OREANDA-NEWS. August 18, 2008. Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) launched the first Craftsman Resource Center in Shymkent, South Kazakhstan. The center was developed through the Craftsmanship Development and Rebirth of Traditional Art Trade in Kazakhstan program, funded by EFCA and Chevron with support from the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, the Erzhan Tatyshev Foundation and USAID, reported the press-centre of Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia.

NGO representatives, prominent artists, museum and gallery representatives, handicraftsmen and designers attended the opening ceremony. During the ceremony, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Resource Center and the Oblast Department of Entrepreneurship and Industry, which is responsible for coordinating business development in Kazakhstan.

The Resource Center aims to establish the necessary infrastructure for successful handcraftsmanship development in southern Kazakhstan by providing handcrafters with current information on traditional art products, access to necessary equipment, improved professional skills and qualifications, seminars on computer and business literacy and access to fairs/exhibitions.

Since the launch of the program in 2006, EFCA has conducted research on the state of handcraftsmanship in Kazakhstan, created an electronic database of all artisans in the country, published education materials and information bulletins, held the first conference on handcraftsmanship development in Kazakhstan and conducted thirteen applied art trainings. Approximately 294 artisans from Ust-Kamenogorsk, Aktubinsk, Aktau, Almaty and Astana have taken business courses and trainings in Russian and Kazakh languages. Future plans include a Resource Center in Aktau, which is currently under development.