OVERVIEW
Forty experts from 20 ASEM countries exchanged views, knowledge, and experiences during this one-week training programme. Participants also had the opportunity to visit cultural sites such as the Chinese Music Conservatory. This programme was a follow-up to the Asia-Europe Seminar on the Music Industry held in Lyon, France in October 2001.
THE ISSUES
– Different historical backgrounds in Asian and European countries have resulted in the diversity of traditional music
– Policies, actions, and means for their protection also differ, even though common points exist
– Exchanges and training concerning the values, knowledge, laws and regulations, and use of new technology for the protection of traditional music need to be established to reach an effective and practical protection plan
As much as differences in approaches for the preservation of traditional music were noticed between Asia and Europe, many common issues, concerns and experiences were also highlighted. The final brainstorming session identified six main areas related to the preservation of traditional music, namely:
– Education
– Performances
– Archiving
– Intellectual property
– Media
– Research
Asian-European teams of two to three were formed to define each of these topics by the end of April 2003, and a publication from this project was released, which served as a guide for subsequent projects, networks, events, and policy recommendations.