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Executive owerview

We want the ratification o the 2003 Convention tae stert a conversation throughoot the UK anent oor inheritit cultural kennin and lair - the fowklore, performance, pratticks and crafts that pley a mensefou role in the sense o sel, gallusness, and thegitherness o communities athort the UK - and hoo, thegither, we bield thon intangible inheritit cultural kennin and lair, which we will refer tae as ‘livin heritage’.

This consultation has makkit up pairt o the stert o the conversation anent livin heritage in the UK and we hae warkit gey close wi the Devolvit Governments fur tae agree this repone.

Livin heritage is a braid area that taks in a wheen sindry policy areas sae there will aften no be a yin-size-fits aw answer, but we will engage wi the inventories and braider implementation o the Convention in line wi the principles o bein community-foondit, inclusive, respectfou and open.

Oor oweraw approach has been tae focus on the practicalities o biggin the inventories and we hae agreed a hantle o key pynts anent their ettle:

• The inventories will uphaud the airtin oot o livin heritage in the UK and its bein taen tent o via a ‘stock-takkin’ process, forby helpin tae heize kennin and uphaud future bieldin conversations.

• The criteria fur inclusion dinnae include ony judgment anent value, assessment or categorisation o mensefouness, importance, or ony siblike metric.

• The benefits o bein includit in the inventories will dootless vary fur ilka item and community, but micht tak in heized awaurness and kennin, forby opportunities fur mair engagement and warkin thegither.

• The inventories will be on-gaun and iterative and there will be regular open caws fur communities tae pit forrit their livin heritage. They arenae a mappin tool, register or record o livin heritage in the UK and arenae intendit tae be an encyclopaedia or archive.

• An item bein includit in the inventories doesnae automatically mean that ony organisation, body or government is thirlt tae ony responsibility or obligation tae uphaud thon item in a direct wey.

• The inventories are a hamelt process, which staun apairt fae the lists haudit at UNESCO.

We will haud forrit wi referrin tae the Convention text fur the agreed definition o intangible inheritit cultural kennin and lair or livin heritage, while takkin tent o the fact that the definition is (aiblins cannily) open tae interpretation. Hooivver, we willnae be yaisin terms sic as ‘traditional’, ‘contemporary’, ‘authentic’ or ‘heritage’ whan definin whit is or isnae livin heritage or whit should be includit in the inventories.

We will haud tae the position adoptit by the Convention and no accept submissions solely fur organised religions and systems o belief as a hale, but walcome submissions o cultural pratticks relatin tae religion. We will walcome submissions that yaise leid as a vehicle, and will uphaud a wheen local, hamelt leids wi owersettin (forby warkin twa-leidit in Welsh in line wi statutory requirements), but we willnae include leids in and o thairsels in the inventory.

Criteria

There wis strang support amang the survey repones tae the proponed criteria wi mair nor three quarters o respondents in favour. Takkin tent o comments and suggestions, we hae haudit tae the proponed criteria, melled twa thegither fur practicalities, and eikit on three mair fur tae gie mair clarity.

• Maun be practised the noo. Tae be considert fur the inventories the item maun hae a livin community whae haud the kennin or ken-hoo o the item tae be cairried oot, and whae can pass on the item tae future generations. Submissions maun gie information anent the current and future viability o the item, and will hae the opportunity tae indicate whether the community pittin the item forrit considers it tae be unner threit, e.g. that there is a danger o it deein oot wioot mensefou chynge in the level o transmission the noo.

• Can come fae onywhaur and be fae onytime, but maun include information anent the history and transmission athin the community concernt. The item doesnae need tae hae a minimum age or hae been passed doon a minimum nummer o times and it can come fae onywhaur and onybody.

• Maun be the livin prattick itsel. A submission tae the inventories should include information anent the associatit elements o the item whaur relevant, but the item o livin heritage cannae be anely the associatit tools, instruments, costumes, materials etc. nor be anely the ootcome, ootpit, creation or result.

• Maun haud tae existin internationally agreed human richts staunarts. Fur exemple, tae the richts o others tae non-doonhaudin and equal treatment, privacy, freedom o thocht and expression, and tae tak pairt in social and cultural life.

• Maun hae free, aforehaun and informt consent fae the community. The submission maun gie evidence that the practicin community has consentit tae the item o livin heritage bein pit forrit tae the inventories.

• Ony commercial benefit fae the livin heritage item, maun be fur the primary benefit o the community.

Code o ethics

We heard forby a hantle o comments and suggestions anent ither criteria, but there wis a lack o consensus or objective basis tae assess an item agin the criteria, sae we hae insteid pit thegither a code o ethics.

The code o ethics is fur submittin communities tae tak tent o, and micht help tae inform future conversations anent bieldin, but willnae mak up pairt o the criteria fur inclusion in the inventories.

• Maun respect animals, nature, and the environment.

• Maun respect existin, national legal framewarks and forder positive health, personal and common weal, and safety fur thairsels and ithers.

• Maun big peace, respect, social thegitherness and inclusivity, and jouk doonhaudin athin their ain livin heritage prattick(s), braider communities, and whan warkin thegither wi ither livin heritage practitioners.

Caitegories

The key discussions in this subject were anent airtin oot a balance atween haudin tae the UNESCO caitegories fur ease o warkin thegither, and makkin the caitegories and wirdin as yaisefou and accessible as possible fur the UK context.

We will haud tae the five UNESCO caitegories and eik on twa mair anent ‘Sports and Games’ and ‘Culinary Pratticks.’ Forby, we will rename and mak mair simple the wirdin fur the caitegories, includin eikin on explicit reference tae Laund and Beliefs.

• Oral Expressions Livin heritage relatin tae baith spak-wird and non-verbal communication that is yaised tae pass on kennin, cultural and social values and collective mindin. Exemples could tak in proverbs, riddles, sangs, nursery rhymes, or storytellin.

• Performin Airts Livin heritage relatin tae performance and human creativity. Exemples could tak in sindry musical pratticks, dance, or drama.

• Social Pratticks Livin heritage that is aften shared and practised by a group. Exemples could tak in calendar or seasonal customs, festivals, celebrations or rituals.

• Nature, Laund, and Spirituality Livin heritage relatin tae the environment and belief. Exemples could tak in biggin techniques, laund management systems, kennin anent certain animals and plants and ecologies.

• Crafts Livin heritage relatin tae the skills, kennin and makkin o things, either by haun or wi assistit tools. Exemples could tak in specific pratticks o weavin, widd cairvin, pottery, blacksmithin, or stanemasonry.

• Sports and GamesLivin heritage relatin tae gemmes, competitions or activities needin physical maucht and/or skill. Exemples could tak in sportin events or recreational gemmes.

• Culinary PratticksLivin heritage relatin tae the makkin and takkin o food and drink. Exemples could tak in the makkin o specific dishes or the sharin o food and drink socially.

Neist steps

We will furthset mair information and guidance anent hoo tae submit tae the inventories aince we open the caw fur submissions later this year.