Tibetan Culture
Tibetan cultural traditions are flourishing in exile. From dance to language, music to textiles, art to poetry, architecture to woodworking, Tibetan refugees have successfully preserved many cultural practices, revitalized and refined others, and integrated new ideas and technologies into their cultural repertoire.
In exile, one of the very first institutions that His Holiness the Dalai Lama established was the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA). Since 1959, TIPA has been a cornerstone of the exile community, training generations of young Tibetans in traditional opera, regional dance, traditional Tibetan musical instruments, and costume and prop production.
Opened in 1970 in Dharamsala, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) plays a crucial role in the community by collecting, safeguarding, and sharing thousands of books and manuscripts on Tibet in the Tibetan language and Asian and European foreign languages. In addition to the printed word, the Library has important collections of thangkas (religious paintings), ritual objects, oral histories, and photographs, and it holds regular courses on language, religion, and translation for foreign students.
The Norbulingka Institute was founded by the Central Tibetan Administration’s Department of Religion and Culture in 1988 in India. The Norbulingka bridges the traditional and the modern, bringing together over 450 Tibetan craftspeople to restore the practice and teaching of traditional religious and secular arts and crafts: thangka painting, appliqué work, woodworking, and sculpture. The Norbulingka also houses a Literary and Cultural Research Center.
The Tibet House New Delhi was founded in 1965 by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to preserve and disseminate Tibetan culture. The Tibet House’s Museum and Library collection began with the precious objects and books of religious and cultural significance that Tibetan refugees were bringing with them from Tibet. Since 1965 The Tibet House has expanded its programs to include research and translation projects, conferences, exhibitions, films and festivals. It also served as a model for other Tibet Houses in London, New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, Rome, London, Frankfurt, Budapest, and Barcelona.
The Tibet Museum was established in Dharamsala in 1998 to archive photographs and the life stories of the Tibetan people, present Tibet’s modern history, and strengthen Tibetan identity through various educational programs and special exhibitions.
In Nepal, Tibetan refugees established carpet factories in the 1960s to promote the Tibetan art of weaving and to become economically self-sufficient. By the mid-1980s the carpet factories provided jobs to millions in Nepal and the export of Tibetan carpets became the highest source of income from foreign currencies for the refugees.
Beyond the official institutions, many individual Tibetans are helping to forge 21st century Tibetan culture. Poets, contemporary artists, journalists, photographers, filmmakers, and rock-and-roll musicians work alongside traditional artisans to jointly celebrate and create Tibetan culture and identity in exile.
Links
Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
Website sponsored by the Tibet Fund.
For more information about Tibet Fund please visit www.tibetfund.org