Creative professionals in Asia Pacific trained to benefit from UNESCO’s fund to support creativity
Government officials, NGO staff, cultural and creative professionals in the Asia Pacific region attended an introductory session on how to submit projects to the International Fund for Cultural Diversity (IFCD).
The IFCD was established by the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions and its goal is to invest in projects that lead to structural changes, demonstrating the value and opportunities that culture brings to sustainable development processes.
Since 2010, the IFCD supported development of numerous projects in Asia Pacific region, and in particular in Indonesia where the development of an audiovisual industry on the island of Siberu in 2013 proved that the cultural and creative industries are an important source of employment, while also contributing to social inclusion. (Read more)
UNESCO's Thailand and Vietnam offices organized two training workshops in February 2016. The first one took place in Hanoi in Vietnam on February 17th, and the second, in Thalat in Lao, on February 24th and 25th.
The purpose of these workshops was to inform participants about the IFCD and to understand its objectives. The sessions were also an opportunity to help creative professionals and cultural practitioners to apply to the Fund and to familiarize them with the 2005 Convention. About 50 participants took part in both sessions.
“At the end of the workshop in Hanoi, participants, most of whom were not aware of each other’s work, realized the need to form better inter-disciplinary cooperation in order to formulate concerted interventions,” Van Nguyen Thanh, Programme Officer in Culture, UNESCO Vietnam office.
Vietnam ratified the Convention in 2007 and is actively engaged in the establishment of an ambitious national Cultural Industries Strategy. (Read more)
According to Vanessa Achilles, Programme Officer in Culture, UNESCO Thailand office: "The organization of the workshop in Lao allowed participants coming from different horizons (representatives of public authorities, institutions, NGO, civil society) to enrich their knowledge and understanding of the works of the IFCD and to share their experiences in a stimulating environment".
Lao is a country with a diverse population and invests in promoting new forms of cultural and creative expression. (Read more)
Since 2010, the International Fund for Diversity has invested around US$ 5.8 million in funding for 84 projects in 49 developing countries. To find more information about the projects, use the drop down menus below or take a look at the statistics on IFCD funded projects.
More information on IFCD activities