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For all upcoming public programmes, see What’s On.
Art and Calligraphy Workshops
Conversations with the Collection (show and tell)
Grade/Age: Kindergarten/3–5 years old
Young artists will be introduced to Islamic art and its artefacts through a tour in the galleries. They will learn about different objects through show-and-tell activities. First, they observe, outline and draw — using a colour scheme inspired by the objects — then they tell their story.
Geometry in Islamic Art
Grade/Age: All age groups (grades 1 to 12)
Students will be introduced to patterns and designs in Islamic art through a tour in the galleries. They will learn the basics of geometry, produce a geometric design by constructing, tracing and repeating a geometric shape and finally paint their pattern using a colour scheme inspired by MIA’s collection. The complexity and focus of the workshop will be customised based on the age of the students.
Safavid Fashion in Islamic Art
Grade/Age: All age groups (grades 1 to 12)
In this workshop, students will be introduced to patterns and designs used in the Safavid period, through the temporary exhibition Fashioning an Empire: Textiles from Safavid Iran. Each student will produce an artwork inspired by the exhibition. The complexity and focus of the workshop will be customised based on the age of the students.
Outline and Sketch at MIA
Grade/Age: All age groups (grades 1 to 12)
Students will learn the basics of drawing and outlining from observation in MIA galleries. Each student will choose one to two objects to learn about and then produce their artwork by drawing with a pencil and adding details by using light and shadow techniques. The complexity and focus of the workshop will be customised based on the age of the students.
Square Kufic
Grade/Age: Grades 1 – 9
The name “square Kufic” came from the architectural practice of using black and white squares as units to measure letters and spaces. This workshop explores different design shapes, including square Kufic, squares, rectangles, circles, stars, swirls and more.
Kufic Script
Grade/Age: Grades 10 – 12
Arabic calligraphy is one of the most important elements in Islamic art During this workshop, students will specifically focus on the Kufic script – the first script used in writing the holy Qur'an. Students will use traditional tools to be able to understand the script, its theory and practice.
