intangible cultural heritage may 2011
DESCRIPTION
Slides from presentation at MuseumNext, Edinburgh 2011 on Intangible Cultural Heritage also known as Living Culture. Includes project in Scotland.TRANSCRIPT
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
•
• MGS represent the largest visitor attraction sector – over 25 million
visitors, and over £800 million in value to the Scottish economy
•
• 158 independent museums including 7 regimentals, as well as 31
local authorities, 11 university museums and 3 national membersin MGS membership
•
• More than 270 Registered or Accredited Museums and Galleries
•
• 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/