Living Heritage Podcast Ep025 Charis Cotter on Kids, Writing, and Local History

Charis Cotter is an award-winning children’s writer, actor, and storyteller who has worked extensively in schools telling Newfoundland ghost stories and encouraging students to collect local ghost stories from their communities. In 2013 she published The Ghosts of Baccalieu, a book of traditional ghost stories by students from Tricon Elementary in Bay de Verde. Her latest storytelling presentation, The Ghosts of Grates Cove, is an hour of ghost stories from one of the most haunted places in Newfoundland, Conception Bay North.

We discuss Charis’s work as an author, how she teaches children facts through games and fun, school programs, and ghost stories.

A Little Introduction

Pairs of knitted socks, ca. 1915
Source: Heritage Newfoundland and Labrador http://goo.gl/tH95Wj

Hello everyone!

My name is Stephanie Micikyan (pronounced mi-chee-key-an – it’s a tough one I know!) and I am the new Intangible Cultural Heritage Intern. Today is my first day and I thought I’d fill you in on what I’ll be working on over the next few months.

First and foremost I will be working on the Grey Sock Project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I. The project revolves around the Women’s Patriotic Association (WPA) whose volunteers produced 62,685 socks (For more information on the WPA see: http://goo.gl/tH95Wj). Collaborating with the City of St. John’s, we will be looking for knitters to knit socks and scarves to donate to those in need in the spirit of the WPA.

I will also be assisting with programs to teach and share knitting knowledge and skills. Information can be found in the St. John’s City Guide (http://goo.gl/ktW77e). We are hoping to also have workshops for different skill levels.

If you knit or know someone who would be interested in knitting socks or scarves for donation, do not hesitate to e-mail me at stephanie@heritagefoundation.ca! Please feel free to e-mail me with any other inquiries.

I hope this gets you excited for what’s to come! Stay tuned as there will be updates on these programs and projects!

- Stephanie

The Memory Store: And we've got our gargoyle...

This week’s Memory Store video is a clip of Elisabeth Laverty from the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Elisabeth tells the story behind the gargoyle which was gifted to the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist by the Dean of St. Augustine’s Priory Church in Bristol, England in order to follow John Cabot to Newfoundland.

Watch the video below or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Click here for more information about the building's history and architectural style.
If you missed our initial post explaining the concept of the Memory Store clip here to go back to our first blog post with the introduction video or check out our YouTube channel at ICH NL.

Stay tuned for more short stories about historic places in the province, in the form of short oral history interviews conducted with the people who care about those places and if you have a personal memory about a historic place in Newfoundland and Labrador, and want to add your voice to the Memory Store project, let us know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

-Terra

Living Heritage Podcast Ep024 The Playwright and History, with Robert Chafe

Robert Chafe is a playwright based in St. John’s, whose work has been seen across Canada, the UK, Australia and in the United States. He is the author of seventeen stage scripts and co-author of another eight. He was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for Drama for Tempting Providence and Butler’s Marsh in 2004, and won the award for Afterimage in 2010.  He has been writer in residence at Artistic Fraud, Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre, Playwrights Workshop Montreal, Forest Forge Theatre, (Hampshire, UK), and Memorial University of Newfoundland, and a guest instructor at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, and The National Theatre School of Canada.  On this episode, we talk about how Robert began writing plays, how to write about history and local characters. We also discuss several of Robert’s plays, the research behind them, and the community response to them.

 

Merry Christmas: A Mummer Media Roundup!

Merry Christmas to you, one and all!

The 2015 Mummers Festival got a lot of attention this year, and I wanted to pull some of the media coverage together in one place.

Newfoundland's annual Mummers Festival aims to revive a centuries-old Christmas tradition
The Globe and Mail

Making Mummeries
The Telegram

‘Any mummers ‘lowed in?’ Keeping a Christmas tradition alive in Newfoundland.
Yahoo News

St. John's 2015 Mummer's Parade
YouTube

Photo by Darren Calabrese for The Globe and Mail. Christine Legrow wears a lampshade and doily on her head.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep023 Spaniard’s Bay Heritage with Dianne Carr

Dianne Carr (nee Vokey) is a Spaniard's Bay native who recently "resettled" in the community after retiring from teaching. Diane became involved with Spaniard's Bay Heritage Society two years ago. Her father was one of the founding members of the society and she decided she would like to carry on his legacy and give back to the community by getting involved with the summer programming and helping to promote the small museum. We discuss Dianne’s memories of growing up in Spaniard’s Bay, her love of and passion for heritage, and her work with the Spaniard’s Bay Heritage Society including their heritage walks and the community museum.

