Identity
The Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre creates a space for the Rohingya people to self-define their identity by bringing together Rohingya knowledge, resources (including oral traditions, collective and individual memories, indigenous practices, etc.), and people (including knowledge practitioners and artists) into one collaborative space. The Rohingya "walk-through" experience, an interactive exhibit spanning different areas of Rohingya life, is a key outcome of the project.

Heritage
The RCMC ensures the continuity of Rohingya heritage for future generations by collecting, documenting and (re)producing Rohingya cultural practices and artefacts. Collection items serve as prototypes for the production of a wide range of items that might otherwise be lost. RCMC productions such as the Visual Dictionary of Rohingya Culture, the animation series Our Rohingya Adventures, recordings of Rohingya music, posters, books, etc., also serve as learning tools and discussion prompts. Moreover, by establishing a Rohingya cultural archive, the RCMC fosters pride in the Rohingya past.

Livelihoods 
All artisans and researchers involved in RCMC activities receive proper remuneration and acknowledgment for their work. Additionally, the RCMC's conservation-to-innovation production pathway allows them to explore new processes and materials, innovating their crafts and creating future livelihood possibilities. For our work in camp, the RCMC identifies key individuals to lead arts and crafts workshops and participate in knowledge-sharing activities. A dedicated Rohingya team is being trained to operate and manage the RCMC and its educational programs. In addition, an artist-in-residence program has been established to provide Rohingya artists and artisans with access to short-term specific skill workshops led by key local, national and international artists. 

Self-advocacy

We have wings but not feathers, 

we have minds but not hope.

This opportunity has given us both.
- Soidul Islam, RCMC Rohingya artisan

The collection of artworks presented by the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre is framed on one side by the endurance of the Rohingya refugee community in Bangladesh and, on the other, by memories of their beloved homeland of Arakan; these continue to shape the Rohingya experience and their collective heritage.

Under bamboo and tarpaulin shelters, memories are woven into the fabric shaping the content of the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre. In this pursuit, the centre stands as a unique repository of Rohingya arts and culture: A creative platform that provides the Rohingya community with the space and tools so they can be known for their art and creativity, not just their marginalization.

In the case of refugees, artists and cultural institutions play an increasingly important role in raising public awareness of global injustices and effecting positive change. Through this creative platform, Rohingya artisans and artists share the things they struggle with, the way life confounds their expectations and desires, and the efforts they make to find meaning in their existence. In the words of Al-Kindi, father of Arab philosophy: "For him who seeks the truth there is nothing of higher value than truth itself."

Above all, the arts and crafts of the Rohingya people seek to illuminate their human condition which, fuelled by imagination, allows them to grow and stretch beyond their physical boundaries into the imaginary realm, a place of contemplation, self-care, hope and celebration.

Rohingya arts matter because the Rohingya people matter.

 

David Palazón

Aman Ullah
Fouzia Reza
Lurdes Macedo
Rahul Karim
Rezaul Karim
Shahirah Majumdar
Sophie Danielson
Tazrian Rahman
Verity Marques
Zeeshan Khan