Explore initiatives & stories from UNESCO networks.

CIOFF®️ Indonesia participating as a facilitator of virtual Saman dance workshop as part of introducing one of Indonesia's Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) to the world, which is Saman Dance. Audiences are mostly dancers from Latin America, and public at large.

The Covid-19 pandemic has substantially limited opportunities of being together and expressing the intangible cultural heritage traditions which people of Latvia cherish and highly appreciate. Due to the state of emergency the annual initiative to dress up in traditional clothing and go on a parade in order to celebrate the 4th of May – the Day of the Proclamation of the Declaration on the Renewal of Independence of the Republic of Latvia had to be cancelled. The same precaution measures needed to be applied in postponing one of the major events in Latvian culture when people go on a parade, sing and dance in their traditional clothing – the Latvian School Youth Song and Dance Celebration which should have taken place on June-July, 2020. The emergency situation, however, has not discouraged people and relevant organisations to find new and innovative ways to share the cultural expression of wearing and showcasing traditional clothing in a digital environment. Latvian National Centre for Culture, traditional clothing centre “Senā klēts”, and the association “My Traditional Clothing” publically invited choirs, amateur dance collectives, folklore groups, as well as every owner of a traditional clothing to take part in a virtual parade “Wear Your Traditional Clothing to Celebrate Latvia” on the 4th of May, 2020. This incentive foresaw to dress up in traditional clothing individually or together with the closest family members living together, and to make a photo. Whereas the amateur dance collectives, choirs, and folklore groups were asked to make a photo-collage of their members dressed up in traditional clothing they use when performing. People were invited to publically share their photos on social media using a hashtag #tautastērpugājiens (eng. traditional clothing parade) which indicated they agree that the Latvian National Centre for Culture includes his/hers photo in a joint video and a public photo gallery. These materials were intended as documentary evidence for this unusual form of celebrating the tradition. This incentive will serve as everlasting testimony to the special role traditional clothing has in strengthening national self-esteem, identity and sense of belonging this way showing the tradition cannot be disrupted because it adapts to extraordinary times. On the 4th of May the virtual parade “Wear Your Traditional Clothing to Celebrate Latvia” united more than 4000 thousands of Latvians across the country and from Latvian diaspora abroad, as well as people who are close to Latvian culture.

Catalog of masks made by Panamanian hands

VAI Online has been established to engage with individual artists isolated in their homes, and in keeping with our policy, VAI has continued its work in providing #ATrustedSpace for artists. Establishing weekly Visual Artists Café in the form of online visits to Artists Studios combined with presentations from Arts Council officials, Directors of Museums and Galleries, as well as information clinics dealing with specific issues have all removed the sense of isolation, with positive response. These are supported by Online Help Desks and Webinars that are designed to provide information and skills required in dealing with the every day professional life of artists. As the impact of COVID-19 became clear, and isolation was shown to be an option, VAI has strongly advocated for the continued payment of artists, in keeping with our ongoing Ask! Has the Artist Been Paid? and payment rights policy. This has supported the initiative that all artists in Ireland should be paid on the basis of contracts, verbal and written, as well as work committed to by funded organisations. The initiative is now looking at the realities of the transition period and contributing to discussions and policies being set in place so that artists can return to their studios, and organisations, venues and events may eventually return to work.

Patachitra is a traditional art form of West Bengal, India in which stories are painted on vertical scroll and the Patachitra artists also known as Patuas, gradually unfurl them while presenting the story through songs known as Pater Gaan. It is a blend of oral and visual storytelling traditionally based on mythological themes. But in the recent past Patuas have started to paint on contemporary themes like natural disaster, climate change to create awareness among the masses and the traditional art form is being used as a social communiqué. Swarna Chitrakar a senior Patachitra artist from Naya village in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal has developed a 7 frame long Patachitra painting and a song on COVID-19 in order to raise awareness through art. The detailed narrative has vividly captured the mayhem caused by the virus outbreak. The Patachitra has highlighted the virus’s origin, health professionals in PPE suits and people in masks. In her vibrant and informative art work and Pater Gaan, Swarna also talks about the precautionary measures one can take to fight the virus. The entire painting has been done with natural colours derived from flowers and plants, one of the special features of Patachitra paintings. Swarna’s art work and song on COVID-19 when shared on the internet received overwhelming response from different parts of the world. When asked about how she feels about all the appreciation Swarna’s answer was “I want my work to positively influence people so that they take proper precaution, after all art and culture are changemakers too”.

Une exposition virtuelle participative où chacun peut déposer la photo de ses objets et son témoignage du confinement: du caddy aux oeuvres d'art, de la bouteille d'eau aux puzzles, nous avons réagi différemment à cette situation unique. Ce travail de collecte, toujours en cours, conduira à une exposition tangible lorsque la crise sanitaire sera passée

Hosted under the EU-funded Cash for Work Project, ResiliArt Yemen will raise awareness about the far-reaching impact of COVID-19 across the creative value chain and on the livelihoods of young creators. It will present interventions from Yemeni artists, cultural experts, and representatives of UNESCO and the European Union on how to respond to the crisis to promote a sustainable cultural sector in Yemen.