Event-series on living heritage throughout Austria

Event-series on living heritage throughout Austria

Over 14 years ago, Austria ratified the 2003 Convention, and since then, it has listed 157 elements in its national inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), showcasing the rich cultural diversity of the country. These elements are not only vibrant living practices, but the communities behind them also have unique and valuable experiences in safeguarding, promoting, and passing on their knowledge and skills. However, they also face similar challenges in preserving their heritage. To address these issues, the Austrian Commission, in collaboration with local stakeholders, has initiated a series of workshops aimed at enabling participants to share experiences, foster exchanges between different practitioners and communities, and facilitate peer-learning opportunities.

These workshops will be conducted through three events held across Austria, inviting communities and stakeholders to engage in discussions and exchange ideas about living heritage in the country. Each event will focus on a different topic, relevant to the local context as well as to ICH overall.

Event I: Conference - Interdisciplinary Conference: “Intangible Cultural Heritage as an Opportunity for Participation and Regional Development” organized in cooperation with the Slovenski narodopisni institut - Slovenian Folklore Institute Urban Jarnik.
Date: 13th October, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Location: 10.-Oktober-Straße, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee

Event II: Discussion - “Intangible cultural heritage: a tourism factor?” in collaboration with the Montafon Museums.
Date: 17th November, 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Location: Batloggstraße 24, 6780 Schruns, Vorarlberg

Event III: Workshop - Workshop: “20 years of intangible cultural heritage: experiences, perspectives and ethical principles” in collaboration with the NGO I N D I G O elementar.
Date: 24th November, 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Wulkalände 2, 7210 Mattersburg, Burgenland (tbc)

Through these events, the Austrian Commission aims to reflect together with different stakeholders on the past years of implementing the convention in Austria and engaging in new perspectives on ICH at the local, national, and international levels. The insights gained through the events and inputs gained by the participants, shall help to the development of a national strategy for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.