Museums and ICH
Museum work and documenting is one of the ways to safeguard and transfer living heritage for future generations. Museums have an important role in this work.
The viewpoint of intangible cultural heritage requires rethinking on the role of museums. What does community-based mean in the work of museums? What is the role of museums in safeguarding? How can present day documentation support the vitality of traditions?
The museum field in Finland has taken an active role in the implementation of the Convention. The museums have been informed about the Convention and its timely events. Several presentations and workshops have been held with museum professionals. Fifty museums replied to a survey on ICH and museums in 2017.
Many regional museums have been partners in the regional seminars organised by the Finnish Heritage Agency. Some museums take part in the work of the Circles of living heritage. Museums have also coordinated some of the applications to the Wiki-inventory of Living Heritage.
The Agency takes actively forward the discussions about the role of ICH within the museum field. The aim is to strengthen the viewpoint of safeguarding, to clarify the division of labor between the museums and also to gather-up ideas on active community-based actions.
The theme is of growing importance in the international level. Intangible heritage and museums is an EU-project between five countries. In 2019 a toolbox and publication will be published for the use of museums. You can read more about the project here.
In October 2020 the Agency organised a webinar Nordic Museums and Intangible Cultural Heritage. Some of the videos of the webinar can be found on our Elävä perintö Youtube. See also the inspiration card set we have published about living heritage and the Finnish Museums (in Finnish).
