Heritage Matters

Safeguarding intangible Cultural Heritage

Heritage Matters

iSSn 1756–4832

Series EditorsPeter g. Stone

Peter davisChris Whitehead

Heritage Matters is a series of edited and single-authored volumes which addresses the whole range of issues that confront the cultural heritage sector as we face the global challenges of the twenty-first century. The series follows the ethos of the international Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies (iCCHS) at newcastle university, where these issues are seen as part of an integrated whole, including both cultural and natural agendas, and thus encompasses challenges faced by all types of museums, art galleries, heritage sites and the organisations and individuals that work with, and are affected by them.

Volume 1: The destruction of Cultural Heritage in iraqEdited by Peter G. Stone and Joanne Farchakh Bajjaly

Volume 2: Metal detecting and archaeologyEdited by Suzie Thomas and Peter G. Stone

Volume 3: archaeology, Cultural Property, and the MilitaryEdited by Laurie Rush

Volume 4: Cultural Heritage, ethics, and the MilitaryEdited by Peter G. Stone

Volume 5: Pinning down the Past: archaeology, Heritage, and education todayMike Corbishley

Volume 6: Heritage, ideology, and identity in Central and eastern europe:Contested Pasts, Contested Presents

Edited by Matthew Rampley

Volume 7: Making Sense of Place: Multidisciplinary PerspectivesEdited by Ian Convery, Gerard Corsane and Peter Davis

Safeguarding intangible Cultural Heritage

edited by

Michelle l. Stefano, Peter davis and gerard Corsane

tHe bOYdell PreSS

© Contributors 2012

All rights reserved. except as permitted under current legislationno part of this work may be photocopied, stored in a retrieval system,

published, performed in public, adapted, broadcast,transmitted, recorded or reproduced in any form or by any means,

without the prior permission of the copyright owner

first published 2012The boydell Press, Woodbridge

iSbn 978–1–84383–710–7

The boydell Press is an imprint of boydell & brewer ltdPO box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk iP12 3df, uK

and of boydell & brewer inc.668 Mt Hope avenue, rochester, nY 14620, uSa

website: www.boydellandbrewer.com

The publisher has no responsibility for the continued existence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book,

and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

a CiP record for this book is availablefrom the british library

Papers used by boydell & brewer ltd are natural, recyclable productsmade from wood grown in sustainable forests

Printed in great britain byCPi group (uK) ltd, Croydon, Cr0 4YY

Contents

list of illustrations vii acknowledgments ix

touching the intangible: an introduction 1Michelle L Stefano, Peter Davis and Gerard Corsane

negotiating and Valuing the intangible

1 The Paradoxes of intangible Heritage 9Marilena Alivizatou

2 Memory, Museums and the Making of Meaning: a Caribbean Perspective 23Alissandra Cummins

3 from intangible expression to digital Cultural Heritage 33Kate Hennessy

4 Conversation Piece: intangible Cultural Heritage in Sweden 47Ewa Bergdahl

5 africa’s rich intangible Heritage: Managing a Continent’s diverse resources 57George Abungu

6 The Silence of Meanings in Conventional approaches to Cultural Heritage in 71 Jordan: The exclusion of Contexts and the Marginalisation of the intangible

Shatha Abu-Khafajah and Shaher Rababeh

7 Conversation Piece: intangible Cultural Heritage in india 85Vasant Hari Bedekar

applying the intangible Cultural Heritage Concept

8 reflections on the implementation of the uneSCO 2003 Convention for the 95 Safeguarding of intangible Cultural Heritage in france

Christian Hottin and Sylvie Grenet

9 government and intangible Heritage in australia 111Lyn Leader-Elliott and Daniella Trimboli

10 Proud to be dutch? intangible Heritage and national identity in the netherlands 125Léontine Meijer-van Mensch and Peter van Mensch

