UNESCO to host round table on intangible cultural heritage in Tashkent

The event is organized by UNESCO Office in Tashkent in close cooperation with the Ministry of Public Education and the Ministry of Culture and Sport of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Within the Convention of 2003 on Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the term "intangible cultural heritage" means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.

Uzbekistan possesses rich intangible cultural heritage, which is an integral part of life and culture of the Uzbek people. Cultural traditions were transferred from one generation to another for centuries, thereby promoting development of intercultural dialogue and contributing to development of cultural values as well as sustainable development.

The purpose of the project is the development of teaching materials on intangible cultural heritage and their incorporating into school education system to strengthen cultural diversity as a core aspect of sustainable development.

Within the framework of the implementation of the project teaching materials on folk singing and folk games were developed for teachers and the 6th grade students in pilot schools in Tashkent. The materials prepared were presented to the teachers of the pilot schools and tested in March 2014 .

The purpose of the round table is to present the results of the project at the national level, and, discuss the ways and means of further incorporating the intangible cultural heritage into the formal and informal education in Uzbekistan.