Dushanbe, 11 March 2016 – The Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan (UCT) and Bishkek Business Club (BBC) have launched the results of their collaboration: the Central Asian Handicraft Guidebook.
The Central Asian Handicraft Guidebook, which seeks to guide readers to explore and discover the Central Asian craftspeople of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan along the Silk Road Heritage Corridor, is a visual presentation of introductory travel information with an guide to artisans and products of the two nations.
Artisans speak of their background and what motivates their craftsmanship, providing a personalized introduction to the handicrafts of the region. The guidebook seeks to highlight the shared heritage and culture of the Silk Road which links the two countries.
The guidebook is a product of a collaborative effort of the Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan (UCT) and Bishkek Business Club (BBC), which have been engaged in the support for the development of the Kyrgyz and Tajik handicraft sectors with a regional focus. The guidebook also builds upon dialogue between the handicraft sector and the community-based tourism development sector to seek mutual synergies and capitalize upon the ‘Silk Road’ brand.
The publication will be distributed to tourism and handicraft stakeholders in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and will be made available for download on www.centralasianhandicraft.org.
The publication of the Central Asia Handicraft Guidebook was made possible with support from the European Union, under project funding from the Central Asian Invest Program III. The project “Handicraft and Business through Regional Integration and Fair Trade Market” is implemented by the Cesvi with partners Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan (UCT), Bishkek Business Club (BBC), National Association for National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of the Republic of Tajikistan (NASMB) in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and seeks to strengthen the cooperation between these two Central Asia countries, contributing to the development of their private sectors with a specific focus on the handicraft sector.
Moreover, in celebration of the coming spring season, the Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan, Municipality of Dushanbe and Cesvi in partnership with “Navruzgohi Poytakht” will organize the “Spring Handicraft Fair” on 12th and 13th of March at Dushanbe Handicraft Centre (Navruzgoh Building, at Dushanbe Hippodrome). The fair is held under the framework of the European Union-funded project and will gather the most talented artisans of Tajikistan from across the country and neighboring Kyrgyzstan.
The two-day fair will showcase the skills of craftsmen from different regions of Tajikistan, showing the quality of their products and the talent of their arts; wood carving, painting on ceramics, basket-weaving, embroidery (suzani, gulduzi, zarduzi), modern clothes in national style, jewellery, as well as home accessories, and leather goods. The fair will also have regional representation from Kyrgyzstan, inviting Kyrgyz artisans to display their talent in merging traditional motifs with modern design.
Partners of the fair: Bactria Cultural Center, Bishkek Business Club, Navruzgohi Poytakht, NGO Nekukori, NGO Peshraft, TV- Radio broadcasting company Vatan.
For further information please contact: Manizhai Rustamzod, Union of Craftsmen of Tajikistan, PR and Network Expert – Mobile: +992 904 130 077 E-mail: [email protected]
Cover photo: Monika Bulaj