 and all this and more is what you can expect as the DAl moves forward.