Sharing and networking on ICH in Asia and the Pacific region

Just finished listening to a presentation by Dr. Seong-Yong Park, who is the Executive Director of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Centre for Asia and the Pacific (ICHCAP), based in Korea. The presentation was entitled “Information sharing and networking on intangible cultural heritage in Asia and the Pacific region”

The mission of ICHCAP is to promote the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asia and the Pacific region. The centre builds and strengthens networks of tradition bearers, experts, and relevant institutes in this field. It also establishes information systems and disseminates ICH information.

The goal of the centre is promote cultural diversity, and facilitate sustainable development through promotion of ICH.

Thoughout Asia and the Pacific, as the world undergoes dramatic transformation due to globalization and modernization, regional ICH faces devastation and destruction. Park spoke of how transmission of ICH is in danger – in part due to the aging of practitioners, and a decrease in apprentices, in spite of a respect for the tradition of apprenticeship.

In order to combat some of this, ICHCAP has as its primary functions the sharing of information, and the strengthening of ICH networks. In terms of information sharing, ICHCAP is working on a field survey project of ICH safeguarding efforts, collecting information on cultural policies, events, and inventories, and sharing info on legal protective measures from different jurisdictions. It promotes online databases and web-based archives, and is helping to restore and digitize ICH related materials under threat, working to digitize damaged collections in Mongolia, for example. It also undertakes publication projects – newsletters, translating ICH books into Korean, and recently publishing a book on ICH in Mongolian.

Network building is their other priority, and the organization brings together workers from different Asian and Pacific countries to train as ICH experts, with inventory making being one theme they work on.

The centre faces many regional challenges. It is time consuming to learn about the vast region they represent. There is a lack of policies and awareness of ICH, different socio-cultural environments, the complexity of coordinating across such a region, and a large workload with limited resources. That part, at least, sounds familiar!

In spite of this, Park spoke optimistically about the future of ICH in the region. He concluded quoting the section of the UNESCO Constitution which reads “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” Park suggested that safeguarding ICH represents a significant building block in cultural understanding, hopefully leading to the dissemination of a culture of peace.

Measures of Support for Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference, first thoughts

I'm in Quebec City, and just back from the opening reception for the international conference on Measures of Support for Intangible Cultural Heritage: Governments, Institutions and Municipalities, organized by the Conseil québécois du patrimoine vivant (CQPV – Quebec Council for Living Heritage). There were opening remarks from Christine St-Pierre, Quebec's minister of culture; Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO; and Normand Legault, with CQPV. All in French, of course, and most of it beyond me, apart from a few helpful whisperings in my ear from Mathias Bizimana (from the Canadian Council for UNESCO, who it was great to see again).

What is interesting so far is that there already seems to be a bit of a buzz tonight around the fact that while Canadian provinces and NGOs are being recognized for, and doing, great work in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, the federal government is still apparently resistant to the idea of signing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, a fact alluded to by Mr. Matsuura in his opening remarks.  I'm hopeful that this conference, and the discussions that come out of it, continue to add to a growing interest in, and recognition of, the importance of ICH to Canadians. Let's sign that Charter!

There is an interesting lineup of speakers for the next few days, and I had an interesting first chat with the Scottish contingent who are doing interesting stuff with community programs and living heritage in museums.

More to come!

"Notes from Newfoundland" by Lisa Moore

Readers of the ICH blog may remember that a while back, we were looking for mummers to take part in a photo shoot for the Walrus magazine, to accompany an article by local writer Lisa Moore.

Well, the issue is out, and the article is online, along with gorgeous photos by Johan Hallberg-Campbell.

Check out Lisa's article, or visit Johan's mummer parade gallery.

Finding Your Voice: A community workshop on story sharing

I don't often cross-post ICH and storytelling stuff, but there is a workshop happening this weekend that I thought might be of interest to some people involved with folklore and oral history work in the province, as well of being of interest to those of you with a theatrical bent.

Irish storyteller Clare Muireann Murphy is in St. John's for this week's storytelling festival. Clare has worked with UK Literacy Trust, Poetry Ireland, Children's Books Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland on different storytelling projects.

Clare started off the festival with a workshop last night, and according to event organizer Christine Hennebury, Clare "rocked her workshop last night in Mount Pearl. The Introduction to the Art of Storytelling was like a story itself."

Clare has another workshop this Saturday, here in St. John's.  If you have an interest in sharing stories, even if you have no experience doing so, this will be an excellent session for you to attend, and a chance to work with one of Ireland's brightest young tradition bearers.

"Finding Your Voice"
Saturday, March 12th
Gower Street United Church Hall
1:00 - 3:00 PM
Turn familiar stories into true treasures! Each storyteller is blessed with their own unique style. Having trouble finding yours? Treat yourself to this workshop and find your own voice! A workshop focused on how to make stories uniquely your own; how to discover and develop your own style of storytelling. Learn how to uncover your own voice, turning old or familiar stories into something beautiful and inherently yours.