Can you help identify this mystery artefact? We're stumped! #nlheritage

Do you have any idea what this is? Earlier this week, a public works employee with the Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philips found this round silver piece while putting in a stop sign. It was turned over to Julie Pomeroy, the town's heritage officer, to identify, but there are no markings.

Thoughts? Theories? Leave a comment below, or email Julie at Julie.Pomeroy@pcsp.ca.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep022 Community Oral History Projects with Terra Barrett

Terra Barrett is a folklore masters student at Memorial University who holds a BA in Folklore/French from Memorial University and is currently completing her M.A. in public and applied folklore. Terra is completing a workterm with the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador as part of her M.A. program. Her research interests include foodways, customs, material culture and public folklore. In this episode, we discuss Terra’s oral history work in Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove, how to conduct oral history interviews, how to put together a booklet and host a launch, and Terra reads several excerpts from the booklet.

The Memory Store: Watch the water and the conners and the flatfish...

This week’s Memory Store video is filmed in Captain Blackmore’s Heritage Manor in Port Union, NL. Gary Blackmore, owner and operator of the manor, describes his most vivid memory of growing up in the manor in Port Union beside the ocean.

Watch the video below or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

If you missed our initial post explaining the concept of the Memory Store clip here to go back to our first blog post with the introduction video or check out our YouTube channel at ICH NL.

Stay tuned for more short stories about historic places in the province, in the form of short oral history interviews conducted with the people who care about those places and if you have a personal memory about a historic place in Newfoundland and Labrador, and want to add your voice to the Memory Store project, let us know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

-Terra

Living Heritage Podcast Ep021 Letterpress Printing with Marnie Parsons

For years, Marnie Parsons studied, taught, reviewed, and edited poetry and children’s literature. In 2000, shortly after moving to St. John’s, she began learning letterpress printing from book artist Tara Bryan, and established Running the Goat Books and Broadsides. Initially an occasional imprint, Running the Goat is now a full-time printing and publishing operation, specializing in limited-edition handmade books and fine trade books with a Newfoundland and Labrador emphasis. We discuss letterpress printing, where to source materials and equipment, the Running the Goat print shop, and current and future projects.

This year, it is all about Fools at the Mummers Festival.

Though it has been years since their last appearance, Christmas Fools are still remembered for their elaborate crêpe paper and tinsel outfits as well as their mischievous antics around town on Old Christmas Day. In Pouch Cove ominous Fools would emerge from the forest of Shoe Cove and, whipping ropes in hand, chase anyone and everyone in sight. Hiding under the fish flakes was the only choice to ward off the Fools who wore giant headdresses too tall to crawl into small spaces.

There are plenty of opportunities to learn more about the Fool tradition, or to act Foolish yourself!

“Fool’s Paradise”: A Lecture and Public Forum about the NL Fool tradition
December 9 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
The Rooms

Finding Fools: Researching NL’s Fool Traditions
December 10 at 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
The Rooms

Pouch Cove’s Ribbon Rig Workshop
December 10 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
December 12 AT 1:00 pm– 5:00 pm

Victoria Park Poolhouse, St. John's

Ship (Hat) of Fools Workshop
December 16 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

December 17 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Victoria Park Poolhouse, St. John's

Volunteer opportunity with the Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee

Are you interested in Newfoundland and Labrador culture, traditions, folklore, or oral history? Are you passionate about the skills, knowledge, and stories that contribute to local heritage and our sense of place? Do you want to be involved in the work of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage? We have an opportunity for you!

Heritage Foundation of NL is looking for interested volunteers to serve on its Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee. The ICH Committee will meet 4-6 times a year in St. John’s, to advise the foundation on projects related to safeguarding local traditions. The Committee is interested in recruiting 2-3 volunteers, and we would welcome volunteers from youth to seniors and everyone in between. Volunteers from across the province are invited to apply, as there will be opportunities to participate online or by teleconference.

