St Fagans to host vibrant celebration of Wales' living heritage
Sain Ffagan i gynnal dathliad byrlymus o dreftadaeth fyw Cymru
A free event celebrating intangible cultural heritage (ICH) will take place at St Fagans National Museum of History on Thursday 20 November.
The event - organised by Welsh Government in the run up to launching a UK wide call-out to ICH practitioners - will bring together cultural organisations, community groups, and heritage practitioners to celebrate the living traditions that are embedded in communities across Wales.
The day-long celebration will showcase a rich tapestry of living heritage, ranging from traditional crafts and skills to contemporary cultural expressions.
The event will feature a diverse range of activities throughout the day. Traditional craftspeople, including crafters, stonemasons and carpenters will demonstrate heritage skills at Y Gweithdy. At the Atrium, stall holders will include the National Coracle Centre who will be displaying a range of traditional Welsh coracles.
Performance highlights include Welsh music and dance, storytelling, Chinese lion dancing, Risca Male Voice Choir, QWERIN, Danceblast stilt walkers, and Ptasie Radio Cymru Choir. Wales’ iconic carnyx, a giant metallic S-shaped horn based on that which the ancient Celts used as they headed into battle, will also be on display and in action.
Simultaneously, a series of talks in the lecture theatre will explore living heritage from multiple perspectives:
- The importance of living heritage in rural communities in Wales
- How living heritage manifests in industrial and post-industrial communities
- Expressing living heritage through the arts and heritage skills
All activities are free to attend and everyone is welcome. The event will be conducted bilingually in English and Welsh with BSL interpretation available in the lecture theatre.
Notes to editors
*** Not for publication or broadcast ***
There will be two media opportunities related to this event:
Wales’ intangible cultural heritage – past, present and future
Intangible cultural heritage varies from traditions and practices, to knowledge, skills and cultural expressions that communities recognise as part of their identity. Unlike physical heritage, it lives through people and their practices and is constantly evolving.
The UK ratified the UNESCO Convention on ICH last year and Wales is now working with devolved governments across the UK and with DCMS, who will shortly be launching a call out to ICH practitioners in a bid to map ICH practice. There will be a Wales-specific inventory, with all content being suggested and submitted for inclusion by communities. This ‘mapping’ and the Wales inventory will be a great opportunity to tell others across the world about the amazing range of ICH practice happening here in Wales.
The Minister for Culture, Jack Sargeant, will be at the event and available to talk about Wales’ culture and its future. Please contact economypressoffice@gov.wales if you’d like an interview.
Other exhibitors, crafters and leaders in ICH will be available on the day also.
Stonemasons – Wales needs you!
Many traditional craft skills, including stonemasonry, are at risk of being lost as experienced practitioners retire and fewer young people learn these trades. This makes the preservation and demonstration of these skills particularly important.
To help bolster this craft, Cadw is currently recruiting for 3 trainee stonemasons, and at the living heritage event, Cadw’s current stonemasons will be demonstrating their skills to show the public these important traditional techniques and help ensure they're valued and preserved for the future.
If you’re interested in filming the stonemasons, talking to a spokesperson from Cadw or the Minister for Culture, please contact economypressoffice@gov.wales