Central Asia
I have been a long-term advisor to a regional arts and culture programme in Central Asia. This Programme (2012 – 2019, budget approx. EUR 4,800,000) is encouraging diverse forms of cultural expressions such as theatre or music that positively contribute to a peaceful, inclusive and democratic transformation process in the sub-region. It provides support to institutions and projects in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The programme is currently moving away from project-support and towards institution-support – a challenging but necessary step to ensure more sustainability.
I provide the local team with advice on strategic planning (how to build an impactful and efficient programme); monitoring issues (what to measure and how to aggregate data); and on how to strengthen their Programme’s sustainability (how to identify and support actors who will gradually take over the Programme and fund it). This work is conducted principally on-site (missions to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) but also through distance coaching (regular Skype sessions).
“Roof of the World Festival” (Tadjikistan)
Supported by the Programme. Its mission is to build bridges between communities in the mountainous region of Pamir. (Photo credit: Samandar Pulodov)
Ovlyakuli Khodjakuli, theatre director, actor and master (Uzbekistan).
Ovlyakuli has been central to the Programme and is an inspiration to all Central Asian theatre professionals. (Photo credit: Ramesh Varma)
Building bridges between children and the Museum of the Gapar Aitiev Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts (Kyrgyzstan)
Cholpon Tentieva, director of public activities, attended an Arts Mediation workshop organised by the Programme.