Project status:
Current
Lead organisation:
Institute of African and Asian Studies (IAAS), University of Khartoum
Partners:
IAAS is running this project in partnership with TFM Culture C.I.C.
Grant award:
£99,650
Project summary:
The Institute of African and Asian Studies (IAAS) Archive of Sudanese Intangible Cultural Heritage holds a vast and incredibly valuable collection of records and audio-visual material relating to the intangible cultural heritage and practices of a range of Sudanese communities.
Much of the over 6000 hours’ worth of material is irreplaceable. In some cases it documents heritage no longer practised, such as the Berti language which is listed as extinct by UNESCO.
The collection has been damaged and targeted by looters in past conflicts and the current conflict continues to threaten its security. The project will conduct remote digitisation to permanently preserve the collection and make it more widely accessible.
Data will be embedded into a newly updated app, with the aim of decentralising access to and participation in intangible cultural heritage.
The app will be supported by social media campaigns to encourage communities to identify and document the cultural heritage at risk that is most important to them.
