The UK’s participation in the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage

This Research & Knowledge Exchange Doctoral Project brief summarises our priority areas of research interest under the heading of: The UK’s participation in the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage: Impacts, benefits, and risks for national minority identities

We welcome all research degree applications aligned with and in response to this brief.

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is a hot topic. Not only has the UK opened nominations to the newly-ratified UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage this year; this policy shift reflects a resurgence of interest in traditional knowledges, practices, and customs that has been gaining momentum in contemporary culture. Although ICH gives many places across the UK their senses of identity and social and cultural cohesion, for national minority cultures (such as Cornish, Welsh, Manx etc – that is, cultures with a longstanding link to a cultural space within the UK) the stakes are arguably higher. Not only hyper-local specific practices but also at a regional and national level, these cultures’ distinctiveness is imbricated in how these identities are shaped, performed, and shared. This project proposes inquiry into this rapidly changing landscape – where ICH is recognised at the national level in policy, and where traditional practices are ‘cool’ again – to understand its nuances and dynamics, and to identify opportunities to leverage or consolidate the evolving national conversation for the benefit of societal resilience. In particular, the UNESCO Convention has the potential to change the discourses and practices of ICH for national minorities, and there is no better time than the present to study its impact on the national conversation at this moment of its inception.  

Research proposals should capitalise on this crucial moment for ICH in the UK, and should pose research questions such as: What impact is the ratification of the UNESCO Convention having on conversations around ICH in national minority contexts, and what are the risks and benefits to these cultures?  

The research scope could focus on one UK national minority context, such as Cornish, and/or on one or more specific ICH practices within that context (with a view to translating findings as applicable); or it could take an e.g. Celtic, comparative approach, with due caution as to the scope and deliverability, perhaps focusing on one type of practice across different countries, for example.  

Methods are likely to be mixed, and should consider how best to evaluate change in the chosen context, perhaps considering a longitudinal approach and using baseline data to explore change over time. A discourse analysis approach might be useful, as might primary data from ICH communities of practice and institutional interests; participatory practice with a range of people relevant within the ICH ecosystem could be relevant.  

Projects deriving from this brief are expected to sit within the Research & Knowledge Exchange strategy and the following department or research centre.

All successful research degree project proposals must emphasise a clear alignment between the project idea and our Research & Knowledge Exchange strategy.