11 intangible Cultural Heritage in Wales 137Andrew Dixey

12 Conversation Piece: intangible Cultural Heritage in botswana 149Susan Keitumetse

13 The uneSCO Convention for the Safeguarding of intangible Cultural Heritage 153 and its implications for Sustaining Culture in nova Scotia

Richard MacKinnon

On the ground: Safeguarding the intangible

14 acquiring the tools for Safeguarding intangible Heritage: lessons from an iCH 165 field School in lamphun, Thailand

Alexandra Denes

15 intangible Threads: Curating the living Heritage of dayak ikat Weaving 177Christina Kreps

16 Conversation Piece: intangible Cultural Heritage in South africa 195Harriet Deacon

17 revitalising amerindian intangible Cultural Heritage in guyana and its Value for 201 Sustainable tourism

D Jared Bowers and Gerard Corsane

18 When iCH takes Hold of the local reality in brazil: notes from the brazilian 213 State of Pernambuco

Paula Assunção dos Santos and Elaine Müller

19 reconfiguring the framework: adopting an ecomuseological approach for 223 Safeguarding intangible Cultural Heritage

Michelle L Stefano

20 Conversation Piece: intangible Cultural Heritage in italy 239Maurizio Maggi

21 looking to the future: The en-compass Project as a Way forward for Safeguarding 247 intangible Cultural Heritage

Gerard Corsane and Aron Mazel

list of Contributors 263

index 269

Illustrations

COVER IMAGES(Top) Sallyport Rapper dancers competing in the Dancing England Rapper Tournament

(DERT) in Nottingham, UK, 2007. Michelle Stefano

(Middle) A designer of Yok Dok textile motifs at his loom on the grounds of Wat Ton Kaew in Lamphun, Thailand, 2010. Michelle Stefano

(Bottom) Children in traditional dress provide musical accompaniment for dancers at the Lihu Ecomuseum, Huaili, Guangxi Province, China. Peter Davis

FIGURES3.1. Dane Wajich project team members at Madáts’atl’ǫje (Snare Hill), 2005. 34

Photo © Peter Biella and Doig River First Nation6.1. The Roman theatre in Amman, 2004. 78

Shatha Abu-Khafajah and Shaher Rababeh 8.1. Stakeholders of ICH during the nomination process. 106

Christian Hottin and Sylvie Grenet15.1. Father Jacques Maessen. 180

Photo Heather Alstrom Coldwell15.2. Weaving an pua ikat, Kumin, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2008. 184

Photo Randy Brown15.3. Longhouse in Ensaid, Panjang, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, 2008. 190

Photo Randy Brown15.4. Preparing an ikat warp on the veranda of the longhouse, 2008. 190

Photo Randy Brown17.1. Iwokrama Forest and Rupununi Communities. 202

© ICCHS (based on an original by the Iwokrama International Centre)17.2. Cassava preparation. 208

Photo Jared Bowers17.3. Traditional roof construction. 209

Photo Gerard Corsane19.1. A Rapper dancing team at a competition in 2008. 225

Michelle L Stefano

19.2. northumbrian Smallpipes competition at the Morpeth Chantry bagpipe Museum, 229 Morpeth. Michelle L Stefano

tableS21.1. Overview of the Specific expected results and how they map on to the ‘Call for 253

Proposals’ objectives and the ‘Call’ examples of general expected results. Gerard Corsane and Aron Mazel

21.2. Key dates in the process up to the final launch of the en-compass project. 255 Gerard Corsane and Aron Mazel

The authors and publisher are grateful to all the institutions and individuals listed for permission to reproduce the materials in which they hold copyright. every effort has been made to trace the copyright holders; apologies are offered for any omission, and the publishers will be pleased to add any necessary acknowledgment in subsequent editions.

viii illustrations

acknowledgments

first and foremost, we would like to thank Catherine dauncey, who was not only invaluable in the planning, organisation and publication of Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage, but kept us on track and made the process as smooth as possible. Of course, none of this could have happened without the patience and hard work of the contributors, whose chapters were specifically written for this book. They were each invited to participate based on the extensive knowledge and expertise they bring to issues concerning the protection and management of cultural heritage throughout the world. Moreover, their passions for honouring the voices and perspectives of communities, groups and individuals with respect to cultural expressions and beliefs constitute the book’s main strengths and significance. Thanks also need to go to the communities, groups and individuals who provided information for the chapters. it is important to recognise that, without them, safeguarding intangible cultural heritage effectively would be impossible.

