On February 24, 2024, the Orient-Institute, Istanbul hosted an ‘invitation-only’ event, “Keeping Uyghur Culture Alive in Exile.”

The event responded to the repression, surveillance, mass detention and cultural destruction experienced by Uyghurs in recent years. The event focused on the ways in which academics, educators and artists have responded to fears of the erasure of Uyghur culture by engaging with exile communities who are striving to keep their culture alive. Rachel Harris, Professor of Music at SOAS University of London, and Istanbul-based Uyghur educator and poet Muyesser Abdul’ehed discussed ongoing creative, heritage and educational projects among the Uyghur diaspora in Kazakhstan and Turkiye. Their talks were followed by a concert of traditional Uyghur music and dance led by Muhtar Abdukerim Janbaz, head of the Uyghur European Ensemble. 

   

 

Tags: , , , ,