If you are interested, send an email stating why you want to get involved, along with a copy of your resume or CV by December 18th to:

Dale Jarvis, ICH Development Officer, ich@heritagefoundation.ca

Build your own Hobby Horse and Christmas Bull

The Mummers Festival is hosting a Hobby Horse and Christmas Bull Workshop this Saturday, December 5th from 1pm to 5pm. No longer a common sight, the hobby horse is a most peculiar breed. Even more mysterious is the christmas bull, an old time holiday companion to the hobby horse. Come to a session, build a hobby horse or christmas bull, and then ride it over to the Mummer’s Parade on December 19th. We want a cavalry of holiday beasts and we need your help! The workshop takes place at the Victoria Park Poolhouse. Workshops are free and donations are welcomed. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Space is limited so get there early. For more information visit mummersfestival.ca

Living Heritage Podcast Ep020 Upper Island Cove memories with Ralph Barrett

Ralph Barrett was born in Upper Island Cove and is founding member of the Avalon Sail Squadron who served as the Commander of the Avalon for 4 years and was inducted into the Volunteer Hall of Fame as a result of his work with numerous organizations. Ralph is also a painter and has an avid love of fossils. We discuss Ralph’s memories of growing up in Upper Island Cove, Conception Bay North, including chores, children’s games and activities, nicknames to distinguish families with the same surnames, and folk beliefs. Ralph also explains Teak (Taig) Day, and describes Bonfire Night.

The Memory Store: A part of everyday life...

The Memory Store post this week is another video from the Craft Council of Newfoundland and Labrador. Executive director Anne Manuel explains why the Craft Council chose to buy Devon House and why it is important to make craft visible in the community.

Watch the video below or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Click here for more information about the building's history and architectural style.
If you missed our initial post explaining the concept of the Memory Store clip here to go back to our first blog post with the introduction video or check out our YouTube channel at ICH NL.

Stay tuned for more short stories about historic places in the province, in the form of short oral history interviews conducted with the people who care about those places and if you have a personal memory about a historic place in Newfoundland and Labrador, and want to add your voice to the Memory Store project, let us know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

-Terra

Local researcher looking for stories about the taverns of old St. Johns

Local author Sheilah Roberts is looking for stories about one of our oldest traditions - hanging out in St. John's pubs and taverns! She writes:

Does anyone have any memories they'd like to share about the old taverns in St. John's? Their physical appearance, the people that used to frequent them, events that occurred in them. Perhaps you were a bartender or a server in the Belmont? The Green Lantern? Or perhaps you were a policeman, a medical person, who had to deal with the results of the frequent altercations that occurred in these establishments. I'm writing a book about our colourful drinking history and would love to included some 'real life' flavour. You can contact me through email at sheilahr@mun.ca.

Photo via nlbeerhistory.com  - for all your historic Newfoundland and Labrador beer trivia!

Sources for diverse Canadian folklore and folktales, for #FolkloreThursday.

There was a request on Twitter this morning for some diverse resources on Canadian folktales and folklore. It's a bit of a tall order, given the incredible diversity of ethnocultural communities in Canada, but here goes.

A good place to start, for children's literature anyway, is the Aboriginal authors & illustrators page curated by the University of Saskatchewan library.  And if you are in Toronto, check out the AMAZING Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books.

In terms of printed book collections, a couple of my favourites sources to check out would be (in no particular order):

• Edith Fowke's Folklore of Canada (1976) and Folktales of French Canada (1979)
• George Arsenault's Acadian Legends, Folktales and Songs (2002)
• A Kayak Full of Ghosts, Lawrence Millman (2003)
• Little Jack and other Newfoundland Folktales (2002), available through Memorial University's Department of Folklore
• Helen Creighton. Bluenose Ghosts. (1957)

If you like audio collections, check out the StorySave project by Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du Canada, a very important project working to preserve the voices of storytelling elders from a wide variety of Canadian communities, everything from Chinese stories and stories in Irish, to tales from the Omushkigo and Kainai people.

Heritage NL undertook a project called "Tales from Afar: Old Stories from New Residents" which you can download for free!

And, because I love Newfoundland folklore so much, every folklorist/storyteller/book lover needs to own Peg Bearskin, printed by the fabulous Running The Goat Books and Broadsides. Tell Marnie I sent you!

This list is pretty Atlantic coast heavy, and I'm sure there a lot more resources out there specific to Francophone and Indigenous communities. Comments and suggestions welcome!

And if you are in the mood to listen to a Canadian folktale, sit back with a cup of tea and let my favourite storyteller Alice Lannon tell you the story of Open, Open, Green House. 

- Dale Jarvis

Living Heritage Podcast Ep019 Aboriginal Engagement with Catharyn Andersen

Catharyn Andersen is an Inuk from Nunatsiavut in northern Labrador. She is the Special Advisor to the President on Aboriginal Affairs at Memorial University. Before joining Memorial, she worked with the Small Craft Harbours program with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. She was the Director of the Torngâsok Cultural Centre, the cultural arm of the Nunatsiavut Government, from 2003 to 2008, and also worked as the Inuttitut Language Program Coordinator with the cultural centre. She is an alumna of Memorial University. In this episode, we talk about Catharyn’s position as Special Advisor, her work with the Torngâsok Cultural Centre, aboriginal language and cultures, and the construction of an aboriginal house at Memorial University’s St. John’s campus.

