Principaux domaines de travail liés à la Convention:
When some inhabitants of Scapoli decided to establish the cultural association "Circolo della Zampogna", the tradition of making and playing this ancient instrument was still deely-rooted in the local community, but they felt the need to preserve this heritage and to transfer it to the new generations. For that, many and various activities have been carried out, involving not only the zampogna makers and players but the whole
community. The main actions can be summarized in the following:
- institution of a Permanent Exposition of Italian and Foreign Bagpipes and of a documentation centre called "Italian Centre of the Bagpipe";
- revitalization of the preceding zampogna Market through the integration with a musical Festival (the Intemational Bagpipes Festival) in which traditional music and new compositions and sounds could meet offering to the young people the opportunity to appreciate the vitality and the potentiality of a so ancient and topical instrument;
- organization of training courses for playing and making the zampogna and to train groups of young people to safeguarding activities;
- participation of the "Circolo della Zampogna" to several meetings, festivals and other initiatives at home and abroad;
- educational, awareness-raising and information activity aimed at the schools of the area;
- publishing of the magazine "Utriculus" (from the Latin name of the bagpipe), CD, DVD, videos and books;
- organization of meetings and other events in cooperation with the Molise University, the Ministry of Culture, the "Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise" National Park and other public institutions;
- promotion (and support to) studies and degree thesis conceming the zampogna and its traditional and present context;
- creation of a network of exchanges and links with Italian and foreign similar associations, cultural and musical institutions, museums, scholars, experts and enthusiast people;
- participation to the establishement of the ICHNet (Intangible Cultural Heritage Network).
Especially relevant, in safeguarding the zampogna cultural heritage has been the experience of the project "Living with the Bagpipe" devised and realized by the Circolo in the ambit of the European Programme "LEADER II". Besides all the other good results in terms of preservation, promotion and revitalization, the project let the Circolo to take the first census of the cultural heritage connected with the zampogna, to collect materials and documents for the Italian centre of the Bagpipe, to realize a transnational
cooperation project called "Common Sounds to the European Rural World" in cooperation with the Local Action Group "North Pennines" (Northumber1ad, UK) and above all to reinforce the link between the community and its heritage.
About the competence and the expertise in the domain of intangible cultural heritage, the personnel and the membership consist in: traditional zampogna makers and players, ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, musicians and musical groups, cultural associations, museums, libraries, researchers, scholars, university teachers, besides
simple enthusiasts.
Objectifs
According to the item 3 of the statute, in its larger aim of solidarity and social and cultural promotion, the objectives for which the nCircolo" was established are:
a) gathering together all those wno would have interest in the development and promotion of the social, cultural, natural and touristic heritage of Scapoli village and surrounding area;
b) working together in making active the participation of the community to the best safeguard and improvement of the historical, cultural, artistic and natural common heritage;
c) safeguarding and promoting culture and traditions with special reference to the zampogna (the typical bagpipe of Southem Italy that has in Scapoli one of the places where making and playing this instrument is a tradition still particularly alive);
d) supporting and organizing festivities, competitions, expositions, fairs, festivals, meetings, public shows, cultural demonstrations, training courses;
e) assuming initiatives, also in cooperation with the municipality and other authorities and associations, to contribute to the touristic and rural development of the area;
f) publishing magazines and advertising and popular materials according to its aims.
Besides, according to the item 4 the Cireolo carries out its work and initiatives not only in Scapoli's area but also out of it with the aim to favour the exchange and the cooperation between communities and territories.
Coopération
The "Circolo della Zampogna" was bom from the will of a consistent part of the local community "to do something" to safeguard, to promote and to transfer to the new generations the typical cultural heritage represented by the zampogna. Since its foundation joined the Association several zampogna makers and players that, both as group and individuals, are those who traditionally create, maintain and transmit this kind
of heritage. Besides, most of the activities have been carried out wit the involvement and the participation of the whole community, from its younger to the older members. At this regard, a very important and successful role has been played by the LEADER project "Living with the bagpipe" with which it has been possible to reinforce the relationship between people and their cultural heritage.
Particularly significant is also the annuallntemational Bagpipe Festival in which. for some days, the whole village of Scapoli becomes like a big open-air stage where local people are proud to exhibit their instruments, music, foods, environment, meeting and exchanging experiences with musicians, craftsmen and visitors coming from
everywhere. The festival is organized in collaboration with the Commune and with the local turistic association. There are also involved all the economic and trade activities of the area, people give their help in the organization of the event, place rooms for visitors and musicians, sell gastronomic specialities, etc. In each edition of the Festival the musicians involved, traditional and not, come from all over Italy and each time from 2, 3 or more foreign countries. The event is very well attended (around 20.000 visitors, which is a very large audience for a very small village like Scapoli).
Every year, on the occasion of the Assembly of the members, the Circolo organizes also 2 "Bagpipers Meetings", in Spring an in Autumn, in which the participants analyse what has been done and propose what could better to do in terms of safeguard, research, transmission and promoting of the zampogna tradition.