Michelle Stefano, Peter davis and gerard Corsanenew York and newcastle-upon-tyne

June 2011

touching the intangible: an introduction

Michelle l Stefano, Peter davis and gerard Corsane

the need to promote, protect and revitalise cultural expressions and practices of communi-ties, groups and individuals from throughout the world is gaining an increasing amount of

recognition and, thus, importance at international and national levels. indeed, the contribution of culture to strengthening the livelihoods of people, as well as their agency within broader social, economic, political and environmental contexts, is an area that deserves greater attention. Viewed as the nuanced components of our cultural diversity, a great number of cultural expressions, or ‘intangible cultural heritage’, are considered to be threatened with extinction as a result of the homogenising forces of globalisation, or the rise of one, mass culture. for instance, changes in local economies, which may lead to higher unemployment, the creation of new industries and migration, can affect the vitality of certain cultural practices and identity expressions. in response, transnational initiatives are in the process of being implemented to counteract their potential degradation and disappearance.

usage of the term ‘intangible cultural heritage’ has grown in the past several decades on an international scale. Without presenting its official definition (or definitions), it can be deduced that the term relates to forms of cultural heritage that lack physical manifestation. it also evokes that which is untouchable, such as knowledge, memories and feelings. in this light, it can also be suggested that intangible cultural heritage represents everything: the immaterial elements that influence and surround all human activity. Moreover, since human activity of the past exists only as tangible evidence, intangible cultural heritage must be tied, in whatever form it takes, to the present.

evidently, the term is vague. What it means can be subject to unlimited interpretation, depending on the interpreter. nonetheless, within the current international heritage sector, it is a term that carries with it a uneSCO-specific definition, which is stated as follows:

The ‘intangible cultural heritage’ means 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 recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their inter-action with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. for the purposes of this Convention, consideration will be given solely to such intangible cultural heritage as is compat-ible with existing international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development.

(uneSCO 2003, article 2)

introduced in 2003, this definition is found within the Convention for the Safeguarding of the

2 Safeguarding intangible Cultural Heritage

Intangible Cultural Heritage (hereafter 2003 Convention) of the united nations educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (uneSCO). it can be stated that when ‘intangible cultural heritage’ (hereafter iCH) is referenced at the international level, the above description is implied. additionally, uneSCO (2003, article 2) has also categorised iCH to include:

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

b) performing arts;c) social practices, rituals and festive events;d) knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; ande) traditional craftsmanship.

in essence, iCH is more comprehensible when it is thought of as a language or a dance. The abstract nature of the term becomes anchored through a set of ‘shapes’ that it can take.

it is also understood that people play a crucial role in keeping iCH alive. as noted in the above definition, it is through communities, groups and individuals that it is passed on, as well as ‘recreated’ (uneSCO 2003, article 2). Here, an essential dimension of iCH is uncovered: people are responsible for its transformations over time and thus its vitality. using the example of language, it is apparent that the fluctuating use of certain words, including the creation of new ones, constitutes one aspect of its evolving nature. in some cases, these changes are a result of larger societal forces, such as the introduction of new digital technologies. However, it is important to stress that it is through people that these changes are made, as well as spread. Thus, sustaining the connection between iCH and its communities, groups and individuals can be argued to be central to its survival.

