Cultural Mapping of Art & Ethnicity of Assam

Objectives of the Project

The principal objectives of the ‘Cultural Mapping of Art & Ethnicity of Assam’ are to encourage the study, documentation, preservation, promotion and enrichment of Assam’s rich ethnic and community-based cultural heritage; collect and document information about individuals and cultural organisations directly involved in practising, preserving and promoting Assam’s diverse cultural traditions; and collect, compile, analyse and appropriately present information on Assam’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The project also seeks to develop a comprehensive, integrated database of these cultural resources and make it accessible to the public through print, electronic, web-based and other digital media.

Launch and Advisory Committees

The initiative was undertaken in 2023–24 under the patronage of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, and implemented by Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra. With the Department’s approval and guidance, a meeting was held on 4th April 2023 under the chairmanship of the Hon’ble Minister for Cultural Affairs. Following the decisions taken at the meeting, the necessary advisory committees were constituted: the General Advisory Committee (GAC), Executive Core Committee (ECC) and Expert Committee (EC). Distinguished scholars and eminent personalities from various fields of art and culture attended the meeting and offered suggestions for implementing the project.

Project Management and Infrastructure

With the approval of the Government of Assam, a project management team was formed, comprising a Project Coordinator and a Project Director. Subsequently, the necessary office infrastructure was developed, and hardware and software were procured. The process of arranging hosting space at the Assam State Data Centre and conducting the required audit through AMTRON was also initiated.

Pilot Project and Recruitment

To begin the project’s activities, a pilot project was initially prepared covering six districts of Assam, encompassing twelve present-day administrative districts. After approval of the pilot project, the necessary government rules and procedures were followed to recruit staff for various project management responsibilities and field researchers for field-level data collection. The newly appointed project management staff joined in June 2025, while the field researchers assumed their duties in August 2025.

Training and Field Work

Training and orientation programmes for the field researchers were held in July 2025, as planned. Field-level data collection and documentation on four subjects selected for the project began in the first week of August 2025.

Progress So Far

The infrastructure, development arrangements and related facilities required for the smooth operation of the project have been established. Work under the pilot project is already underway across twelve districts, with extensive field-level data collection and documentation in progress. Alongside these activities, the project management team continues to manage, analyse and preserve the collected information at the office level.