The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is consulting on the UK Government’s proposals to ratify the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The government announced in December that it was planning to ratify the 2003 convention. The first stage of implementing the convention will be the creation of an inventory of intangible cultural heritage in the UK, while the second stage will look at ongoing safeguarding.

Intangible cultural heritage

Intangible cultural heritage is defined by Unesco as the “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognise as part of their cultural heritage”.

These include:

  • 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.

DCMS is inviting engagement and views relating to the first stage of implementation. As part of the consultation, it will host a series of digital roundtables for interested stakeholders throughout February to explore different aspects of the proposals.

The meetings can be booked through Eventbrite and the dates are: