The NIAP is a UK – Nepal Bicentenary related three year initiative, with its first phase in the November 2014 – May 2015 period, and has UK, Nepal, and international (Nepal and UK) dimensions.

The NIAP, although mainly focused on the creation and development of a unique online resource in English to promote and inform about the dynamism, depth and diverse breadth of the contemporary Nepali arts and related creative and artistic community, also includes educational lobbying and projects components.

During the summer-autumn of 2013 and the January – May 2014 period, the NIAP was born through a number of meetings of NIAP initiator/lead officer, UK Nepal Friendship Society Executive Director, and artist Alan Mercel-Sanca, in Kathmandu with some key figures of Nepal’s visual and performing arts world, and also with groups and organisations that through the arts seek to express and work for values of social justice, equality and inclusivity.

Common needs and concerns emerged from these discussions with it being felt that what has subsequently become the NIAP could provide a basis for helping these to be met and resolved.

At the same time in the UK compatible discussions were held, with an onus on the fact that there was much that Nepal’s contemporary creative community could teach to audiences in the UK, from artists to youth interested in global citizenship through the arts, to campaigners and activists seeking through better awareness of the world arts helping global citizenship to become a reality, a dynamic, empowering, spiritually enlightening force that could both deliver meaningful change at individual, employment skills, socio-political levels in the United Kingdom. … read more