28/05/2014 – Kazerne Dossin Mechelen Rob Belemans Ph. D.

 FARO = the Flemish Interface Centre for Cultural Heritage (in)tangible - immovable as non-profit NGO a network organization in the cultural heritage field in Flanders  faro is also: a Brussels beer a pokerlike card play in the Far West the capital of the Algarve region in the south of Portugal

T HE ELC FROM AN INTANGIBLE HERITAGE VIEWPOINT  Landscape = “an area as perceived by people”  “result of action and interaction of natural and/or human factors => a participative, non-essentialistic definition People change their environment into a landscape by perceiving it as part of their cultural heritage

T HE SHIFT Cultural heritage and landscape Cultural heritage in landscape Landscape heritage Landscape as cultural heritage

A NEVER ENDING DYNAMIC PROCES  Dynamic proces of community building :  Group identities  valueing & taking care (safeguarding) of the environment as part of the common heritage by adapting it for lasting intergenerational transmission

C OUNCIL OF E UROPE F RAMEWORK C ONVENTION ON THE V ALUE OF C ULTURAL H ERITAGE FOR S OCIETY (2005) For the purposes of this Convention, A) cultural heritage is a group of resources inherited from the past which people identify, independently of ownership, as a reflection and expression of their constantly evolving values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions. It includes all aspects of the environment resulting from the interaction between people and places through time; B) a heritage community consists of people who value specific aspects of cultural heritage which they wish, within the framework of public action, to sustain and transmit to future generations.”

L ANDSCAPE AS ICH  perception & values are intangible  a community is intangible common problems in safeguarding:  how to keep heritage dynamic vs. folklorisation  Interaction with tourism/economy  Strategies for local/regional action in a context of globalisation  PARTICIPATION

F LEMISH ICH POLICY  Inspired by the Unesco Convention for safeguarding the ICH (2006) & the Faro Convention  In 2010 the Flemish minister for culture published her vision tekst on ICH policy

ICH POLICY IN F LANDERS 1.The Flemish government cultivates 3 roles: -Conducting a facilitating (not a directive / restrictive) policy -Quality controlling & moderation of the ICH- network in Flanders -Stimulating international policy making & cooperation (f.i. Flemish Trust Fund)

ICH POLICY IN F LANDERS 2. The ICH-network Consists of: -different types of heritage organisations -professionals & volunteers -“national” – regional – local -subventioned & self supporting -all kinds of ICH-communities FARO supports the network

ICH POLICY IN F LANDERS 3. The ICH-platform - medium for contact & interchange between all participants in the ICH- network -Contains also information on the Flemish Inventory -the ‘place’ where ICH-communities describe their heritage element & make inforamtion about it available to the public

ICH POLICY IN F LANDERS 4. ICH-communities -define their own ICH-element(s) -descibe the dynamic way they are dealing with it and try to safeguard it -consult professional organisations to get advise, support to develop their safeguarding plans & adapt their ICH to new requirements -share their experiences with other communities in Flanders & abroad

B RIDGING THE GAP  between all types of heritage: immovable – tangible – intangible  between heritage policy and safeguarding communities we are/could become the bridge !

‘A P OLICY FOR ICH IN F LANDERS ’ “A heritage community consists of people and organisations who value specific aspects of cultural heritage which they wish, within the framework of public action, to sustain and transmit to future generations.”

PROFESSIONALS / EXPERTS / SCOLARS We are / could become the bridge, IF we dare to understand our role in a more modest, facilitating, not directive way we take communities serious in their concerns to safeguard their heritage by adapting it and passing it trough to the next generation GO - BETWEENS, CONNECTORS, HERITAGE BROKERS