While there are currently 142 States Parties to the 2003 Convention (uneSCO 2012), its implementation remains in its infancy. understandably, there exists a significant gap in the literature in terms of actual efforts, problems and plans owing to activities still being at an early stage. a large amount of the relevant literature is dedicated to the strengths and weak-ness of uneSCO’s prescribed approaches, including important historiographies of uneSCO and related organisations’ initiatives (see, for example, Kirshenblatt-gimblett 2004; 2006; blake 2006; Smith 2006; Kurin 2007; Hafstein 2009). However, an understanding of what is currently unfolding at local, regional and national levels is still very much needed in the iCH discourse.

in response, the present volume seeks to fill this gap in the literature and stimulate the iCH discourse with critical reflections and new ideas. Owing to the fact that the importance of iCH is growing globally, it was felt that questions concerning the current state of affairs of iCH promotion and protection at local, regional and national levels should be explored from a wide array of geographical locations. indeed, one of the key strengths of this volume is its international scope, thanks to the contributions of heritage scholars and professionals who bring knowledge and experience in safeguarding iCH from africa, asia, australasia, europe, north and South america and the Middle east. Most importantly, this international scope serves to underscore the notion that not only is iCH manifested in a whole range of diverse forms but so too are the social, economic, political, cultural and environmental contexts within which it is expressed and developed.

Similarly, the volume also asks if it is time to ‘move beyond the convention’ and engage with other safeguarding paradigms that lie ‘outside’ of its increasingly dominant framework. Supporting this idea are several chapters that critically engage with the 2003 Convention and

introduction 3

the ideologies that structure its approach. in addition, the volume offers a series of ‘dispatches’ on the implementation of the 2003 Convention from a variety of places. These discussions, which follow a conversation-like style and are interspersed throughout the volume, also focus on conceptualisations of ‘iCH’, responses to the 2003 Convention and pre-existing mechanisms for safeguarding iCH within each of the contributors’ respective countries. in particular, the ‘conversations’ are with Harriet deacon (South africa), ewa bergdahl (Sweden), Maurizio Maggi (italy), Susan Keitumetse (botswana) and Vasant Hari bedekar (india).

in addition to the interspersed Conversation Pieces, the following chapters are grouped under three themes, or sections: ‘negotiating and Valuing the intangible’, ‘applying the intangible Cultural Heritage Concept’, and ‘On the ground: Safeguarding the intangible’. The first section of chapters can be considered to highlight the dichotomous nature of the iCH concept and how it is negotiated and valued from a variety of perspectives, depending on geographical scale and location. On one hand, the iCH concept operates at the international and national levels as a direct result of its conceptualisation and categorisation by uneSCO. in this sense, it is imbued with non-local values that render iCH as universal in nature. On the other hand, however, iCH is specific and nuanced when thought of in terms of the multitude of languages, dialects, cultural knowledge and meanings, craft skills and religious festivals, as examined throughout this volume, that live at the local level in connection to those who embody, practice and transmit them.

in addition, iCH can also be re-appropriated and revived, reflecting the changing identities and circumstances of those who value it at the local level. as examined by alivizatou in the first chapter, iCH-related activities at the national Museum of new Zealand te Papa tongarewa and the national Museum of the american indian focus on cultural practices that reflect contempo-rary identities of the communities with which they engage. additionally, Cummins demonstrates how central issues of ownership are to the iCH discourse through her exploration of the negotia-tions involved in representing historically neglected iCH of Caribbean communities within the museum context. Similarly, Hennessy discusses the ‘virtual repatriation’ of digital records and ethnographic information about a first nations community in north eastern Canada.

expanding upon the iCH concept, as it is defined by uneSCO, abungu discusses the values and meanings that are attributed by local communities to a wide array of natural and cultural sites across the african continent, including two examples from the island of Mauritius. further-more, in the Jordanian context, abu-Khafajah and rababeh explore the memories and meanings attributed to archaeological sites by local communities within the ever-evolving city of amman.