Aimed at: Beginners / Intermediate storytellers
Admission: $20 Pre-register at: storytellingstjohns@gmail.com

Jack, Concerts, Workshops, Awards, Grants and more

In this edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update, the Mummers Festival wins an award for cultural tourism from Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador; the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador offers a Boxes Under The Bed workshop in cooperation with the Association of Newfoundland and Labrador Archives; the St. John's Storytelling Festival explores the concept of a national folk epic for the province; Mona Petten, of Port de Grave, is the second in our regular Tradition Bearers Spotlight; and, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Grants.

Download the pdf at:
http://www.archive.org/download/IchUpdate023-FebruaryMarch2011/ichupdate023.pdf

Call for Papers, Presentations, Posters and Performances

Culture, Place and Identity at the Heart of Regional Development
A Three‐Day International Conference, October 13‐15, 2011
In St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The North Atlantic Forum, in partnership with
The Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF) and
The Small Island Cultures Research Initiative (SICRI)

This conference will examine the relationship between the arts, cultural heritage and regional development in islands and in rural and remote regions. It will bring together representatives from academia, government, the arts community, the cultural heritage community, the knowledge economy, the tourism industry, and organizations dealing with regional development. It will examine global trends in tourism, technology and demographics, and will feature global best practices in cultural tourism.

The themes of the conference are:

• The role of culture, place and identity in regional development
• The role of cultural entrepreneurship in economic diversification
• Tangible and intangible heritage as engines of cultural tourism
• The arts and cultural heritage as tools for community building

To this end, organizers are inviting expressions of interest from persons and organizations who may wish to share their knowledge, expertise and experience with the attendees at this event. This may take the form of:

• Papers: Academic papers based on original research in any of the themes of the forum.
• Presentations: Non‐academic presentations on how the arts and cultural heritage are being used to develop an area’s tourism industry or its economy generally.
• Posters: Static visual presentations of any theme of the forum.
• Products or Performances: Presentations by artists and tradition bearers as to how they use their skills and expertise to develop a creative product or performance.

Special consideration will be given to expressions of interest which:
• Combine presenters from various sectors (e.g., government/the arts/academia/ industry/etc.);
• Combine presenters from different countries or from different jurisdictions within the same country; or
• Demonstrate creativity in content, presentation, audience participation, etc.

Interested persons or groups are invited to submit a title and a short (max. 200 words) abstract of their
paper, presentation, poster or creative product, and the names, affiliations and contact information of
the presenters. These are to be submitted no later than March 31st, 2011, to www.naf2011.com.

For more information :
Michael Clair, Associate Director (Public Policy)
Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development
Memorial University of Newfoundland
St. John's, NL Canada A1C 5S7
Tel.: (709) 864‐7963
mclair@mun.ca

Intangible Cultural Heritage Job Posting, Strathcona, Alberta

Strathcona County, Alberta, now has open a 7-month position for an ICH self-starter who will identify and document examples of local ICH relating to traditional knowledge, skills and practices that stem from the community’s past.

Project Lead, Heritage Legacy Initiative
http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/Human_Resources/Careers/Project-Lead-Heritage-Legacy-Initiative.aspx

How to apply
http://www.strathcona.ca/departments/Human_Resources/Careers/career-opportunities.aspx

For information, contact:

Lori Clapp
Communications & Community Heritage Legacy Initiative
Strathcona County
780-464-8022
Fax: 780-464-8009
clapp@strathcona.ab.ca

The Giant Squid – Legend and Reality

Coffee and Culture at our neighbourhood museum, The Rooms:

Retired…or just having an afternoon to yourself? Come by on Thursday afternoons to meet some interesting people while exploring art and culture. Talks and tours, films and workshops are all included in the price of admission with complementary coffee/tea at The Rooms Café also included. Stop by and see us!

Thursday, March 3, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: 
The Giant Squid – Legend and Reality: At the Interface Between Folklore and Science

Dr. Anna Guigne will use a variety of media to survey stories of the giant squid from the time of Homer up to the 21st century. She’ll look at current knowledge of this large cephalopod and the approaches to its study, and she’ll consider how such knowledge, scientific or otherwise, has taken on legendary proportions.

Looking for more on Newfoundland giant squid?

• Where are the giant squid now?
• Giant squid at The Rooms

This Old House lists St. John's as a choice Old House Neighbourhood!

Well-known magazine/website for restoration enthusiasts, This Old House, has listed St. John's, Newfoundland, as one of its Old House Neighbourhoods for 2011! Congrats, colourful townies!

Each year, the organization profiles neighbourhoods across North America that are top picks for old house lovers. This year, St. John's and its jelly-bean colours made the list. Even the Doyle-famous Duke of Duckworth gets a plug.

Check out the This Old House profile, or drool over the Templeton's Historic Colours of Newfoundland paint chart mentioned in the article.