More than 2,000 students and teachers transformed the Louvre Abu Dhabi into a living classroom during the "Students Takeover Monday" initiative in May 2024 — one of the most ambitious education partnerships the museum has hosted. The event drew 1,268 students from Aldar Schools and 791 students from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), giving them exclusive access to the museum on a day it is normally closed to the public.
What Is the Louvre Abu Dhabi Students Takeover Monday?
The Students Takeover Monday initiative grants schools and universities exclusive use of the Louvre Abu Dhabi on select Mondays, turning the world-class cultural institution into an immersive learning environment. Students engage with the museum's collection, architecture, and exhibitions through workshops and curriculum-linked activities designed by educators in partnership with museum staff.
Sarah Louise Nunn, Head of Education and Public Programming at Louvre Abu Dhabi, told Khaleej Times the programme was a clear success. "The change in environment made people open to change — the teachers wanted to do something interesting with the curriculum, and the students welcomed it too," she said. She added that the museum setting enables history lessons, design subjects, and other activities in a dynamic way that makes learning more effective. "They become access roads to understanding how people live and engaging with Islamic art," she concluded.
Aldar Schools: Drama, Art, and Real-World Connections
Teachers from Aldar Schools reported tangible educational benefits from the experience. Drama teacher Fiona Montgomery ran a workshop using drama skills to bring the museum's tapestries to life. "The real joy was working in such a dynamic and exciting way with the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the artefacts within the museum, and the spaces within the museum," she said.
Art teacher Jasmin Ferguson was equally enthusiastic, noting that students had a rare opportunity to create their own artwork in direct response to pieces on display around them. She observed that students were able to connect "what they were studying and the artist's works in concrete ways" — a depth of engagement difficult to replicate inside a standard classroom.
Students themselves responded with genuine excitement. "I liked doing a form of art by myself in a background surrounded by art," one student said. Another student, Omar, appreciated the privilege of accessing art taught by teachers inside the exclusive museum setting, while Jana was eager to learn real facts about the artworks on display.
NYUAD: Lectures and Workshops Under the Iconic Dome
For university students, the Louvre Abu Dhabi provided a unique stage for academic engagement. Professors held classes and led workshops tied to students' creative disciplines, with participants socialising and collaborating beneath the museum's iconic dome.
Mariet Westermann, Vice Chancellor of New York University Abu Dhabi, praised the institution's vision: "Congratulations to the curators and designers for creating an academically rigorous and inspiring treasure house of world culture and history."
Louvre Abu Dhabi's Broader Education Mission
Sarah Louise Nunn encouraged all schools to participate in future programmes, describing the museum's commitment to building creative and immersive learning environments for students across the UAE.
The Students Takeover Monday initiative sits within a wider education strategy at the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Access to the museum is now free for all UAE schools, and the institution has since launched a Museum Curriculum Portal connecting more than 140 objects from its collection to subjects across the UAE school curriculum — from mathematics and science to history and languages.
