Festival of Politics

Joanne OrrUNESCO Scotland

Committee

Intangible Cultural Heritage in Scotland: An Inclusive Approach

• A UN agency which contributes to peace and security by promoting collaboration among nations through

• Education, culture, science and communication

• UNESCO Scotland Committee – part of the UK National Commission

2003 Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage

a) to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage;

b) to ensure respect for the intangible cultural heritage of the communities groups and individuals concerned;

c) to raise awareness at the local, national and international levels of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, and of ensuring mutual appreciation thereof;

d) to provide for international cooperation and assistance

The domain definitions set out in Article 2.2 of the Convention:

oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage;

performing arts;

social practices, rituals and festive events;

knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe;

traditional craftsmanship.

Article 15 –participation of communities, groups and individuals

? Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)

. . . living practices, representations, expressions knowledge, and skills - as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith -

that communities, groups and

individuals themselves recognise as part of

their cultural heritage

. . . central to their identities

Elements and Environment

Knitted Fish project, part of the Deirdre Nelson residency held at Taigh Chearsabhagh in early 2008.

Fish and long line hooks

• Collaboratively inspired and driven• Community centred and owned• Inclusive of all / accessible to all• Unforced / uncontrived • Celebrates community diversity• Promotes community cohesion• Puts heritage in the context of shared

spatial & social identity

The Approach to ICH in Scotland

Title / title

Copy

• Pro-active & aggressive re-presentation of fragile and ‘at risk’ Galician ICH

• Produces pseudo-events as in theme parks

• Or prescriptive – Austria 3 generation rule, Croatia 2 generation rule

• ICH in Scotland uses a participative Wiki-based approach

Different Approaches

Online Inventory of ICH in Scotland

• Collection of web pages

• Flexible: can manage changing priorities

• Free software

• Ease of data entry

• Attractive for end users

www.ichscotlandwiki.org/ Wiki

Inventory of ICH in Scotland

http://ichscotland.org/

Website

www.ichscotland.org/

ICH in Scotland: a summary

(The UK is not signed up to the UNESCO Convention)

• ICH is alive and well in Scotland • ICH is embedded at community• People in Scotland are comfortable with ICH• Starting point for the ICH wiki is heritage as

a dynamic process not a fixed end product contained in a building.

• ICH is reliant on community knowledge and contribution

www.ichscotland.org/

http://www.unesco.org.uk/scotland iuny@unesco.org.uk

www.museumsgalleriessscotland.com@MuseumsGalScot