Organization: Aga Khan Museum - Marawi
Country: The Philippines
Year: 2021
Aga Khan Museum aims to involve more Meranaw women in preserving and promoting the culture and arts through capacity-building to create a lasting and sustainable change and livelihood.
Sustainability aspiration
Involving more Meranaw women in the preservation and promotion of the culture and arts through capacity-building to create a lasting and sustainable change and livelihood.
The protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage is our main priority and all the more since we have experience the Marawi armed conflict crisis in 2017. The people of the city had to abandon their houses and properties behind including their most treasured heirlooms from their forebears. Most of these properties were either destroyed or looted.
The tragic and traumatic event is still fresh in our minds. The Meranaw people are still in the process of recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Most are still living in temporary housing hoping to return to their old homes and rebuild their lives. Women artisans have lost their livelihood.
For this reason, the Culture and Creative Hub was established because the Aga Khan Museum and Arkat Lawanen both believe that arts and culture have the power to transform communities.
We envision the AKM and Arkat CCH as a place that will capitalize on the talent and skills of Meranaw women through capacity building and where they will come together to help each other learn new skills and create an accepting and peaceful community.
The CCH will serve as the setting for a variety of cultural and artistic undertakings like weaving and kapangantweras or bead embroidery. Ultimately, through this endeavor, the weaving tradition of the Meranaws will be preserved and promoted.
OCM toolkit resources used
Build Back Better in Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth
These are patterns for the mamandiang. It takes months to finishone strip of mamandiang
These patterns feature the okir designs, naga (serpent) or pako rabong (vises or fern).
The finished part of the mamandiang which involved tedious kapangantweras or bead embroidery
The AKM and Arkat ladies work together to finish one strip of mamandiang. They are being supervised by the AKM director herself