ECura’s Collaboration with Qifeng Village
Researcher Keyi Liu, on behalf of the ECura project team, signed a cooperation agreement with the community leaders of Qifeng Village at the end of November 2023 and established the Qifeng Village Folk Music Rescue Fund. Starting from August 2023, Keyi Liu conducted a three-month field investigation in Qifeng Village. After a thorough understanding of the village, she identified three community leaders for collaboration with the ECura project: Wang Bingcui, Zhang Zhongming, and Yang Jifan. Keyi Liu had multiple discussions with these leaders and village representatives about the details of the collaboration. The villagers unanimously agreed to use the fund to sponsor activities related to the preservation of Bai ethnic music and dance, thus encouraging greater participation in traditional music activities. During the fieldwork, Keyi Liu held several workshops teaching middle-aged and elderly villagers how to record short videos with smartphones and upload them to social platforms.
研究员刘可意代表ECura项目组于2023年11月底与起凤村的社区负责人签订了合作协议，并设立了起凤村民间音乐救助基金。自2023年8月起，刘可意在起凤村进行了为期三个月的田野调查，深入了解村情后，确定了三位与ECura项目合作的“社区负责人”：王炳翠、张仲明和杨吉繁。刘可意与这三位负责人及村民代表们就合作的细节进行了多次讨论。村民们一致同意使用基金赞助保护白族音乐和舞蹈的相关活动，以此鼓励大家更加积极地参与传统音乐活动。在田野调查期间，刘可意举办了多个工作坊，指导中老年村民如何使用智能手机拍摄视频并将其上传到社交平台。
Bai villagers discuss the collaboration agreement with ECura
Collective Decision-Making is preferred approach within the Qifeng village, characterized by spontaneously organized gatherings that discuss various community affairs, fostering strong community cohesion. The ECura team respected this communal tradition by actively participating in these local decision-making processes (see following photo). During fieldwork, researcher Keyi Liu, along with three community leaders and other villagers, held multiple discussions concerning the details of the collaboration. The villagers showed considerable interest and support for the ECura project, appreciating the subsidies provided for community leader roles. Guided by principles of equality, voluntary participation, and shared responsibility, a consensus was reached to allocate these subsidies to support activities related to music and dance, as well as cultural revival efforts. This allocation aims to boost the villagers’ participation and enthusiasm in Bai ethnic music activities, thereby enriching the community’s cultural engagement.
Workshops on Digital Skills
Researcher Keyi Liu conducted several workshops aimed at sharing middle-aged and elderly villagers how to use smartphones, to film videos, and to upload them to social platforms. This initiative not only demonstrated care for the older generations but also encouraged them to actively participate in preserving their cultural heritage. The workshops covered practical skills such as basic smartphone usage, video shooting, using social media platforms, and enabling accessibility features like senior modes. She also provided hands-on support during these gatherings, helping villagers practice these skills and offering technical support and solutions to ensure they could master the technology.
Thanks to the harmonious and shared democratic atmosphere within the community, we found that villagers freely exchanged knowledge about the digital skills they had mastered and those they were less familiar with, fostering a self-sufficient community ideal for the project. This is precisely what the ECura team hoped for. Additionally, the ECura project team provides long-term backup technology support and training to community members who are willing to become technicians to sustain these platforms.