The second section, ‘applying the intangible Cultural Heritage Concept’, focuses more on the use of the iCH concept as defined in the 2003 Convention. accordingly, Hottin and grenet present an overview of the challenges in implementing the 2003 Convention and safeguarding iCH expressions at a national scale in france. leader-elliot and trimboli examine australia’s non-ratification of the 2003 Convention, the lack of relevant public discussions on the matter, and the implications for safeguarding australian iCH. in addition, several authors explore the iCH concept within particular regional contexts and, thereby, remind readers of the specificity of locally expressed cultural diversity and associated stakeholder groups. in particular, Meijer-van Mensch and van Mensch examine two distinct heritage expressions, a Christmas-time festival and the commemorations of the abolition of slavery, through the lens of the iCH discourse in the netherlands. Within the context of Wales, dixey examines the differences between highly publicised iCH, such as the eisteddfod cultural gatherings, and other expressions that are ‘unoffi-cial’ and, thus, less promoted. furthermore, MacKinnon examines intangible cultural expressions

4 Safeguarding intangible Cultural Heritage

from the nova Scotia region of Canada and relevant efforts in their safeguarding, even though Canada has yet to ratify the 2003 Convention.

it should be noted that uneSCO’s widespread promotion of the importance of iCH has given us its concept to deconstruct, debate and, indeed, discuss from differing international perspectives. Most evidently, this volume could not have been conceived without the work of uneSCO in setting the parameters of the iCH concept these past several decades. during this time, awareness of the concept has grown along with a rise in international iCH-themed conferences, workshops and other educational meetings where ideas are exchanged and devel-oped. in this light, the final section, ‘On the ground: Safeguarding the intangible’, begins with a chapter by denes, who presents the efforts of the iCH and Museums field School in lamphun, Thailand. This two-week programme brings together participants from throughout the greater Mekong sub-region to learn skills in documenting and promoting local intangible cultural expressions of surrounding communities and groups. at the time of writing, the field School is entering its third year.

This section is also devoted to an exploration of alternative approaches to safeguarding the cultural expressions, beliefs and values of communities, groups and individuals. Kreps examines a community-based project in indonesian borneo that aims to revitalise a local weaving tradi-tion. assunção dos Santos and Müller discuss the potential for ‘grass-roots’ safeguarding efforts within the brazilian state of Pernambuco. Similarly, bowers and Corsane examine the potential for increasing both economic and cultural capital through sustainable tourism practices that can benefit the safeguarding of indigenous iCH expressions in the rupununi region of guyana. furthermore, Stefano suggests that using the philosophy of ecomuseology can provide a more holistic and integrated way forward for safeguarding intangibles based on an investigation of the significance and values of three folk traditions from north east england. Corsane and Mazel finish the section and volume by providing an overview of the multinational en-compass project, a significant part of which deals with the safeguarding of iCH and cultural expressions in four different parts of the world. The project represents one type of model which could be used by others to promote iCH and cultural expressions in different contexts.

bibliography and references

blake, J, 2006 Commentary on the UNESCO 2003 Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, institute of art and law, leicesterHafstein, V, 2009 intangible Heritage as a list: from Masterpieces to representation. 2008, in Intangible Heritage (eds l Smith and n akagawa), routledge, london and new York, 93–111Kirshenblatt-gimblett, b, 2004 intangible Heritage as Metacultural Production, Museum International 56 (1–2), 52–65—— 2006 World Heritage and Cultural economics, in Museum Frictions: Public Cultures/Global Transfor-mations (eds i Karp, C a Kratz, l Szwaja and t Ybarra-frausto), duke university Press, 161–202Kurin, r, 2007 Safeguarding intangible Cultural Heritage: Key factors in implementing the 2003 Conven-tion, International Journal of Intangible Heritage 1, 10–20Smith, l, 2006 The Uses of Heritage, routledge, london and new York

introduction 5

uneSCO, 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, uneSCO, Paris, avail-able from: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001325/132540e.pdf [29 January 2012]—— 2012 The States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003) [online], available from: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00024 [29 January 2012]

negotiating and Valuing the intangible