Update- July 24,2024: Additional funds allocated to the Precision Centre’s ICH Book Project
“The 2003 UNESCO Convention for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage has now been activated!”
These were the words with which Antigua and Barbuda’s UNESCO National Commission’s Secretary-General, Dr. Reginald Murphy, greeted the June 20th handover of a cheque valued at EC 10,159.85 to the Precision Centre.
The funds will go towards the publication of the Precision Centre’s book on the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Antigua and Barbuda. The book’s publication is being funded under Antigua and Barbuda’s UNESCO ICH Fund-sponsored project. The national project is being led by Cultural Advisor, Dr. Hazra Medica, with assistance from Dr. Murphy.
Smiles all around (and a bold foot forward) as Dr. Hazra Medica and Dr. Murphy present the EC 10,159.85 cheque to Administrator Mrs. Alicia Cornelius.
The Precision Centre, located in Piggotts, is a faith-based organisation with an excellent track record of ICH safeguarding initiatives at the community level— the most recognised being their production of thirteen (13) short documentaries on Antiguan cultural heritage; twelve (12) village-based, and one (1) general ICH documentary.
These documentaries form the basis of the Centre’s flagship venture, the “Antiguanization Project”. The planned book will be based on the contents of the Centre’s general ICH documentary.
Under the Antigua and Barbuda ICH project, the Centre will publish, and distribute 2,000 free copies of its ICH book to school libraries, the National Library, the National Archives, community centres, and other select institutions and individuals.
A delighted Mrs. Alicia Cornelius, Administrator of the Precision Centre, received the cheque on the Centre’s behalf.
“Since we learnt of the availability of the funds last week, we began our initial conversations of putting things in place. We have since made contact with the possible publisher and have received a revised quotation from them,” Cornelius revealed.
According to her, with funds now in hand, “the team will continue to collaborate and work towards completing the project within the time allotted”.
Project Manager, Dr. Medica, echoed Mrs. Cornelius’ delight noting that the presentation of the funds to the Precision Centre was a long time coming:
“In 2018, the Precision Centre submitted its compelling proposal to us for inclusion in the larger national ICH project. In 2020, the nation secured US$ 97,754, / EC$ 264,185.07 in funding from the highly competitive UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund for our 19-month-long project.
We suffered delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and there were even further delays due to circumstances beyond our control. But now, we are, happily, getting back on track, and this presentation of hard-fought-for funds to the Precision Centre is a part of that!”
For his part, Dr. Murphy asserted that the Centre’s book will be “a major contribution to the safeguarding and enrichment of our cultural heritage” and congratulated the Centre for “their dedication and commitment”.
Over the coming months, the public will be kept updated on the progress of both the Precision Centre’s book as well as the larger ICH project.
To learn more about the Precision Centre, click here. For a glimpse at the Centre’s “Antiguanization Project,” click here.
For details on Antigua and Barbuda’s ICH project, please click here.
Next week, the first call will be posted for interested people to sign up to be a part of the project.
