Strengthening capacities for the implementation of the 2003 Convention for the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Antigua and Barbuda

Financial assistance:
- US$ 97,754 granted in 2020
Dates of implementation:
- 10/03/2022 - 29/09/2023
Documents:
- Request form ICH-04: English|French
- Budget and timetable: English|French

Benefitting country(ies): Antigua and Barbuda

Overview:

This nineteen-month project is aimed at strengthening capacities for the sustainable implementation of the 2003 Convention in Antigua and Barbuda to ensure the inventorying, promotion and safeguarding of living heritage in the country. Being implemented by the Cultural Development Division of the Ministry of Sports, Culture, National Festivals and the Arts with the assistance of the UNESCO Cluster Office for the Caribbean in Kingston, the project responds to the urgent need to develop a national, coordinated strategy advancing the implementation of the Convention and is informed by stakeholders’ concerns about the risk of key elements of living heritage vanishing. A nineteen-member coordination unit (NITCU) will be established for the duration of the project and beyond, comprising custodians and stakeholders from the public and private sectors as well as civil society. The project creates the country’s first ever national inventory of living heritage, enhancing national technical capacities to harvest and interpret related data and improving upon the exchange of information between the public and private sectors as well as civil society. Two pilot safeguarding activities – focusing on the Game of Warri and Traditional Boatbuilding – will be undertaken to trial safeguarding measures and instruct future safeguarding activities. Training workshops are focusing on the principles and workings of the Convention, community-based inventorying and the use of audiovisual equipment and archival software, and the resulting inventory shall be published, accompanied by a report on the findings. The resulting inventory is expected to raise awareness of key elements of living heritage and their viability as well as to encourage better coordinated, and evidenced-based, investment and policy attention to safeguarding living heritage.

News and activities:

2020-10-08 – Nearly US$500,000 granted to support safeguarding activities in Antigua and Barbuda, Burundi, Egypt, South Sudan and Uruguay

01/04/2020 - 25/10/2023 – The Bandoneon: sound of Tango 18/08/2021 - 15/09/2023 – Inventory of intangible culture of craftsmanship in the core of Historic Cairo