Almaty, August 26, 2026 — Almaty Museum of Arts (ALMA) and Chevron announce the launch of a partnership supporting the museum’s educational platform, Şeberhana, which brings together art, design, crafts, and creative thinking practices. As part of the partnership, particular attention will be given to free educational programs, inclusive access to culture, and the development of a STEAM approach, in which art becomes part of the exploration of science, technology, materials, design, and the world around us.

ALMA’s educational program, Şeberhana, opened in December 2025. It was created as an open educational environment that presents the museum as a space where people of all backgrounds can find opportunities for inspiration, reflection, self-expression, building connections, and lifelong learning. The program encompasses art, design, crafts, and printmaking, with offerings ranging from one-off workshops to semester-long courses. All Şeberhana activities are rooted in the rich history of art and crafts in Central Asia and are developed in collaboration with local and international artists.

During its first seven months of operation, Şeberhana held 83 sessions, with 3,700 participants taking part. More than 77% of participants attended free programs.

The Şeberhana space is equipped with a dedicated entrance and a lifting system for visitors with reduced mobility. Its trilingual navigation and activities are adapted to the sensory and cognitive needs of its audiences.

The partnership with Chevron will enable Şeberhana to move from individual initiatives to a systematic approach, allowing the museum to maintain and expand the free and subsidized portion of its program while launching new initiatives in 2026 aimed at people who currently have the fewest opportunities to engage with contemporary art.

“Education is one of the museum’s key functions. We want an encounter with art to go beyond the museum object and become the starting point for individual exploration, experimentation, and creation. Our partnership with Chevron will allow us to maintain a significant portion of our free programs while simultaneously developing an approach in which art connects with design, materials, technology, and other ways of understanding the world. By combining Chevron’s systematic approach to sustainable development with our educational expertise and understanding of learning through art, we are creating an effective model for an inclusive institution,” says Tatyana Khojayeva, Director of Almaty Museum of Arts.

The partnership will also expand the museum’s work in two priority areas: inclusive education, with greater access to artistic practices, and the development of a STEAM environment, where art serves as an entry point for exploring science, technology, materials, and culture.

Within the STEAM environment, participants will work with a variety of artistic techniques, from drawing and modelling to ceramics and grattage, explore materials and design, learn about architecture, and work with contemporary artists. The methodology and programs are developed by the Almaty Museum of Arts team.

As part of the partnership, four Şeberhana programs will be developed:

Aşyq Şeberhana — free weekly art activities in the museum’s atrium for people of all ages and levels of experience.

Nobai — a free drawing club in the museum galleries, where participants explore the space and artworks in new ways through observation and drawing.

ALMA Makes! — a creative course for children aged 7–11, with each module introducing a new field and encouraging participants to explore different forms of art. Children will not only learn new skills but also create their own projects, experiment, and discover their own ways of self-expression.

Artist Workshop — a program offering participants of different ages the opportunity to meet invited artists who develop hands-on sessions based on the museum’s collection and their own artistic practices.

The combination of free and paid formats allows Şeberhana to expand access to education while also building a sustainable operating model for the educational platform. As the programs develop, the museum will also collaborate with partners that have long been supported by Chevron, including the Mama Pro Foundation, the Union of Craftspeople, and other organizations.

“Art helps people see new possibilities, ask questions, find inspiration, and gain confidence in their own abilities. That is why we are particularly inspired by our partnership with Şeberhana, which makes creative education accessible to children, young people, and families. For more than 30 years, Chevron has invested in human development in Kazakhstan by supporting educational and social initiatives. We believe that access to knowledge, creativity, and opportunities for self-realization helps people unlock their potential and contribute to positive change in their communities,” says Leila Aitmukhanova, Senior Community Engagement Advisor at Chevron Eurasia.

The partnership between Almaty Museum of Arts and Chevron will run for six months and will serve as the first stage of cooperation in the field of educational programs. During this period, the two parties will assess the results of their joint work and determine further areas of collaboration.

In Kazakhstan, Chevron implements long-term social programs focused on human development and supporting local communities. The company works with educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and cultural initiatives, supporting projects in education, entrepreneurship, inclusion, cultural heritage preservation, and the development of modern skills. The company’s partners include foundations and public organizations working with young people, women entrepreneurs, people with disabilities, and creative professionals. The new partnership with the Şeberhana educational platform expands this contribution by bringing together support for the arts, inclusive education, and the development of a STEAM approach for a broad audience.