Labrador Memories, Fools, and Stepping Out - The ICH Update

In this edition for the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador: our Living Heritage Podcast goes national on CBC radio with a spotlight on the Labrador memories of Dave Paddon; an article by Dale Jarvis on the link between tangible and intangible cultural heritage; notes from the Mummers Festival's Sharna Brzycki on the tradition of Christmas Fools; and an overview of a new research project looking at step dance traditions in the province.

Download the pdf

View online in other formats

Living Heritage Podcast Ep018 Iranian Culture with Hadi Milanloo and Saeedeh Niktab

Born and raised in Iran, Saeedeh Niktab arrived in Canada in January 2014. Having survived the brutal winter of that year, as a master’s student of Folklore, she has started to explore the mysterious land of Newfoundland and learn about its rich culture. Back in Iran, she finished her bachelor in Computer Engineering, but her life-long passion for art led her into Art Philosophy as her first master’s in Iran and later in Folklore in Canada. As a member of Iranian community in St. John’s, she has developed a special interest in Folklore in diasporic communities; especially the relationships between identity, beliefs and foodways. Raised by a family for whom Iranian music was of great value, Hadi started to learn Iranian music by playing Setar when he was thirteen. He attended music classes of some outstanding masters of Iranian music between 1999 and 2009. After finishing his BMus degree in 2009 (University of Tehran), and his first M.A in art studies in 2012 (University of Tehran), he decided to pursue a Master’s in Ethnomusicology at MUN, where he thinks his ideas and interests will finally find their home! We talk about Iranian culture including customs, festivals, and foodways, the difference between the north and south parts of the country, New Year’s celebrations, children’s games, and their Master’s research.

The Memory Store: Barber Pole Brigade

The week's Memory Store video is another video from Gary Green. Gary is a past president of the Crow's Nest Officer's Club and a past president of the Crow's Nest Military Artefacts Association. This week Gary Green explains the story behind the tradition of the Barber Pole Brigade.

Watch the video below or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Click here for more information about the building's history and architectural style.
If you missed our initial post explaining the concept of the Memory Store clip here to go back to our first blog post with the introduction video or check out our YouTube channel at ICH NL.

Stay tuned for more short stories about historic places in the province, in the form of short oral history interviews conducted with the people who care about those places and if you have a personal memory about a historic place in Newfoundland and Labrador, and want to add your voice to the Memory Store project, let us know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

-Terra

Archvies Week 2015: MUN Folklore and Language Archive Tours

To celebrate Archives Week 2015, The Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA) will be offering free tours to the public.

Come check out our brand new cold storage vault!

Donated by over 11,000 contributors, MUNFLA has over 40,000 audio recordings, 20,000 photographs, 16,000 manuscripts, 4,000 commercial recordings, 2,000 printed documents and over 800 video recordings. These materials cover topics such as custom and belief, childlore, song, dance and foodways. We also house collections documenting folk cultures all over the world, through the research activities of Folklore students. 

Maybe not. But still...

Join us and take a tour of our collections, check out our brand new environmentally controlled vault, and learn more about MUNFLA and how archives work...and can work for you!

Time: Tuesday, Nov 17, 10am-4pm
Place: MUNFLA, ED4038, Education Building, Prince Philip Drive, St. John’s
Contact: Nicole Penney (709) 864-4586 / n.penney@mun.ca

Living Heritage Podcast Ep017 Fishing for Success with Kimberly Orren

Kimberly Orren is one of the founding directors of Fishing For Success, Inc. at Island Rooms of Petty Harbour, and currently serves as its Executive Director. Fishing For Success is a not-for-profit that aims to teach youth and tourists about the culture of Newfoundland and Labrador through the establishment of a traditional family inshore fishing premises. We talk about her first memories of fishing, science education, getting kids interested in fishing, and everything from capelin and sharks to traditional fishing marks.

 

Look out! Mummers want your long johns!

The Mummers Festival is looking for donations of old, clean mummers garb to be used during our annual Rig Up! This free community event allows anyone to dress up in the perfect disguise just prior to the Mummers Parade on Saturday, December 19th, 2015.

