Slides from presentation at MuseumNext, Edinburgh 2011 on Intangible Cultural Heritage also known as Living Culture. Includes project in Scotland.

1. Intangible Cultural Heritage in
Scotland: - A Paradigm Shift?
MUSEUM NEXT
Joanne Orr
Museums Galleries Scotland

2. Museums Galleries Scotland: Who we are
• MGS represent over 350 museums and galleries from Scotland’s most
northerly island to the most southerly part of the Borders
•
• MGS represent the largest visitor attraction sector – over 25 million
visitors, and over £800 million in value to the Scottish economy
•
• 158 independent museums including 7 regimentals, as well as 31
local authorities, 11 university museums and 3 national members
in MGS membership
•
• More than 270 Registered or Accredited Museums and Galleries
•
• 50%+ of workforce are volunteers demonstrating a passion and
commitment to their local heritage

3. 350Title / title galleries all over Scotland...
museums and
Copy

4. ? Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
. . . living practices,
representations, expressions
knowledge, and skills
- as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts
and cultural spaces associated therewith -
that communities, groups and
individuals themselves
recognise as part of their
cultural heritage
. . . central to their identities

5. Background to ICH inScotland Project
In 2008 Museums Galleries Scotland commissioned a
research team from Edinburgh Napier University‘s
Institute for Creative Industries to:
• Scope Intangible Cultural Heritage activities in
Scotland
• Map support mechanisms in place to safeguard ICH
• Review, evaluate and make recommendations:
– on best practice in enhancing participation of communities,
groups (and individuals) in the management of ICH, and
– on the roles of key stakeholders, including public, private
and third sector bodies in supporting ICH in Scotland

7. Recommendations
• an ‘inclusive’ definition of
ICH should be used in
terms of level of
participation, diffusion, and
ethnicity
• recording ICH in an
inventory is the first step
towards ensuring that ICH
is safeguarded
• safeguarding of ICH should
take the form of supporting
through education
channels/ community
groups

8. The Approach to ICH in Scotland
• Collaboratively inspired and driven
• Community centred and owned
• Inclusive of all / accessible to all
• Unforced / uncontrived
• Celebrates community diversity
• Promotes community cohesion
• Puts heritage in the context of shared
spatial & social identity

9. Title / title
Copy

10. Different Approaches
• Pro-active & aggressive re-presentation of
fragile and ‘at risk’ Galician ICH
• The result is another version of ‘hyper-reality
• Produces pseudo-events as in theme parks
• Or prescriptive – Austria 3 generation rule,
Croatia 2 generation rule
ICH in Scotland uses a participative Wiki-based
approach

11. Online Inventory of ICH in Scotland
www.ichscotlandwiki.org/ Wiki
• Collection of web pages
• Flexible: can manage
changing priorities
• Free software
• Ease of data entry
• Attractive for end users
www.ichscotland.org/

12. Inventory of ICH in Scotland
Website
www.ichscotland.o
rg/
http://ichscotland.org/

15. Elements and Environment
Knitted Fish project, part of
the Deirdre Nelson residency
Fish and long line
held at Taigh Chearsabhagh
hooks
in early 2008.

16. Conclusion /

18. Meeting in Stornoway

22. Timespan Museum and Art Centre - A Fishtastic Festival
Day and night events inspired by the fishing industry which has shaped the
community. Workshops, fish-tasting BBQ, children's parade and a ‘fishy debate’.

28. ICH inScotland: a summary
(The UK is not signed up to the UNESCO Convention)
• ICH is alive and well in Scotland
• ICH is embedded at community
• People in Scotland are comfortable with ICH
• Starting point for the ICH wiki is heritage as
a dynamic process not a fixed end product
contained in a building.
• ICH is reliant on community knowledge and
contribution
• if institutionalised it ceases to be ICH

29. www.festivalofmuseums.com
@FestofMuseums
www.museumsgalleriessscotland.com
@MuseumsGalScot
www.ichscotland.org/