(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Qatar Museums (QM) launched Ankaboot, an online platform and interactive space for art and creativity, at the Fire Station cinema theatre yesterday.
"Ankaboot is an interactive platform for Qatari artists and art scene in Qatar. Ankaboot means 'Spider' in Arabic and relates to a web that would hold together various elements of the arts and cultural community in Qatar," Sheikha Maryam Al Thani, Head of Ankaboot, said at the launch.
She said the platform was designed to connect artists with one another and new audiences and provide local community with access to artistic and cultural experience.
The platform will also provide creatives across a range of disciplines to promote their work and build their profile within Qatar's cultural community and connect like-minded individuals to develop concepts and ideas together.
"This is not just for artists but creatives in all disciplines. We want to bring anyone who has creative input," said Arif Saeed, Marketing and Digital Expert.
Through the website, people can access the artists and creatives and their collections in the areas of fashion design, literature, multimedia visual arts, music, photography, theatre and performance arts, and traditional visual arts.
"We have now more than 50 artists in the platform and hope 'we'll have more in the future," said Sheikha Maryam.
Artists can put as much information as they want on the site such as their profiles, collections, contact details and social media links, Saeed said, adding visitors can also post question and communicate and collaborate with artists.
One of the features of the site is 'What's On', a space where people can see what's going on in the culture scene in Qatar, the GCC and the region in addition to activities related to creative disciplines.
"Qatar's progress in nurturing local artistic talent is considerable. We see this from the breadth and depth of applications to the Fire Station Artists in Residence programme to the quality of the artworks on display at exhibitions such as Here There. Ankaboot is the ideal platform for building on this success and developing the next generation of cultural audiences and artistic producers," said Sheikha Maryam.
Over time, Ankaboot will enable all artists to organise exhibitions, promote themselves and help find buyers for their works as well as introduce them to galleries and exhibition organisers.
For the local community, Ankaboot (www.ankaboot.qa) provides an online meeting place for everyone with an interest in culture and space to browse and enjoy the range of art and creativity on offer in Qatar and participate in cultural dialogue. This includes access to arts and cultural events, exhibitions and openings staged by videographers, photographers, fashion designers and the range of disciplines represented on the platform.
"After the Fire Station this development is a further proof of our efforts to nurture and develop a vibrant local art scene. It creates a common and accessible space for creatives to promote their work and collaborate and share fresh thinking and ideas. Whether you are an active contributor or occasional visitor, Ankaboot is open to all," said Jean-Paul Engelen, Director, Public Arts, QM.
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