Tribune News Network
Doha
Since its opening, the UK’s pavilion in Doha, ‘The Garden of GREAT’, has been visited by more than 30,000 visitors, including Qatari and international VIPs such as HE Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Interior; Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC); Nasser Al Khater, CEO of FIFA World Cup 2022; and David Beckham.
Located on Doha’s iconic Corniche and open throughout the entire tournament, The Garden of GREAT has been a haven for locals and visitors alike to unwind and discover British culture without leaving the Middle East.
On 19 November, the garden hosted an exclusive launch event, which featured David Beckham and a panel of leading Qatari and British fashion designers, including Foday Dumbuya of Labrum London, who spoke about empowerment through creativity.
An oasis of British
creativity
Organised by the UK Government’s GREAT campaign, the garden celebrates UK creativity and diversity, inviting visitors to see a different side of the UK through a series of immersive installations, showcasing UK music, design, fashion and food.
From ice-cream crafted by Michelin starred chef Vineet Bhatia and singing stepping-stones from Nigerian-Welsh music artist Kima Otung, to flowers scented by world renowned perfumer Jo Malone CBE the garden is a global showcase of #GREATCreativity across music, food, fashion, art and design.
Centre stage for live
performances
The Garden of GREAT has also hosted a series of live performances as part of The British Council’s UK Festival which ran from 23-29 November, including DJs Jamz Supernova and Katie Owen, in addition to ‘For the Game’ parkour shows by the Urban Playground, and Welsh rap and hip-hop artist Todz.
With 1.5 million visitors expected to visit Qatar during the tournament, the GREAT programme at the World Cup aims to inspire GCC and international audiences to visit, study, and do business in the UK.
The UK has always been a catalyst for creative and cultural exchange. The programme aims to shift perception, demonstrating the UK’s vibrant melting pot of diverse people and cultures which creates an inspiring environment where talent and creativity grows. It showcases the UK as exciting, diverse and welcoming with the hope that this will translate into motivation to visit, study or trade with the UK.
For more information on GREAT at the Qatar World Cup Qatar 2022, including The Garden of GREAT and UK Festival, please visit: greatcampaign.com/world-cup-2022 or follow the campaign on Twitter @GREATBritain and Instagram @greatcampaign using #SeeThingsDifferently and #GREATCreativity.
