The ceremony connected with the announcement "Capital of folk art" in 2011

Assembly hall
Time: 12:00
Organizer: Department of Cultural Policy of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism

On the 3rd of March at the Art Gallery of the Museum Center was held the presentation of the program “Capitals of folk art” in 2011. As part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s programme, “Folklore Capitals 2010-14”, to instigate and promote the non-material cultural legacy of Azerbaijan, for the year 2011 the city of Shabran has been declared “The Capital of Legend”, Lenkeran is “The Capital of Folklore” and Ismayilli is “The Capital of Handicrafts”. Following the announcement of these “Folklore Capitals”, during the year it is planned to hold ceremonies, local and international academic and practical conferences, roundtables, concerts, competitions, festivals, exhibitions, fairs, info tours and other events in the three cities. Based on the results of monitoring the restoration, preservation and development of Azerbaijan’s non-material cultural heritage, a “State Programme on the protection of Azerbaijan’s non-material cultural heritage, 2011-20” was prepared and submitted to the relevant bodies for ratification. In continuation of the reforms currently being carried out, work is being done on the “State Registration of Azerbaijani non-material cultural legacy of monuments”, the establishment of a subject portfolio bank of non-material cultural legacy and a “State Register of infrastructural units of Azerbaijan’s non-material cultural legacy”, the organisation of “International cultural tours: Mugham Tour, Ashiq Tour, Carpet Tour and Novruz Tour” and other conceptual programmes and projects. In addition to the above, two pilot projects have been run: “The revival of Azerbaijan’s traditions of folk, decorative, applied and fine arts Baku city’s Qobustan, Mashtaga, Amirjan and New Surakhany settlements” and “The promotion of traditions of decorative arts and the development of carpet-making in Barda”. Abulfas Garayev, the Minister of Culture and Tourism, who participated in the presentation ceremony, recorded people’s great appreciation of this project which had been running since the previous year. He said that it was planned to continue the project until 2014.