All donations are welcome, but especially useful items include things such as:

• Lace curtains or pillowcases to cover the face
• Silly household items that can be used as hats (Tea cozies, colanders, lampshades, etc)
• Wigs, masks, mittens
• Loose-fitting clothes that can be worn over winter clothes so our mummers stay warm!
• Kooky dresses (unwanted wedding dresses welcome!) 
• Fishermen’s oilskins, hunting jackets, flannel
• Aprons
• Longjohns
• Anything else you can envision a mummer wearing!

From November 6th to December 14th drop-off boxes will be stationed at:

A.C. Hunter Library
Arts and Culture Centre
125 Allandale Rd

Michael Donovan Public Library
655 Topsail Rd

Marjorie Mews Public Library
12 Highland Drive

We will also be accepting donations all day on November 24th, 25th, and 26th out of Victoria Park Poolhouse.

For more information check out our website at mummersfestival.ca

Living Heritage Podcast Ep016 Digitization How-To with Archivist Nicole Penney

Nicole Penney is a folklorist and archivist living and working in St. John’s, Newfoundland. She holds a BA in Folklore / English Literature and an MA in Public Folklore from Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. On this episode, we talk all about digitizing archival records, with tips for community museums and archives, as well as private individuals, about how to best digitize old photographs, print, video, and audio materials.

The Memory Store: But there is a figure of man in work clothes just to the side...

This week’s Memory Store video is a clip of Elisabeth Laverty from the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Elisabeth tells the story behind the ghostly picture found in the museum of the Cathedral. The story is that the ghost is a mason from England who fell to his death during the construction of the Cathedral.

Watch the video below or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Click here for more information about the building's history and architectural style.
If you missed our initial post explaining the concept of the Memory Store clip here to go back to our first blog post with the introduction video or check out our YouTube channel at ICH NL.

Stay tuned for more short stories about historic places in the province, in the form of short oral history interviews conducted with the people who care about those places and if you have a personal memory about a historic place in Newfoundland and Labrador, and want to add your voice to the Memory Store project, let us know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

-Terra

Heritage Foundation promoting heritage places and youth creativity.

Students, it’s time to get creative! The Heritage Places Poster Contest is currently running in all schools in the province. It is organized through the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL).

“2015 marks the 11th year that HFNL has sponsored a poster contest highlighting heritage places in the province,” explains contest coordinator Andrea O’Brien. “Over the years we have been impressed and inspired by the quality of artwork and stories submitted by students across the province. From Nain to Trepassey, students have told us why local heritage places are important to them and their communities. We look forward to this year’s entries as students continue to highlight and celebrate our province’s rich heritage.”

To participate in the contest, students must create an original piece of art depicting a building, structure or landscape that has heritage value in their community. They must also submit a short written statement explaining its heritage value. Prizes are awarded at the primary, elementary, junior high and senior high levels. An overall winner is chosen from these category winners. The winning artwork will be featured on HFNL’s 2016 Heritage Day poster in February.

Contest guidelines and entry forms can be found on HFNL’s website at www.heritagefoundation.ca, by calling 1-866-739-6592 extension 4 or by emailingandrea@heritagefoundation.ca.

Contact information: For more information, please contact Andrea O’Brien by calling 1-866-739-6592 extension 4 or by emailingandrea@heritagefoundation.ca.

Living Heritage Podcast Ep015 Cultural Geography with Jo Shawyer

Jo Shawyer is a cultural geographer who taught in the Department of Geography at MUN for many years. Her special interest is the study of cultural landscapes. Jo has researched the tradition and structure of a farming landscape, the impact of an expanding urban area on the adjacent rural farmscape, the arrival of a military landscape in St John's during World War II, and, currently, the landscape of property in downtown St John's. We talk about cultural geography, what it is, and how Jo started in the field. We also discuss historic and cultural landscapes, sense of place, the history of Churchill Park’s development, and what role geographers will play in the future.

Job Posting 2 - Built Heritage Intern

BUILT HERITAGE INTERN

The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador was established in 1984 by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to preserve the built heritage of the Province. The Foundation is now accepting applications for a Built Heritage Intern. This position will be funded under “Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage” and is for a period of 52 weeks.

The candidate would be a recent graduate of a post- secondary institution with a background in the built heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. They should be proficient in architectural terminology, building methods, and historically appropriate building materials. The job would include assisting Foundation staff in program delivery, notably designation, granting, building inspections, maintaining records and delivery of services.

The applicant must have excellent written and oral communication skills, good knowledge of Microsoft Office and a valid driver’s licence.

Please apply in writing to:
Executive Director, Built Heritage Intern, Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, P.O. Box 5171, St. John’s, NL, A1C 5V5 or by email to info@heritagefoundation.ca

Application deadline is Friday, November 13, 2015. 

