Kazakhstan’s first private cultural institution will "participate in the development of contemporary culture in Kazakhstan and Central Asia" when it opens in 2020 in the city of Almaty, according to its project director, Jama Nurkalieva.

The centre, which is supported by Moscow’s Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, has been founded by Kazhak businessman Kairat Boranbayev, who is also the president of local football club FC Kairat Almaty.

Called the Tselinny Centre of Contemporary Culture, it will occupy the eponymous former Soviet-built cinema in Almaty, which is being reconstructed in late 2018 under the direction of the British architect Asif Khan.

"The new Tselinny will be a high-tech institution, offering truly unique formats for interaction in the arts and other interdisciplinary sciences," said Nurkalieva.

"We plan to make a wide range of programmes available, appealing to both the general public and a professional audience.

"In addition to exhibition and educational activities, we will be offering a range of research programmes, support for publications, grants for young professionals, programmes to help specialists to obtaining new qualifications and the training required to work at the centre and we will also be supporting grants for obtaining a professional education in the field of art."

The Tselinny cinema theatre is currently hosting a three-part project called Beginning in collaboration with the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art until 4 November 2018.

The project looks at the history of Almaty architecture in its first section, explores the former nightclub that was built into the Tselinny building in the early 2000s in its second part and, finally, a series of film screenings, lectures, discussions, workshops and excursions take place.

Beginning has been curated by MOA architect Ekaterina Golovatyuk, interiors specialist Giacomo Cantoni and Kazakh curator Meruyert Kaliyeva.