Download - Intangible cultural heritage may 2011
MUSEUM NEXT
Joanne Orr
Museums Galleries Scotland
Intangible Cultural Heritage in Scotland: - A Paradigm Shift?
Museums Galleries Scotland: Who we are
• MGS represent over 350 museums and galleries from Scotland’s most
northerly island to the most southerly part of the Borders
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• MGS represent the largest visitor attraction sector – over 25 million
visitors, and over £800 million in value to the Scottish economy
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• 158 independent museums including 7 regimentals, as well as 31
local authorities, 11 university museums and 3 national membersin MGS membership
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• More than 270 Registered or Accredited Museums and Galleries
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• 50%+ of workforce are volunteers demonstrating a passion and
commitment to their local heritage
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350 museums and galleries all over Scotland...
? 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
In 2008 Museums Galleries Scotland commissioned a research team from Edinburgh Napier University‘s Institute for Creative Industries to:
• Scope Intangible Cultural Heritage activities in Scotland
• Map support mechanisms in place to safeguard ICH
• Review, evaluate and make recommendations:
– on best practice in enhancing participation of communities, groups (and individuals) in the management of ICH, and
– on the roles of key stakeholders, including public, private and third sector bodies in supporting ICH in Scotland
Background to ICH inScotland Project
Recommendations
• an ‘inclusive’ definition of ICH should be used in terms of level of participation, diffusion, and ethnicity
• recording ICH in an inventory is the first step towards ensuring that ICH is safeguarded
• safeguarding of ICH should take the form of supporting through education channels/ community groups
• 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
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• Pro-active & aggressive re-presentation of
fragile and ‘at risk’ Galician ICH
• The result is another version of ‘hyper-reality
• 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
www.ichscotland.org/
Inventory of ICH inScotland
http://ichscotland.org/
Website
www.ichscotland.o
rg/
Elements and Environment
Knitted Fish project, part of
the Deirdre Nelson residency
held at Taigh Chearsabhagh
in early 2008.
Fish and long line
hooks
Conclusion /
Meeting in Stornoway
Timespan Museum and Art Centre - A Fishtastic Festival Day and night events inspired by the fishing industry which has shaped the community. Workshops, fish-tasting BBQ, children's parade and a ‘fishy debate’.
ICH inScotland: 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
• if institutionalised it ceases to be ICH
www.festivalofmuseums.com@FestofMuseums
www.museumsgalleriessscotland.com@MuseumsGalScot
www.ichscotland.org/