Job Posting: Intangible Cultural Heritage Intern

Job Posting: Intangible Cultural Heritage Intern
This is a position with Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL) Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, with a salary of $15/hour. The position will require a candidate with strong writing and speaking skills in English, with a degree in folklore, public history, anthropology, or related discipline.

Previous experience with a heritage organization is an asset, as is a keen interest in folklore and local culture. Excellent organizational skills are a must, and an interest in textile arts or fabric traditions is a bonus.

The ICH Intern will work with staff in the planning and development of programs related to the collection, conservation, transmission, and celebration of the intangible cultural heritage of the province, as well as helping to identify aspects or themes of ICH under threat.

The intern will conduct archival and historical research on the First World War knitting of socks for soldiers at the Front, and the work of the Women’s Patriotic Association, and to make that information available to the public through online collections and public presentations. The intern will also assist in the creation of workshops and after-school programs that will bring together seniors and children, to teach and share knowledge and skills around knitting.

The Intern will document and identify key participants as well as conduct oral history interviews, and help organize, plan and run events. The job will also include some blog and report writing, taking minutes of committee meetings, and assisting with intangible cultural heritage workshops. The position will end March 31st, 2016.

Application Deadline Friday, November 13th, 2015
Send resume, cover letter, and list of 3 references to:

Dale Jarvis, ICH Development Officer

Heritage Foundation of NL

PO Box 5171

St. John's, NL, A1C 5V5

ich@heritagefoundation.ca

Call for Papers - International Conference on the Uses of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Call for Papers

International Conference

The Uses of Intangible Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Perspectives

Quebec City, Canada

May 19th-22nd 2016

Hosted by the Folklore Studies Association of Canada, the Institute for Cultural Heritage of Laval University (IPAC) and the Centre for Culture, Art and Society (CELAT)

Deadline for submissions October 29th (midnight)

Interest in intangible cultural heritage (ICH) has been growing rapidly in Canada, in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Japan, China and in many other countries in the world over the past years, especially since the adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003 at UNESCO. Now signed by more than 160 countries, the Convention has given intangible cultural heritage recognition worldwide. By defining ICH as creative living traditions, UNESCO has also been able to redefine heritage as an open ongoing process shaped by people and changed through encounters, rather than an immutable entity anchored in tangible things. This shift has opened new and exciting perspectives for understanding the intertwined legacies of heritage, the complex intergenerational and intercultural transmission of living traditions, and the creation of different transcultural inheritances. It leaves room for the accommodation of the new and the transgressive alongside the traditional.

This conference aims to focus on the uses of ICH and to view it as a transformative and transgressive practice. The making of intangible heritage, or the “heritagization” of living traditions transforms them into a performance, a festival or a sporting competition, as these traditions are moved out of the community and into a heritage site or event, a museum or an archive. Even when intangible heritage stays within the community, traditions are always transformed in one way or another. Participants are invited to reflect upon how these processes affect cultural practices and the people involved. Generally, heritage is considered a transformative experience aimed at making the participants better people and the world a better place, sometimes even expressed as a sort of conversion, a ritual of transcendence, that reinforces the group and enhances its participation in contemporary cultural politics. But, more often than not, one person’s inheritance is the disinheritance of another. Indeed, the ethics of heritage often conceal more than they reveal. For example, the current aesthetization and heritigization of native ritual performances in museums has helped to valorize Amerindian, Inuit and African religious expressions as forms of art, long considered primitive, but, at the same time, it has done away with the colonial context and with history altogether. To avoid such shortcomings, many cultural institutions have devised a “ground up” or “bottom up” model of heritage management, which aims to recognize, preserve and promote the cultural heritage most highly valued by the communities themselves. This approach has also been encouraged by UNESCO as well as many of the state parties of the Convention. Although a new and noble approach, it does not always help determine what should be valorized and why, nor whom in the community should be permitted to decide what should be recognized. Local communities too have their hierarchies, their hidden agendas, and their own problems with gender, class and race. In other words, policies need to be explored alongside process and practice to fully understand the politics of intangible cultural heritage at all levels.

The emphasis on non-material knowledge and forms of communication in intangible cultural heritage can be related to a developing interest in the role of performance as a form of social memory, to the expansion of curatorial interest in ‘experiential’ displays and to the valorization of what has, more broadly, been termed the ‘experience economy’ in contemporary society. The recent interest in intangible cultural heritage, in other words, might usefully be situated in the context of what has been called ‘the cultural turn’. To shed new light on this broader topic, we encourage participants to focus on how the case of intangible cultural heritage throws two particular issues into stark relief : first, heated contemporary debates over the desirability of academics engaging with the administration of culture - over whether engaging with policy is an abdication of political possibility – and second, the boundaries and limits of cultural policy, or what it is possible to administer. Positioning themselves against a narrowly technocratic approach, the participants are invited to interrogate the cultural heritage of intangible cultural heritage itself. By doing so, we will be better equipped to consider the capacious, imaginative interactions between theory, policy, process and practice.

