Intangible Cultural Heritage in the UK discussion lead by ICOMOS-UK

DCMS announced on 23rd December 2023 that the UK Government’s intends to ratify the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). DCMS has launched a consultation process on the initial stages of implementation with a focus on defining and identifying intangible cultural heritage in the UK.

ICOMOS-UK intends to provide a full response to the consultation, which finishes at the end of February 2024. As part of this effort, ICOMOS-UK’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Committee has organised an event on the 6th of February 2024. It will be an online meeting starting at 9.00am and finishing at 1.00pm.

The purpose of the meeting is to raise awareness about the Government’s intention and discuss DCMS’s consultation proposal, in particular, the questions in the survey.

The programme for the half-day session will include the following:

• Presentations and a discussion of the key areas set out in the consultation document: “Definition, Inventory Criteria, Community permission, categories, Approval process, Review of the inventory” and any additional issues raised on the day
• Phil Foxwood (who leads on ICH and the consultation at DCMS) will attend and answer questions and provide clarifications, if needed
• Maria Nystrom (Senior Advisor at Sweden’s Institute for Language and Folklore) will share Sweden’s experience of implementing the ‘Lift not List’ approach mentioned in the DCMS document and the management of ICH post-ratification
• A speaker from UNESCO to provide an international perspective (TBC)

The presentations will be followed by breakout groups to discuss the questions posed in the DCMS’s consultation survey. Click here to book your free place.