Children in Muscat Express Their Connection to Place through Art and Writing
16/08/2026
More than 250 children expressed their views of Muscat through their colours, words and stories, as part of a series of workshops conducted by Muscat Governorate under the “Muscat Inspires Us” campaign. The workshops provided children with a space to expression and explore the places, scenes and details that shape their connection with the Governorate.
The workshops were conducted at the Public Children’s Library, Marsam Company, and Little Leaders Preparation Company. Activities varied between drawing, colouring and short-story writing, along with questionnaires and interviews. Thereby enabling the children to express their perceptions of Muscat through a range of approaches suited to their world.
Drawing was among the most prominent forms of participation, with the children’s artwork depicting a variety of landmarks, places and details from across the Governorate. Writing and colouring provided another avenue for transforming their observations and memories into images and stories that reflected their personal perspectives of the place.
The questionnaires and interviews provided an opportunity to listen directly to the children and learn about the places and elements that come to mind when they talk about Muscat. Their responses complemented what they expressed through drawings and words.
The participants’ different ages and interests added diversity to the outcomes of the workshops. Their works and contributions varied in content and detail, reflecting what captures children’s attention and what is connected to their own experiences and memories. These contributions highlight some of the details that shape the presence of place in children’s memories, while providing an opportunity to listen to what they themselves choose to recall and document.
The workshops form an extension of the community dimension of the “Muscat Inspires Us” campaign, organised by Muscat Governorate to strengthen community participation, create spaces for listening to different groups, and explore their experiences and memories associated with Muscat. The children’s contributions add a distinctive perspective by revealing the places, landmarks and details that remain present in their minds, as well as the images, memories and impressions that recur in their expressions, reflecting their connection with place and their own ways of expressing it.