Benefitting country(ies): Albania

Overview:

To be implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation of Albania, in partnership with the NGO Fondazione Arte, this thirty-six-month project aims to safeguard the endangered practice of playing, singing with, and making the lahuta, a single-stringed wooden instrument. The project entails documentation, inventorying, cultural mapping, training and awareness-raising activities. The activities will be carried out primarily in rural communities in north and northwestern Albania, in low-income areas with youth outmigration and small-scale farming. Activities will focus on establishing a participatory support structure to coordinate safeguarding efforts through a dedicated cultural centre and steering committee. The project will also involve capacity-building for the communities concerned and developing resources, workshops and policies to reinforce the transmission of the element. Other activities include: (a) developing teaching programmes for youth, with income-generating teaching opportunities for practitioners; (b) developing handbooks on playing, singing with and crafting the lahuta; and (c) creating a website and social media platforms to organize performances and raise awareness about the element. This project is expected to facilitate community engagement in living heritage safeguarding by providing them with the necessary skills and tools to communicate about and raise awareness of their intangible cultural heritage, and to contribute to safeguarding measures.

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