An online consultation has been launched to seek views on the UK Government's plans to ratify the 2003 Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and create an inventory of living intangible cultural heritage in the UK.
The Unesco convention is a binding multilateral instrument intended to safeguard and raise the profile of intangible cultural heritage or living heritage.
This is defined as the “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and know-how, transmitted from generation to generation within communities, created and transformed continuously by them, depending on the environment and their interaction with nature and history”.
A committee meets annually to discuss nominations, which must pass strict inscription criteria before being inscribed.
The UK Government’s plans for its own inventory of intangible cultural heritage aims to reflect practises from anywhere in the world and from any period of time that are currently practised in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Communities will be able to make submissions to inclusion, with panels established for each UK nation to assess proposals.
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It is proposed that each successful submission will be reviewed every two years by the community, group or individual who submitted the item.
Under the plans, items will be grouped into five Intangible Cultural Heritage categories, which are taken directly from the Unesco 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.
Two further categories may also be added:
- Traditional games and sports.
- Culinary traditions and knowledge.
The consultation closes next month, and the inventory is expected to launch for nominations later in 2024.
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The arts and heritage minister, Stephen Parkinson, who is also Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, said: “The UK is rich in traditions which are passed down from generation to generation. These crafts, customs, and celebrations have helped to shape our communities and bring people together, who continue to shape them in turn.
“By ratifying this convention, we will be able to celebrate treasured traditions from every corner of the UK, support the people who practise them, and ensure they are passed down for future generations to enjoy.”
The news that the convention will be ratified has been welcomed by museum and heritage bodies.
The Intangible Cultural Heritage Scotland Partnership, which comprises Museums Galleries Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland and Creative Scotland, said in a statement: "The partners look forward to continuing to collaborate to support understanding and recording of intangible cultural heritage and to extending that work as ratification is further explored.
"Collaborative working among sector lead bodies and representatives of community intangible cultural heritage practitioners will be vital, and we will be working to identify opportunities for further discussion and consultation over the coming months.
"We also look forward to future sharing and learning from good practice across the UK and internationally, building links worldwide with intangible cultural heritage supporting bodies, including Unesco."
