AN INITIATIVE OF CRAFT REVIVAL TRUST.  Since 1999

About Us

At Asia InCh we believe that access to knowledge is the basis of safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the knowledge and practice of the traditional hand crafts, textiles, folk and tribal arts, and the bearers and practitioners of these oral knowledge systems.

The constantly expanding Encyclopedia is a work-in-progress. It features information on the makers, the techniques, processes and vocabulary of the intangible cultural heritage of Asia. The encyclopaediais a space that stimulates discussions and thoughts on the eco-system of ICH with its huge number of contributors. It also provides case studies of prior experiments in cultural and socio-economic development, innovations, collections, a bibliography, and a glossary of terms, a listing of museums and organizations dedicated to the conservation and promotion of this sectoramongst many other features. Today www.asiainch.org is the largest available archive of its kind online.

The site also hosts a Quarterly Journal dedicated to bringing new thought and work in the realm of the intangible heritage to the fore. The content is sourced from a wide, credible and knowledgeable network from across the world and is recognized for its width of topics and authentic texts. As a current and open-source platform, the journal serves as a forum for advocacy and empowerment and is now widely acknowledged as a platform for change.

Launched in 1999, this encyclopedia is an initiative of the Craft Revival Trust, a not-for-profit, non- government organization.

The Craft Revival Trust (CRT) was established in 1999 and was founded on the principal that access to knowledge and its dissemination forms the vital core that safeguards the intangible cultural heritage of the traditional arts and crafts. We believe that the ICH of crafts and craftspeople plays a vital role in the contemporary world – not just as a part of its cultural and aesthetic past but as a dynamic participant in its economic future and its continuing sustainable development. In addition CRT works in areas extending from research and documentation, policy and advocacy to consultancy.