Revive Altai cultural/environmental sustainability

Happy New Year and Thank you for your continued support!

For the past year or so, our Altai project leader Svetlana Katynova has been working with artists and musicians to create video renditions of Altai lore that has, until this project been largely unavailable outside the indigenous Altai community.

This lore is important because it places current world events within the context of the lessons of history. Thus far, they have recorded some of the favorite Altai stories. To Western eyes, these may seem like myths, but considering the miracles that happen in that magical land, the stories are most likely true history, passed down through millennia.

They have been using an animation technique called sand-painting, where sand is spread on a back-lit glass surface and manipulated in beautiful images that succeed each other as the sand is moved by the artist's fingers. Some of the most famous Altai throat-singers (overtone singing) have donated narration.

The grant just received will enable Svetlana to purchase studio recording equipment, rather than to have to rent it, which enables her to afford to continue this process. We are still seeking funding for honoraria for the artists and musicians who have so generously donated their talents, as well as to cover management and distribution costs.

We look forward to your generous participation in the coming year.