The opening ceremony was held on Jan 19, 2015

The Training of Trainer Workshop on safeguarding plans and policy support for intangible cultural heritage for facilitators from Asia-Pacific region opened in Shenzhen on Jan 19, 2015.

The training was held by the UNESCO and organized by the International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO. Officials from UNESCO headquarters and field offices, accredited facilitators on intangible cultural heritage in the region and Chinese experts participated in the training.

Susanne Schnuttgen of ICH section of UNESCO, Xu Rong, Director General of CRIHAP, and Chen Shaohua, director of Publicity of CPC Baoan District committee of Shenzhen inaugurated the workshop.

Participants also paid a field visit to the Fuyong Lion Dance, which is on the first list of intangible cultural heritage of Guangdong province.

The workshop focused on the knowledge and skills required to elaborate safeguarding plan for ICH and how to acquire these competencies successfully. Participants also tested a new interactive methodology the UNESCO elaborated for this purpose and discussed how training approaches in two other thematic areas: policy development and gender.

Mr. Ricks Sweets and Mrs. Janet Blake, both senior specialists on the convention for the safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage facilitated the five-day workshop. The workshop concluded on Jan. 23, 2015.