Return To Tenderness

As a passionate team about community-led initiatives and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage, Qisetna was excited to contribute to the artist Juan delGado in a creative collaboration that brought together the local community in Raqqa, Syria, to a global audience by using remote and digital technology to safeguard the region’s rich cultural legacy.

This collaborative effort aimed to identify, document, and celebrate the intangible cultural heritage of Raqqa, including traditional music, and storytelling, which were at risk of disappearing due to conflict and displacement of musicians and singers.

By leveraging digital tools and platforms, the project Return To Tenderness enabled the local community to take an active role in preserving their cultural heritage, creating a digital archive of their traditions and customs, and sharing their stories with the world that are available and open to everyone.

Inspired by a participatory methodology and understanding the challenges of access of the local community to digital technology, our team worked to provide support and training with the goal not only protect the cultural identity of Raqqa but also foster a sense of community and pride among its people, promoting cross-cultural understanding and exchange.

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Return to Tenderness was officially launched at the first international conference on the protection of intangible cultural heritage, organised by Al-Sharq University in Raqqa in November 2023. This landmark event brought together local and international experts, community leaders, and stakeholders to discuss the importance of preserving intangible cultural heritage in the face of conflict and displacement. Led by Dr HasanAlissa the conference provided a unique platform for knowledge sharing, capacity building, and collaboration. Moreover, the First International Conference on Protection of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage marked the beginning of a long-term partnership between the university, local communities, and international organisations.

Return to Tenderness’s launch at this conference underscored the commitment of Al-Sharq University to promoting the diversity of the cultural and music heritage of Raqqa and the surrounding region, and demonstrated the potential for community-led initiatives to drive positive change and preserve the richness of the cultural identity of communities across Syria.

A project kindly supported by Ettijahat-Independent Culture as part of their program Create Syria: A Space to Explore Arts and Social Change

photos ? Fares Al-Thakhera

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#SyriaHeritage #SyrianMusic #SyrianFolkMusic