The French humanitarian and development organization ACTED (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development) founded Bactria Cultural Centre in Dushanbe in December 2001. Since its inception, the centre has not only facilitated the general public’s access to culture, information and vocational training in Tajikistan, it has also supported members of the artistic community who were marginalized during the social and political upheaval following the civil war. Throughout the years Bactria Culture Centre has built a network of artists, curators, music producers, managers, students and other members of the Central Asian cultural community and connected them with audiences in the region.
Today, the centre continues to sponsor a wide range of educational, artistic and cultural activities throughout the country and it has expanded its scope of operations to incorporate larger parts of Central Asia including Kyrgyzstan since 2009.
The Centre recognizes that the ability to communicate effectively is crucial to form part of today’s global community, therefore, it offers language courses in French, English, Russian, German, Persian and Chinese. Bactria Cultural Centre’s initiatives also promote the preservation of traditional Tajik culture and encourage the development of contemporary art in Central Asia. The Centre serves as a platform for national and regional artistic and cultural cooperation and as a facilitator and a catalyst of artistic initiatives and processes. Scholars, artists and members of the community interact in academic discussion groups, lectures, concerts, artistic residencies, contemporary art exhibits, handicraft fairs, workshops and film screenings.