Although all proposals regarding this topic will be considered for inclusion in the conference program, participants are encouraged to submit paper proposals on the following themes:

- the effects of listing ICH by UNESCO, states and municipalities;
- the difficulties encountered by communities in safeguarding ICH;
- the uses of ICH for the sustainable development of local communities
- the transformative experiences of inventorying ICH;
- the mediation of ICH through the use of information technologies;
- the uses of ICH in museums and interpretation centers;
- ICH and sustainable cultural tourism
- the uses of ICH in the understanding and mediation of tangible cultural heritage.

Individual paper and/or session proposals should be sent by email to Laurier Turgeon (Laurier.Turgeon@hst.ulaval.ca) before October 29th(midnight) by providing the following information: name and surname, institutional affiliation (university, museum, ministry, municipal administration, etc.), acquired degrees (PhD, MA, year of degree, name of the university which delivered the degree), current position (postdoctoral fellows, PhD and MA students should indicate their status and affiliation), recent publications (up to 5 or 6 related to the theme of the conference), and a paper abstract (700 to 1000 characters including spaces). The proposals received by the 29th of October will be eligible to funding for travel.

Laurier Turgeon
Canada Research Chair in Intangible Cultural Heritage
Institute for Cultural Heritage
Laval University, Quebec City, Canada, G1V 0A6 ​

Living Heritage Podcast Ep014 Philippine Culture with Hazel Ouano Alpuerto

Hazel Ouano Alpuerto is a Filipino-Canadian living in St.John's. She is a psychiatric registered nurse by profession, and works with Eastern Health with Mental Health and Addictions. Hazel is also is the Philippines Honorary Consul General, whose role it is to oversee fellow nationals requiring assistance. She is also a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award. We talk about Hazel’s move to Newfoundland, her work as the Philippines Honorary Consul General, and Philippine culture and traditions including pig roasts, Christmas traditions, and the vibrant local Philippine community.

The Memory Store: Huge, built like a motorboat...

The video for this week's the Memory Store was filmed in Elliston, NL outside one of the many root cellars found in the community. In this short clip Don Johnson with Tourism Elliston describes the construction of root cellars including how the large porch stones were put in place by a local strongman by the name of Jimmy Chant.

Watch the video below or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Click here for more information about the root cellar's history and architecture.
If you missed our initial post explaining the concept of the Memory Store clip here to go back to our first blog post with the introduction video or check out our YouTube channel at ICH NL.

Stay tuned for more short stories about historic places in the province, in the form of short oral history interviews conducted with the people who care about those places and if you have a personal memory about a historic place in Newfoundland and Labrador, and want to add your voice to the Memory Store project, let us know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

-Terra

Rare photos of the Forest Road Cemetery Lych Gate and Mortuary Chapel #nlheritage

Followers of the ICH Blog may remember that I have been interested in lych gates, a very specific type of gate that was found at the entrance of Anglican churchyards and cemeteries. You can read more about the history of lych gates in the Occasional Paper #004.

In it, I talk about one of the province's vanished lych gates, the one which once stood in the Forest Road Cemetery.  I knew it had existed, and it is clearly shown on aerial photos and insurance maps, but I had never seen the building before.

Thanks to some detective work by Professor Frederick R. Smith, and the kindness of Mr. Arthur King, we now have this photographic gem - a photo of the gate before its demolition, likely taken sometime circa 1950-1952.

The lych gate is very similar to English examples, and has some similarities to the rebuilt lych gate at Bonavista. It features a sharply gabled roof, with slight bellcurved eaves, Maltese cross motifs, and at least two painted inscriptions, though the photo is just out of focus enough to make it difficult to identify the scripture being quoted (the word "resurrection" seems to be the second word). The woman in the photo is a Mrs. Butt, of the nearby Collier's Lane.

Mr King writes:

Here are some old Forest Road Cemetery photos I scanned from originals supplied by Mrs. Barbara Fry (Heale), a daughter of Victor Heale, caretaker circa 1948-59 . The family lived in the caretaker house on the cemetery. Photos of the entrance gate and old chapel are included. A daughter Elizabeth Heale, shown in the photo, was born in 1942---the photo with her was probably taken between 1950-52. The age of the old chapel photo is uncertain, but probably much before that time---it probably was taken by a commercial photographer such as Holloway as there is an inscription which was his style.

