This September 16-20, 2024, the country’s UNESCO ICH Fund-sponsored ICH safeguarding project will kick into high gear with a five-day capacity-building workshop. The workshop, open to thirty-two (32) participants, will accelerate the nation’s progress towards its first ever intangible cultural heritage (ICH) inventory. Of the thirty-two workshop participants, four spots will be reserved for participants from Barbuda. Travel and accommodation costs for Barbudan participants will be covered by the project’s funds.
Over the course of five days, workshop participants will be trained by the UNESCO Global Facilitator, Mr. David Browne, on:
- The principles and methodologies for extensive documentation, with sessions on the use of audio-visual equipment;
- The creation and tailoring of inventorying forms,;
- The use of such forms in the field, and how to organize, store, and use data.
By the workshop’s end, participants will be equipped with the skills, methods, and expertise needed to formulate a national community-based inventorying implementation plan for data capture. The final day of the workshop will be devoted to a practice exercise in one of Antigua’s historic villages.
Following the workshop, participants will engage in a two-month data collection period. The data collected will be used to create the nation’s first ever database of intangible cultural heritage elements. A modest stipend of US $75 will be paid per data collector per 24-hour week for 8 weeks.
Register your interest for the workshop by sending an email to cultural.infosystem@ab.gov.ag.
Register your interest for the workshop by sending an email to cultural.infosystem@ab.gov.ag.
The creation of the first version/iteration of the national ICH database will be followed by a three-month period of data collection, using diverse methods and sources. This second data collection exercise will be used to record additional information for the national ICH database.
What is ICH?
The “intangible cultural heritage” (ICH) 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. (2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.)
Photo courtesy of Mr. Trevor Simon (CN)
The following are examples of ICH “domains”/ types:
✓ oral traditions and expressions
✓ performing arts
✓ social practices, rituals and festive events
✓ knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
✓ traditional craftsmanship
For more/background information on the Antigua and Barbuda ICH project, please see our previous posts below:
Hi! I am Rowan Thomas, I have been a tour guide for the past 14 years.
Researching information has been my passion and finding little known information is a treat for me.
I look forward to participating in this training.
Thank you for participating! Your passion and extensive knowledge were a treat!
Good day, I believe that I expressed an interest in attending this workshop. Where do I register for this workshop?
Thank you
You did, and we were delighted to have you participate in this workshop, Brenda Lee Browne!