Participative Registration of Intangible Cultural Heritage on immaterieelerfgoed.be: Ownership, diversity and linking data

1. Participative Registration of
Intangible Cultural Heritage on
immaterieelerfgoed.be:
Ownership, diversity and
linking data
20 oktober 2023
Informatie aan Zee
Sarah Kaerts & Sofie Veramme 1

2. ⏣ Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
⏣ Workshop intangible heritage
⏣ The Big Collection & Inventory
⏣ Ownership, Participation &
Diversity in the Registration
Process
⏣ 12 Ethical principles UNESCO
⏣ ICH and Linked Open Data
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3. Intangible Cultural Heritage
2003 CONVENTION
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6. “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 interaction 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 compatible with existing
international human rights instruments, as well as with the requirements
of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of
sustainable development.
https://ich.unesco.org/en/convention#art2
DEFINITION

8. 2. The “intangible cultural heritage”, as defined in paragraph 1
above, is manifested inter alia in the following domains:
⏣ oral traditions and expressions, including language as a
vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage
⏣ performing arts
⏣ social practices, rituals and festive events
⏣ knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
⏣ traditional craftsmanship
https://ich.unesco.org/en/convention#art2
DEFINITION

9. “Safeguarding” means measures aimed at
ensuring the viability of the intangible cultural
heritage,
including the identification, documentation,
research, preservation, protection, promotion,
enhancement, transmission,
particularly through formal and non-formal
education, as well as the revitalization of the
various aspects of such heritage.
https://ich.unesco.org/en/convention#art2
DEFINITION

10. Workshop Intangible Heritage
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2017: New Heritage Decree
- tangible and intangible > integration !
- new chapter on organizing safeguarding of ICH in Flanders
>> new: Organization for ICH
= Workshop intangible heritage Flanders
2018: RENEWAL platform
www.immaterieelerfgoed.be 2.0 (launch November 2018)
Development in Flanders Policy

12. Who we are?
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Workshop intangible heritage is the organisation
for intangible heritage in Flanders.
We are committed to bringing out and enhancing the power
of intangible heritage at the heart of contemporary and
diverse societies.
We are there for everyone working on intangible heritage
and with everyone who contributes to it: in the heritage
sector and far beyond, at home and abroad.
As a UNESCO-accredited ngo, we want to help ensure the
vibrant traditions and practices of tomorrow, with an
approach full of cooperation, cross-pollination and
constantly updated perspectives.

13. Who we are?
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As the focal point around intangible heritage in Flanders,
⏣ we highlight as much intangible heritage as possible.
⏣ Together with the Flemish government, we manage the
website: immaterieelerfgoed.be.
⏣ We provide advice, organise (networking) events, facilitate
internships, work on knowledge building and sharing, etc.
⏣ We are there for all your questions on intangible heritage and
help you on your way with other colleagues and experts from
our national and international network.

14. THEMATIC NETWORK
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Organizations working on cultural heritage
themes or methods with a relevancy for the
whole of Flanders
e.g. museums, centres of expertise for cultural
heritage, organizations for popular culture,
cultural archives, institutions, …

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GEOGRAPHICAL NETWORK
Local and regional heritage workers
-often organized in ‘heritage cells’-
having a good view on the needs and
requirements of local heritage, communities
and organizations

16. The Big Collection & Inventory immaterieelerfgoed.be
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17. www.immaterieelerfgoed.be
2010 Vision paper for ICH:
A new instrument must make the following possible:
⏣ to give visibility to the ICH in Flanders,
⏣ to link elements of ICH,
⏣ to link elements and examples of best practices, experts and cores of expertise,
⏣ to enhance “the development, demonstration and reporting on safeguarding measures and
measures for the transmission of ICH and the listing of best practices.
⏣ Documenting on Platform -Big Collection- = formal step to take before being able to be
recognized (through the minister of Culture) in the ‘Inventory for ICH in Flanders’*
>> lower threshold
*an instrument from the Flemish government to help communities safeguard their ICH

18. Online Platform for ICH in Flanders
digital database and interactive website
focussing on ways of safeguarding ICH
Owner:
Flemish
government
Moderation: Workshop intangible heritage & departement of Culture

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22. ⏣ Ownership, Participation &
Diversity in the Registration
Process
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23. “Heritage is a mirror for society. If
you don't see yourself reflected in
that mirror, you cannot feel that you
belong.”
Stuart Hall

24. The Big Collection versus the Inventory
⏣ Inventory = official tool
⏣ There is more ICH than what is on the inventory (Inventory is a means, not a goal)
⏣ Show (diversity of) ICH
⏣ Something for everyone / mirror of society
⏣ Equality of practices >> database weight

25. “In inventorying intangible heritage the
process of involving communities is
more important than the inventory
itself”
Tim Curtis - secretaris UNESCO conventie immaterieel erfgoed
Big Collection or Inventory:
We keep in mind:

26. The Participatory Registration Process
⏣ Community identifies its practice as ICH
⏣ Community agrees with text / prior and informed consent
⏣ Easy task? Yes but …. no >> Facilitating registrations >> help people to frame their
practice as ICH >> individual coaching @ workshops for intermediary organisations
⏣ broad interpretation
⏣ Changing ideas about Big Collection registrations: longer texts possible & add the
reader (and google)