The Church of England Mortuary Chapel photo was said to have come from "The Archives" -- we are uncertain which one. If you have any information on these photos, if you have a theory on the most likely scripture being used on the lych gate, or have any other old photos of the Forest Road Cemetery, please comment below, or contact me at ich@heritagefoundation.ca.

- Dale Jarvis

Living Heritage Podcast Ep013 Researching Wooden Boats with Folklorist Crystal Braye

Crystal Braye is a folklorist with the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador. She holds a bachelor of arts in cultural anthropology from Wilfrid Laurier University and a masters in public folklore from MUN. Since 2012, she has travelled around the province learning from boat builders and fishermen to enhance the museum's collections and exhibits. Audio and video recordings, photographs, and boat design and construction details are archived and exhibited online and at various locations across the province - including the Wooden Boat Museum headquarters in Winterton. We talk about the history and development of the museum, its programs to document and safeguard traditional boatbuilding skills, work on Gander River boats, bully boats, taking the lines of boats, and the organization’s annual wooden boat conference.

 

Traditional Games of Newfoundland and Labrador designated a Cultural Tradition and Practice

Today was the annual designation ceremony for the Provincial Historic Commemorations Program. This year, following a nomination made by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador, Traditional Games of Newfoundland and Labrador was designated as a Cultural Tradition and Practice!

You can read a bit more about the designation here. 

The photo above is courtesy of The Rooms Provincial Archives Corporation of Newfoundland and Labrador (photo A 7-12). It shows children playing pitch and toss, Grey River. There is a description of the game in the Dictionary of Newfoundland English: "You stand away so far, an' you pitch your button. The handiest to the peg, after so many pitches [would win]. C 70-15 The object of the game was to pitch a button from the hole [where you stood] so that the button touched the 'nag' (or stick). C 71-22 Make a mot in the ground with your heel. Stand at a distance from the hole and pitch the buttons."

Thanks to Sharon King-Campbell for her work preparing the nomination files, and to Joy Barfoot and Laurie Roche Lawrence at the The Rooms, Judy Cameron with The Town of Carbonear's World Cup of Tiddly, Peter Laracy at Cupids Legacy Centre, and Jordan Brown,  President of The Labrador   Heritage Society Height of Land Branch, for their letters of support for this nomination!

Photographer: Holloway Studio [1913]

The Memory Store: A safe haven for the crown jewels...

The video for this week's the Memory Store was filmed in the stairwell of the Anna Templeton Centre. Executive director Beverly Barbour tells two of her favourite stories about the Anna Templeton Centre building. The first is a story about the building being a possible safe haven for the crown jewels and the second about the building being used by a forensic team.

Watch the video below or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Click here for more information about the building's history and architectural style.
If you missed our initial post explaining the concept of the Memory Store clip here to go back to our first blog post with the introduction video or check out our YouTube channel at ICH NL.

Stay tuned for more short stories about historic places in the province, in the form of short oral history interviews conducted with the people who care about those places and if you have a personal memory about a historic place in Newfoundland and Labrador, and want to add your voice to the Memory Store project, let us know at ich@heritagefoundation.ca

-Terra

ICH @UVic Day 5 - Indigenous Language and Culture

Today was our second-last day on the intangible cultural heritage course at UVic. We started off with a visit to the First Peoples House. Pamela Clermont and her co-workers showed us around the building, created as a social, cultural and academic centre for Indigenous students on campus. It is a gorgeous space, which you can read more about here, packed full of local, amazing, indigenous art.

Outside is an ongoing totem pole carving project. The artist, Hjalmer Wenstob, has posted the artist's statement on site:

"I see the totem as a means of bringing together and strengthening connections between cultures, both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous. It creates a space to come together where we are all equal, to create a future where we can walk side by side on the same path. To bring together academic and traditional Indigenous teaching for a common goal of unity, understanding and respect. - Hjalmer Wenstob"

After our visit to the First Peoples House, we had a conversation with Janna Wilson, Program Coordinator with the Cultural Management Programs at UVic, who has been working on their Indigenous languages retention programs. Then we went off to the Royal BC Museum for a behind-the scenes look at the Our Living Languages exhibit, with Michael Barnes, Head of Exhibitions, and Dr Martha Black. Curator of Ethnology.

Thanks to all who gave of their time today, and for freely sharing all their expertise and experience!