The Asian Center is an organisation aimed principally at bringing about a greater awareness and understanding of Asia’s rich cultural heritage.
The Centre’s special focus of interest is the Traditional Culture of Southeast Asia, and in particular the traditional performing arts of the region. Realising however, firstly, that the arts, and the traditional performing arts in particular, cannot be studied without reference to other aspects of culture, and secondly, that compartmentalisation according to region is neither totally feasible nor always desirable, the Asian Centre’s range of secondary interests extend beyond Southeast Asian performing arts into other related disciplines.
1. To conduct and stimulate research in the following disciplines: Beliefs, Customs and Manners, Religion, Literature and Folklore, Performing Arts and Fine Arts. .
2. To help preserve and conserve traditional art forms.
3. To help foster and stimulate the development of the creative and interpretative talents of indigenous artists as well as of persons working in the contemporary arts.
4. To
make accessible relevant materials in the form of artifacts as well as published
and unpublished works.
To achieve its aims and objectives the Centre will undertake the following activities:
1. Build up a Resource Collection of books, audio-and videotaped materials, slides, photographs and other relevant materials.
2. Publish suitable high quality materials in the form of occasional papers, monographs, books, photographic and slide collections, and audio as well as video recordings in the disciplines indicated above.
3. Organise Seminars and Conferences, Performances, Exhibitions, Film and Video shows, Lectures and Demonstrations, Instruction in relevant languages.
4. Put together a Museum Collection of artifacts such as musical instruments, puppets, costumes, and handicrafts with a special focus on Southeast Asia.
5. Undertake consultancy in specific areas of culture.
As a means
to helping the Asian Centre achieve its aims and objectives, as well as
working more meaningfully on a long term basis
with interested individuals
and organizations internationally, the
Centre is working towards the setting up of a
Cultural Foundation.
All correspondence and inquiries related to the Asian Centre’s activities may be directed to the following address:
Dr Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof
The Asian Center
Gelugor P.O.Box
No. 13
11700 Penang, Malaysia.
E-mail: gsyousof@angelfire.com