@@ BRITISH Architecture, Design, Fashion department @@ COUNCIL aD ll [Ls IRS Le) Fh ID Trade, creativity and collaboration in Central South Asia 2007 - 2010The New Silk Road, 2007-2010 By Carla Sorrell The Silk Road evokes many images: a vast and varied geographical area which includes densely packed cities, sprawling mountains and barren desert; a period in time stretching aver hundreds Of years, with no definite beginning or end; an eclectic mix of commodities, fram spices and silks to more ephemeral stories; an averiand network connecting cultures and enabling mobility. The Silk Road, which was coined as recently as 1887 by a German explorer, is easily romanticised, but was realistically fraught with the harsh realities of living for long periods of time in such challenging terrain. The network of overland routes that made up the Silk Road presentes travellers with multiple Paths to choose from when travelling from East. to West. Cities situated along significant trade routes sprung to glory, and others developed to meet the growing needs of traders and merchants, Many of these cities stil retain the riches they were once known for, but have become obscured bya complex political landscape, war-torn and misunderstood in contemporary culture. Today, countries in Central Asia are critical to East- West relations. Their role in industrial production and manufacturing gives them international significance and brings new focus to the region, Despite the developed world's reliance on their raw materials and workforce, their histary and culture is largely obscured. For this reason the British Council launched the New Sik Road programme —to address misperceptions of the region through creative dialogue. The aim of the programme was not to recreate or analyse the historic Sik Road, but to draw on notions of trade and collaboration; to pair commercial and creative activity, and to reinvent themes which underpinned historical activity in the region The New Silk Road programme has taken place in Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Iran ~ five countries which have had their share of Political upheaval. A recent month-long residency in Pakistan proved challenging to UK partners, many of whom declined because of the country's internal strife, Textile designer Yemi Awosile ‘overcame trepidation from friends and family to spend a month in Lahore and Karachi where, after only a week, she was so inspired by the country that she was already planning her return, In iran only one workshop took place before the political situation put a stop to further programmes. Yemi’s residency in Pakistanis one of eight creative exchanges between fashion and textile designers in Central South Asia and the UK. These Creative exchanges are brought together in a booklet within this publication in which designers share their impressions ofthe countries they visited, their experiences and the people they encountered along the way. The publication includes an essay, A Brief History ofthe Sik Road, by John Gillow, who has written extensively on the history of textiles around the world, it also includes a timeline of the New Sik Road programme, from intial research tours undertaken by the British Council to the most recent exhibition of collaborative work by British fashion designers Basso & Booke and the Yodgorlik sik mil in Uzbekistan — the result of one creative exchange. ‘The New Sik Road programme will continue with an exhibition of contemporary British fashion design, which is currently in development. It will draw on themes uncovered through the recent programmes, and tour the region as a platform for further discussion, debate and creative partnerships, August 2010,