Living Places, Living KNowledge—Creative Asset Mapping

Creative Asset Mapping (CAM) is a process of identifying, documenting, and visually representing the creative resources and talents within a community. This includes artists, cultural spaces, traditions, events, and other cultural assets. It helps communities better understand their cultural landscape and informs future development, collaboration, and preservation efforts.

In 2023, AMCA initiated a CAM project that combined hands-on training with real-world mapping. Thirteen participants from Shan, Mandalay, and Yangon documented artists, cultural practitioners, traditional artisans, and events in their regions. They created online and illustrated maps that showcase these cultural resources and the challenges they face. This pilot project was a significant step toward a better understanding of Myanmar's contemporary arts and culture sector.

AMCA's Approach

At AMCA, our approach to Creative Asset Mapping is a research-based, community-driven process. Local residents, artists, and cultural practitioners actively contribute by sharing their knowledge and perspectives. The results are presented visually, often through maps, so communities can clearly see where creative assets exist and how they connect. We believe this approach not only preserves existing cultural practices but also encourages collaboration, exchange, and the creation of new works.

Mapping Creative Assets at Risk in Mandalay, Mon, and Southern Shan (2025)

Building on the pilot's success, AMCA is expanding the program in 2025 with support from the British Council's Connections Through Culture grant program. This initiative focuses on safeguarding Myanmar's tangible artistic assets, especially in communities affected by environmental changes, displacement, and conflict.

    • Develop local maps of tangible cultural assets to serve as a resource for communities.

    • Share findings with local and international experts to foster knowledge exchange.

    • Document creative practices in endangered or crisis-affected areas.

    • Inspire further research and collaborations that strengthen Myanmar’s cultural identity.

  • In this five-month program, nine arts and culture practitioners from Shan State, Mon State, and Mandalay Division are participating. AMCA’s project team works closely with them, supported by international expertise and technical training. Professor Sandra Dudley from the University of Leicester provided lectures on cultural heritage and mapping, and Thibi Co. delivered technical training in mapping and data visualization.

    At the end of the four-month process, the project will have fostered cultural resilience, exchange, and community empowerment through the creation of a digital story map, "Living Places, Living Knowledge", which will present important findings.

  • Although our documentation criteria prioritized assets deemed endangered by local communities, the current situation such as March2025 Sagaing Earthquake and regional political conflicts in all three regions also limited the results of the documentation process. Thanks to the efforts of our participants, we were able to highlight the significant risks and challenges facing Myanmar's creative assets today.

    A total of 79 creative assets were documented across three regions. The majority of these assets are architecture, paintings, and traditional artworks, followed by handicrafts (including accessories), artifacts, literature, and a few related to natural heritage.

Mandalay Division

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Mon State

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Southern Shan State

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Future Directions & Recommendations

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  • If you’re interested in this project and want to contribute for the further development of this project, or want to contribute information for more assets in similar or other regions;

  • if there is any misinformation from our research data;

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