Page 20 - Yangon Art

CULTURAL HERITAGE AND VILLAGES

Project and Laboratory

A project to help young Myanmar generations to use the cultural heritage of their villages for achieving a better life stan-
dard, for not leaving their home place, for protecting monuments, religion and traditions.

The schools and orphanages of small villages in the vicinity of cultural heritage are the best places for performing a
teaching art laboratory for letting young pupils to understand how to respect, to preserve and to use the cultural heritage.
A task force of artists and teachers will teach basic concepts and abilities in strict collaboration with residential teachers.
The most sustainable techniques will be used together with the teaching aids and equipments, which will be donated to
the school. After being involved in the issue the students will share the acquired knowledge with the parents and they
will be motivated to respect the monuments and to consider the cultural heritage as a resource for their own future. In
the next few years some of them, growing up, might be interested in becoming artists and masters for restoration, some
to become professional guides, some will be involved in hotels and restaurants, and some others will go to university
or become artists, entrepreneurs , etc.. During the project Myanmar artists and experts teach an oriented to cultural
heritage monuments laboratory of arts education fundamentals to young students using aids and equipments which
will be left as donation.

At the same time some experts of C2A NGO visit the cultural heritage place/s and carry out a quick survey of monu-
ments, of surrounding environment and of population settled in the area. The action identifes also local players (monks,
teachers, people) to create and maintain a network and to monitor the follow-up.
The rationale is that: arising awareness and building capacity in young generations the monuments will be preserved,
people will fnd job opportunities, territory will be protected and, frst of all, traditional culture and religion will be main-
tained in the place.

A tentative list of cultural heritage places and villages:
• Kakku Pagodas in the Shan State ;
• Sa Lay in Magway State ;
• Mrauk U in Raikine State ;
• Kyaukpadaung, Mandalay Division ;