Identification, definition and inventory of the intangible cultural heritage in the Cuban province of Guantánamo

Financial assistance:
- US$ 65,745 granted in 2017
Dates of implementation:
- 06/03/2018 - 28/02/2022
Documents:
- Request form ICH-04: English|French
- Budget and timetable: English|French
- Progress report 3 (February 2022): French
- Progress report 2 (April 2021): French
- Progress report 1 (October 2018): English
- Final report: English

Benefitting country(ies): Cuba

Overview:

As part of a long-term national strategy for the implementation of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Cuba, the project aimed at identifying, defining and inventorying the intangible cultural heritage present in Guantanamo, the easternmost province of the country. Far from the large urban centres, Guantanamo is one of the least socially and economically developed provinces in the country, hampering communication with and access to many communities compared to other parts of the country. Thus, in spite of several initiatives undertaken by the National Council for Cultural Heritage in relation to the intangible cultural heritage of the province, the information contained in the Council’s Automated Inventory System on Cuban Cultural Heritage about this territory is practically non-existent. This is coupled with a lack of trained personnel, financial resources and the necessary equipment to support communities in carrying out participatory inventories of their intangible cultural heritage. As the implementing organization, the National Council for Cultural Heritage implemented a series of activities together with the Provincial Centre of Houses of Culture. These activities started with an initial meeting to present the project objectives to the provincial administration and civil society and continued with a training in participatory inventory methods and fieldwork in ten municipalities. The project intended to help assess the degree of viability of a number of local intangible cultural heritage elements and identify appropriate safeguarding measures.

News and activities:

2017-06-09 – Safeguarding female chants in Morocco and inventorying intangible cultural heritage in Cuba

01/10/2019 - 22/04/2022 – Development of an inventory of intangible cultural heritage for Shiselweni region in Eswatini 29/01/2019 - 29/01/2022 – Transmitting and stabilizing the folk long song performance technique of Limbe performers - circular breathing - through the old repertoire to the new generations