The Power of Culture

Theme: Cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is generally associated with archives, works of art, places of worship and monuments. But it also exists in less tangible forms: language, music and dance, festivities, rituals and traditional craftsmanship. Cultural heritage is important to the identity of a society. In times of need, songs, writings and works of art can be a beacon of hope and comfort. Cultural heritage reinforces cultural and historical self-awareness. Monuments and art treasures make a shared past visible and thus strengthen inter-cultural ties.

In this section you will find news stories and articles on cultural heritage, that were published on the Power of Culture website between 2003 and 2010. More recent articles from our network you'll find on our Facebook page.

Cultural heritage

How Latin America conquered European classical music

februari 2005 -

In 2001, several thousand baroque music scores were discovered in two former Jesuit missions in southern Bolivia ' in Chiquitos and Moxos to be precise. Since then, the local APAC organisation, with the support of the Prince Claus Fund, the DOEN Foundation and others, has been busily unlocking the secrets of this unique cultural legacy. On Monday 31 January, this Bolivian baroque music made its debut at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw concert hall and was well received.

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Opinion

Elif Shafak: The gathering place of the djinni

February 2005 -

One can be multicultural, multilingual and yes, multifaith. Writing fiction necessitates thresholds. Literature thrives upon the desire to transcend, to move far beyond our boundaries 'be it in terms of national, ethnic or religious or gender identities. The ability to transform, to be as flexible and fluid as water, to step onto the thresholds...

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Worldsite

National commission on Culture: Ghana

february 2005 -

Art, heritage and beer bottle-top shooting games.

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The Bidesia Folk Tradition

January 2005 -

Starting this January, the initial phase of the research project Bidesia on Hindustani migration history and culture focuses on migration memory and stories of Hindustani people in Northern India, Surinam and the Netherlands.

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Imminent launch of international project on Hindu culture

November 2004 -

The international multimedia research project Bidesia on the history of Hindu migration and their culture will be launched in January 2005. This project has been made possible by a recent government subsidy of almost 118,000 euros from the HGIS homogenous group for international collaboration.

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Restoration of Moroccan mosque marks the first anniversary of the CER Fund

October 2004 -

On the first anniversary of the Cultural Emergency Response (CER) on 24 September, the town of Mestassa was given a grant of 25,000 euros to allow its local residents to restore their 14 th Century mosque.

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African Union recognizes Kiswahili

August 2004 -

The African Union (AU) has recognized Kiswahili as an official language. Up to now the Union, with which 53 African countries are affiliated, has communicated in Arabic, French, English and Portuguese. Kiswahili is spoken by a hundred million people in eastern and southern Africa. It is the official language of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

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Renovation of the Nola Hatterman Institute the capstone of the Fort Zeelandia restoration

July 2004 -

Surinam is receiving almost 112,000 euros from the Dutch HGIS Culture Budget to restore the only wooden officers quarter in the Fort Zeelandia complex in Paramaribo that still needed restoration. This means not only that an important historical monument from the 17th century is being preserved, but also that the Nola Hatterman Institute is getting a new lease on life.

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Worldsite

World Heritage Tour

june 2004 -

Panorama photographs of all locations on Unesco's Cultural Heritage List.

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Prince Claus fund supports performance of I La Galigo in Indonesia

May 2004 -

The Prince Claus fund will be supporting the performances of the Indonesian music-theatre production I La Galigo in Indonesia because of the importance of this piece to the cultural heritage of the people of Sulawesi.

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