Kyrgyz women’s textile practice

Dr Stephanie Bunn's research on Kyrgyz women's textile practice has given Kyrgyz NGOs and craft organisations access to a wider global perspective and forum for their work.

Since independence in 1991, Kyrgyz women’s domestic felt textile practices have been exposed to the influences and expectations of the global market. Dr Bunn linked local felt textile practitioners with international craft organisations through organised exhibitions and showcases in the UK, thus increasing their international profile and earning them income.

Dr Bunn supported their links with international agencies such as UNIFEM and UNESCO and enabled the UK arts and research community to gain access to this little-known art form. Advancements were made in individual lives, for example from sales of the work of 12 Kyrgyz artists in 2011 to the value of £42,000 (equivalent to 25 average yearly wages). More broadly, sustained cultural exposure of Kyrgyz women’s craft initiatives culminated in the 2013 UNESCO award of Intangible Cultural Heritage status to Kyrgyz shyrdak and ala ki’iz.