Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Centre

The distinguished artistic heritage of Nepal stretches back over a 2500 year period and encompasses architecture, painting, pottery, sculpture and bronze. Today the future of this vibrant and once innovative culture is under threat. A century of isolation followed by decades of instability have damaged the central fabric of its society. NGOs and INGOs support obvious humanitarian needs and artists are forgotten.
Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Centre (KCAC) was established to act as a catalyst for the contemporary arts in Nepal. The country’s first international Arts Centre, it holds exhibitions, workshops and symposia to develop awareness of contemporary art and help emerging Nepali artists with bursaries and studio space.
 
The British charity (reg. no. 1121118) was established in 2007 and the Arts Centre opened in January 2010. The library, the largest of its kind in Nepal, is growing rapidly thanks to major gifts from Tate Britain and many private contributions. The studios for artists in residence are already in use and a bookshop and café with WiFi have recently opened. The Actors’ Studio of Nepal joined us in April and the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory is two floors above us. With a thriving events programme, the Centre is rapidly becoming a centre for cultural tourism and a contributor to the economy of Nepal.