Make a Donation

The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre is a non-government museum that relies on ticket and shop sales to keep its doors open. Grants and donations allow us to undertake significant research, conservation and education projects.

Here in Laos, public cultural institutions and academia are in their infancy. The Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre was founded to promote understanding of Laos’ ethnic diversity and advocate for the survival and transmission of its cultural traditions. Now is a critical time, as Laos undergoes rapid modernisation and economic development.

Your donation will contribute to our efforts to safeguard the cultural heritage of Laos. Any amount is greatly valued and will help!

Please see below for activities that are in need of support, and how to donate:

Village Fund and Livelihoods Development

Support vulnerable communities through the provision of school supplies, microfinance and training for handicraft producers.

TAEC believes in supporting not just cultural traditions, but sustainable livelihoods for rural ethnic minorities. When TAEC visits communities for research, we not only ask questions about culture, but about village income levels, development issues and education.

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  • • With US$50, we can provide a community with a new stock of basic medicines for their village health cabinet.
  • • With US$100, we can provide 10 pairs of eyeglasses for older women embroiderers and weavers who suffer from poor eyesight.
  • • With US$125, we can buy and distribute 100 children’s books from Big Brother Mouse in our partner villages.
  • • With US$300, we can provide a loan to artisans to invest in materials and equipment to produce handicrafts to sell.
  • • With US$1,200, we can visit a new community to provide training and set up handicraft production based on traditional skills.

Ethnic Youth Internships and Community Education

Create opportunities for young people to learn more about the cultural heritage of their own country.

TAEC’s education team visits local primary schools to teach youngsters about cultural diversity and hosts tours and activities for groups of children and older students from the Children’s Cultural Centre, Teacher’s Training College, and nearby schools. TAEC also has an Ethnic Youth Internship programme, giving young people from ethnic minority communities the chance to gain work experience and represent their culture.

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  • With US$40, we can put together a new school visit pack, consisting of games, photos and information to leave in classrooms after doing our school outreach.
  • With US$150, we can visit schools outside of Luang Prabang town to provide cultural awareness education.
  • With US$125, we can buy and distribute 100 children’s books from Big Brother Mouse in our partner villages.
  • With US$500, we can hire a graphic designer to layout a Children’s Activity Book, and add illustrations to worksheets we have for young Lao visitors to TAEC.
  • With US$700, we can sponsor two young people from a rural ethnic community we work with to intern at TAEC for two weeks, including field trips and learning materials.

Collections and Research

Ensure that precious cultural artefacts and traditional knowledge are preserved for future generations.

TAEC’s collection currently consists of over 400 objects representing 30 different ethnic groups, many of which are now difficult to find in communities. The antique trade has meant that many important cultural artefacts have left the country. TAEC aims to document and preserve artefacts for future generations, with the hope that pieces can be repatriated to communities in the future. As a museum representing living cultures, TAEC also supports research to document the intangible cultural heritage of the country’s ethnic groups, examining traditions, beliefs and material culture in the face of rapidly changing lifestyles.

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  • With US$50, we can buy archival paper, boxes and foam for safe storage of the collections objects.
  • With US$300, we can expand TAEC’s collection of bamboo and rattan baskets, for further research and a new exhibition.
  • With US$1,000, we can subsidize a research trip to document the cultural heritage of more ethnic groups in the south of Laos.
  • With US$10,000 we can develop and install a new exhibition at TAEC.

General Purpose and Priority Projects

If you are happy to leave the decision to us, we will ensure that your donation goes to where it is most needed.

Specific Projects Currently in Need of Funding:

  • A major research and exhibition project on the diversity of traditional and contemporary basket weaving practised throughout Laos. The exhibition will be hosted at TAEC then toured through other museums in Laos and the region. Total project budget: US$30,000.
  • Production and publication of a book based on TAEC’s collection, research and exhibitions entitled “Ethnic Cultures and Traditions of Lao PDR”. This book will be sold at the TAEC Museum Shop and through museums, bookshops and universities worldwide. Total project budget: $15,000.

How to Donate

Tax-exempt Donations:

TAEC is affiliated with the Luang Prabang Fund for Culture and Conservation, an American 501(c)3 non-profit organisation. Donations made to TAEC through the LPFCC are tax deductible in the US.

Please visit their website, www.lpfund.com, to learn more, or mail a check made out to the “Luang Prabang Fund for Culture and Conservation” with TAEC in the “subject” or “for” line to:

Luang Prabang Fund for Culture and Conservation
4975 Walnut Walk
Dayton, OH 45429

You will receive a letter confirming your donation for your tax records. The LPFCC is currently setting up a PayPal account to make it even easier to donate. We will update these details as soon as possible.

PayPal:

To donate directly to TAEC with a credit card through PayPal, please click on the link below:

Bank Transfer:

Please note that international electronic funds transfers can incur fees, which may affect the donation amount. Please speak to your bank about this.

To transfer directly into TAEC’s Lao bank account, please wire funds to:

Beneficiary Account Name: TAEC Foundation LPB
US Dollar Account Number: 050.5.11.01.01231
Beneficiary Bank: Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao, Luang Prabang, Lao PDR
SWIFT: COEBLALA
Beneficiary Bank’s Address: Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao
Luang Prabang Branch
Phou Vao Road, Ban Phonpheng
Tel: +856.71.252814
Fax: +856.71.260598
Beneficiary Bank’s correspondent
bank details		 Natexis Banque Populaires, Singapore
SWIFT: BFCESGSG
example1 Students from the Teacher’s Training College after a study tour at TAEC TAEC staff interviewing a Yao Mun artisan about her cotton textiles Katu children (and a father!) looking at a Big Brother Mouse book in Xekong province Yao Mien embroiderers learning how to use a tape measure during a training Luang Prabang children learning how to gin cotton in the traditional Tai Lue way at the 2010 Ethnic Cultural Festival