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30. Register your practice
here
Do you see this window?
Then it worked.
a moderator checkt:
• Is this ICH?
• Is it alive today?
• In Flanders (Brussels)?
• Is the main focus of the text on the practice
itself?
• Does it fit within the existing regulations?
• Is there enough info about the picture?
You get an email
with feedback,
extra questions,
suggestions,…
You rework your text if
necessary
The moderator publishes
your text
You get another email
when your text is
online and with every
change made at the
text again.
Via your personal dashboard you can
always change your text again here.
Moderation cycle

32. 1. Domains
2. People:
- Young & old
- city & village
- workers & employees
- superrich & poor
- genderdiversity: women, LGTBQIA+ en …
- ethnic and cultural diverse
- subcultures …
Diversity on immaterieelerfgoed.be
Three ways of looking at diversity

33. DIVERSITEIT IN
REGISTRATIES
DOMEINEN
Vertellen en taalgebruik
Feesten, rituelen en sociale gebruiken
Sport en spel
Natuur en Landbouw
Culinair erfgoed
Ambacht, vakmanschap
en techniek
Ander
praktijken
traditioneel
Nieuw/actueel
Hybride
Eerder typisch
Voor groepen
Mensen
Etnisch-culturele
minderheden
LGBTQAI+
mannen
vrouwen
kinderen
jongeren
studenten
ouderen
Met een beperking
Arm
rijk
arbeider
Bediende
kunstenaar
expat
religieus
profaan
beroepsgebonden
Eerder specifiek
voor een bepaalde
Plaats
Brussel
Vlaams-Brabant
Limburg
West-Vlaanderen
Oost-Vlaanderen
Antwerpen
stad
dorp
Muziek en Podiumkunsten

34. 1. D
2. D
3. Different variations of same practices
Giants are a tradition that is very much alive in Flanders, but the Giant
tradition is very different from village to village/city.
Giants in Flanders reuzencultuur in Vlaanderen (Inventaris), can be found
on immaterieelerfgoed.be, maar each giant tradition can be registered
separately and even more than once
>> clusters of practices

35. Immaterieelerfgoed.be
is van en voor iedereen die
immaterieel erfgoed een warm
hart toedraagt.

36. ⏣ Ethical principles of the UNESCO
2003 Convention and registration
process: an exercise
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37. 12 Ethical principles
balancing
autonomy
& intervention
Unesco 2003 Conventie
https://ich.unesco.org/en/ethics-
and-ich-00866
1. Communities primary role in safeguarding
2. right to continue practices ensuring viability of ICH = recognised & respected
3. Mutual respect
4. transparent collaboration &
free, prior, sustained and informed consent
5. (Access)
6. No external judgements of value or worth
7. (benefit from protection of moral and material interests)
8. dynamic and living nature of intangible cultural heritage should be respected
9. assess impact of actions on viability of ICH and its communities
10. (determine threats to heritage)
including decontextualization, commodification and misrepresentation
11. Cultural diversity, gender equality, youth involvement, respect for ethnic
identities
12. Safeguarding = general interest to humanity, done by cooperation, but never
alienate communities from their ICH

38. ⏣ ICH and Linked Open
Data
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39. ⏣ ICH and (Linked) Open Data:
• Data is not meant to reside in a silo.
• > increasing visibility for ICE
• > findability / notability
• > multilinguality
• > Ethics for Open Sharing of ICE data
⏣ Visibility = frangibility
• What kind of licenses and rights
statements offer enough protection?
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40. ⏣ ICH cannot be treated like any other tangible collection
• Cocreation - UNESCO principles
⏣ Open data sharing must follow the same principles:
• pURI
• Wikidata
• (OSLO / CIDOC-CRM - traject with museums and archives)
⇒ FACILITATING ROLE OF ICH ORGANISATION.

41. Persistant URI’s for immaterieelerfgoed.be
- Project to enable persistent linking to immaterieelerfgoed.be
- Described ICH-practices as authorities
- Ethical and technical trajectory.
- Communities as test-garden for free, prior and informed consent
- No (international) consensus yet on how to deal with rights
statements and licenses
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42. Wiki Loves Living Heritage
- Ingest of metadata and images of ICE
- Testcase for consent of communities
- Several principles colliding:
* FAIR-principles meet:
* Unesco principles
* CARE principles: Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility
and Ethics
* Traditional Knowledge Labels
* CC Ethical Sharing Group: Ethics of Open Sharing Card Game 42

43. LINKED OPEN DATA IS A MINDSET
ICH IS A MINDSET
- ICH data is very unboring ⇒ close contact with communities
- LOD mindset from the start of the registration process:
- For licenses for the images
- For pURIs and ICH open data sharing
We are embarking on a great journey…
TBC…
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45. Contactpagina
Workshop intangible heritage
www.immaterieelerfgoed.be
sarah@werkplaatsimmaterieelerfgoed.be
sofie@werkplaatsimmaterieelerfgoed.be
Register for our newsletter and like our FB-pages!
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IMMATERIEEL CULTUREEL ERFGOED OPGEFRIST
Immaterieel erfgoed Geen immaterieel erfgoed
Gewoontes, gebruiken, kennis,
praktijken
Verhalen rond objecten,
mondelinge geschiedenis
Levende praktijken
Praktijken die niet meer
bestaan
Doorgegeven van generatie op
(minstens één andere)
generatie
Geen generatieverloop