ResiliArt Debate: Concert and Cultural-Event Industry of Central Asia during the Quarantine. Lessons Learned

Background
In response to the confinement and lockdowns in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, UNESCO launched the ResiliArt movement for artists and cultural professionals, which includes a series of debates with the participation of different creative professions.
The ResiliArt movement has three main goals:
• Raise awareness about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the culture sector in general and the livelihoods of artists and cultural professionals in particular;
• Provide a platform for artists and cultural professionals to ensure that their voices are heard in order to address the existing gaps and required needs;
• Contribute to strategic decision-making and development of assistance mechanisms pertaining to the creative sector.

Description
For most of 2020, the concert and cultural-event industry in countries around the world and in the Central Asian region was in a serious crisis caused by the suspension or restriction of the working format of places of mass gathering.
In order to provide a platform for an exchange of views and good practices during the lockdowns, as well as to help to identify the various forms of support to the local cultural-event industry in the framework of “ResiliArt” movement, UNESCO Office in Almaty will hold a debate entitled “Concert and Cultural-Event Industry of Central Asia during the Quarantine. Lessons Learned”.
During this debate, the panelists specialized in cultural-event industry and representing different Central Asian countries will discuss the following questions:
• General state of the industry and its employees in the region in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Alternative ways of overcoming and combating the impact of the crisis discussed or implemented within the industry;
• Existing and possible forms and types of support for the industry by the national governments.

Panelists
The following representatives of the concert and cultural-event industry will contribute to the discussion:
• Arsen Dlyanchev, National Association of Event Organizers (Republic of Uzbekistan);
• Elina Kozino, head of the "Showmaster" Online Event School, member of the Eurasian Event Association, filmmaker (Republic of Kazakhstan);
• Vladimir Kravchenko, founder of the International Concert and Event Industry Forum "Colisium", member of the Eurasian Event Association (Republic of Kazakhstan);
• Dmitriy Menshikov, Director General of “IOSIS SHOW” LLC (Republic of Uzbekistan);
• Saule Samidin, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Event Association, Head of "Sun Events" Company (Republic of Kazakhstan);
• Sabit Suleimenov, International Ticket Agency "Zakazbiletov.kz" (Republic of Kazakhstan);
• Guzyal Khozhda, General Producer of "Event Awards Central Asia", founder and Director General of "My People" LLC, culture researcher (Kyrgyz Republic).

Date / Time
Wednesday, 30 September 2020, from 16:00 to 18:00 time of Almaty.

How to join the Debate?
The debate will take place in the online format. Live streaming will be available on the Facebook page of UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty: https://www.facebook.com/unescoalmaty.

Previous ResiliArt Debates
• "Future of the Creative Cultural Industries: Voices of Creative Industries in Central Asia" (24.06.2020);
• “Young Professionals of the Cinema Industry in Central Asia: Future Perspectives during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic” (19.08.2020).