In: Lucas Lixinski, 'Intangible Cultural Heritage', in Andreas J Wiesand, Kalliopi Chainoglou, Anna Sledzinska-Simon and Yvonne Donders (eds.), Culture and Human Rights – The Wroclaw Commentaries (De Gruyter, 2016) 189-191
Heritage has traditionally been associated with material objects, but recent conventions have emphasized the significance of intangible culture heritage. This article advocates a holistic approach towards the concept and considers key challenges for Europe's heritage at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Reflecting on the notion of 'European', it considers the question of how one defines European heritage and which European heritage is to be protected. It explores links between national and European conceptions of identity and heritage and queries issues of ownership, language and representation. A number of ethical issues are raised - such as the role of women in the transmission of heritage and the implications of information technology for copywriting traditional practices. The author also asks how one ensures that the process of globalisation facilitates rather than eliminates local cultural heritages? How does one enhance the local so that it becomes glocal and not obsolete?
This article discusses a range of pragmatic issues associated with curating intangible cultural heritage, including collection, preservation, interpretation, presentation and representation. It uses as a case study work undertaken with Lough Neagh eel fishermen in preparation for and at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in 2007, setting this in a much wider curatorial context.
Section 1. Folk tales -- section 2. Rituals, cults and religious practices -- section 3. Festivals -- section 4. Music and performing arts -- section 5. Arts and crafts -- section 6. Culinary traditions -- section 7. Ethnoscience and conservation of biodiversity
This paper discusses the meanings and socio-cultural implications of "communities" in the context of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH), based on several pieces of relevant documents written by UNESCO and the experts in the field. The notion of "community" has been one of the key concepts in defining, safeguarding, and inscribing the intangible cultural heritages (ICH) in the context of UNESCO Programmes. In addition, the relationship between the communities and the ICH in academic analyses and policy-making is highly complex, multi-faceted, and closely inter-related that the two cannot be discussed separately. Based on the analyses and examination of ethnographic cases, this paper concludes that, although the communities' opinions should be taken seriously in planning and implementing ICH safeguarding, it is important to consider the fact that the members of the communities are not homogeneous or in the same opinion.
"Practitioner Perspectives on Intangible Cultural Heritage provides an accessible introduction to the Intangible Cultural Heritage field. Summarising the major changes that have taken place over the last two decades, the book explores ongoing debates and changes in thinking about best practice. Drawing on the author's own experience of operationalising the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in a variety of contexts. The book also incorporates case studies from practitioners from her extensive international network, providing valuable insights about best practices. Demonstrating that the top-down, state-driven hierarchy for the safeguarding of heritage is starting to shift to a model of shared ownership and values driven by communities and practitioners, the book shows that the notion of the 'expert' is also diversifying to include other forms of transmission of traditional knowledge. Orr argues that these different perspectives provide a platform to enrich understanding and knowledge and create a stronger basis for the safeguarding of heritage - both intangible and tangible. Exploring some of the policy developments that have laid the foundations for the future involvement of community and practitioners in the global discourse, Practitioner Perspectives on Intangible Cultural Heritage also suggests how practitioners can expand networks and contribute to the global discourse. Practitioner Perspectives on Intangible Cultural Heritage will appeal to museum curators and other heritage professionals, as well as students and academics engaged in the study of museums and heritage, art, and cultural policy and management"--