A research unit focusing on Asian music has been created at Goldsmiths, University of London. From Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 February, the newly established Asian Music Unit at Goldsmiths will be hosting an international symposium, Safeguarding the intangible: cross-cultural perspectives on music and heritage.

The symposium will take place from Wednesday 19 to Friday 21 February, and is supported with funds from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

As economic, technological and cultural change gathers pace across the world, the safeguarding of cultural heritage has become a pressing issue for local communities, national governments and international organisations like UNESCO.

With academic research on intangible cultural heritage in its early stages, more research is needed to understand current revival initiatives in different parts of the world.
The symposium aims to further understanding of different strategies and policies on safeguarding musical heritage and their impact on musical traditions. Through music performances and documentary-film screenings as well as academic papers, the symposium will investigate current music revival and safeguarding initiatives in different parts of the world.

Highlights include:

• The launch event on Wednesday 19 February for the Asian Music Unit with a concert by the Confucius Institute at Goldsmiths

• Screenings of film by directors Yoshitaka Terada and Itsushi Kawase on Thursday 20 February

• A special performance by Solomon’s Knot Baroque collective of an early modern opera on Friday 21 February

To register for the event, please visit the Eventbrite page here.