• The process of training young musicians: The working group of the project “Bringing the konur үn into the sound of the Kyrgyz orchestra”, musicians Cholpon Turumbaeva, Rysbek Zhunushov, Zalina Kasymova continue the process of training young musicians on reconstructed kyl kyyaks and komuzes. The musicians continue to search for the authentic sound of konur, working closely with the master of traditional musical instruments, Marat Berikbaev, to make small but significant changes to the instruments. The final goal of training a group of musicians to play reconstructed komuz and kyl kyyak is to lead them with reconstructed instruments to the orchestra of the University of Culture and Arts named after B. Beishenalieva and hold a report concert.
• Preparatory process: This week, preparatory activities took place for the filming of a video entitled “Yrym”, dedicated to the issue of combating gender inequality. The script for this piece was selected back in December as part of a screenplay competition. The movie will touch upon issues related to gender inequality, traditions of our people and their consequences. Shooting will begin on March 15.
• Work on the interpretation of the Murdash Bashy petroglyphs continues: a group of traditional practitioners from the project “Preservation of Murdash petroglyphs and related traditional knowledge through mapping and digitalization” is actively engaged in creating a story based on the meaning of the images on the Murdash Bashy stones. The aim is to further screen the story in the form of a motion video or cartoon to be posted on the previously created Aigine CRC website on petroglyphs of Kyrgyzstan together with a digital map of the Murdash Bashy cultural and historical complex being developed.
• Work on the National ICH List: The project’s working group on “Digital Journey into the World of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Kyrgyz Republic” is in the second stage of project implementation and continues to complete and verify the collected data on ICH elements and collect relevant photo and video materials. The design of the digital platform is at the stage of approval by the members of the working group. The design and production of video infographics on the main concepts of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is planned for spring 2024. Within the framework of the project, the pre-approved number of ICH domains of the Kyrgyz people is 9; of the Dungan (Hueizu) people – 9 and of the Uyghur people – 6.
• Working meeting: On 13 March, members of the Executive Board of the NGO Forum on ICH of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage met with representatives of the Secretariat of the 2003 Convention. The subject of the meeting was a general discussion of ideas and possibilities for improving cooperation between the Secretariat and the NGO Forum. They discussed the launching of the second phase of the project on mapping the expertise of accredited NGOs; increasing the representation of accredited NGOs from under-represented regions, in particular Africa; and the possibility of organizing side events during the 10th General Assembly of the countries Parties to the 2003 Convention in June in Paris. Aigine CRC is an active member of the NGO Forum on ICH and is represented on the Executive Board from the Asia-Pacific region for the period 2022-2024.