UNESCO and Windmill Advertising Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding to promote Bangladesh’s traditional rickshaw painting internationally while creating livelihood and commercial opportunities for artists and safeguarding the cultural tradition.
Susan Vize, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh, and Schumonn Patwary, Chief Strategic Planner of Windmill Advertising Limited, signed the agreement at the UNESCO Dhaka Office on 7 October. The partnership will be implemented through a project titled “Rickshaw Painting: Expanding the Canvas”, combining skills development, market access, brand partnerships, exhibitions and promotional activities, the organisations said in a press release.
“Rickshaw painting is a living tradition sustained by the knowledge, skills and creativity of artists who are the core to the survival of the rickshaw painting artform,” Vize said.
She said the partnership would support artists’ livelihoods and help them pass their skills to younger generations so the tradition could continue to thrive.
Patwary said the partnership aimed to preserve Bangladesh’s rickshaw art heritage while creating new opportunities for the artists associated with it.
“Our goal is to take Rickshaw Art to a broader audience through creative communication, skills development and connections with new markets,” he said.
Rickshaws and rickshaw painting in Dhaka were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2023.
Building on that recognition, UNESCO and Windmill will work together to safeguard the history, aesthetics and cultural significance of rickshaw art while contributing to the social and economic advancement of artists associated with the art form.
Under the “Rickshaw Painting: Expanding the Canvas” initiative, artists will receive training and skills-development opportunities. The project will also seek to expand the commercial potential of rickshaw painting, connect artists with leading brands and organise exhibitions and promotional activities to reach wider audiences.
Alongside supporting artists’ livelihoods, the initiative aims to highlight the creativity, stories and visual language reflected in Bangladesh’s rickshaw art.
Kizzy Tahnin, Head of Culture at UNESCO Dhaka; Bipasha Tripura, Programme Assistant, Culture; and Md Motiur Rahman Rabbi, Manager, Operation & Client Service at Windmill Advertising Limited, also attended the signing ceremony.
Windmill’s experience in creative communication, public awareness, digital promotion and capacity development will complement UNESCO’s work to safeguard living cultural heritage, according to the release.
The partnership will also focus on documenting artists’ knowledge and skills and helping transfer them to future generations.
