Why document living heritage or craftership?
Publications
Documenting a heritage practice is in itself a safeguarding measure* and contributes to the heritage's viability, as information is recorded and preserved for future actions. Nevertheless, there can be different motivations as to why you want to film and document a practice.
Start by asking why you want to film or document a practice: what goal would it have? Answering this question will help you to define the safeguarding approach/measure associated, and hence the documentation method that can serve this goal.
You can use this film as a means to:
- to raise awareness and promote heritage in the wider community
- to educate school children so they can have a deeper understanding of this craft or cultural heritage
- to transmit knowledge to someone who could continue its active practice
- to conduct research on different aspects of living heritage, including comparative international perspectives
- to identify and inventory the heritage where you first identify its basic aspects, when you have not yet decided what the film is for
Each of these goals as to why you want to film, require different approaches to how you will be filming and documenting a practice.
Not sure (yet) what the goal of your film project is?
Answering the questionnaire on the homepage will help you better understand the final goal of your project and choose the right method. If you need additional support, you can contact heritage professionals in Flanders via the contact page. They are happy to help you further develop your project.
*Safeguarding measures?
These different possible goals or approaches can also be related to the various safeguarding measures as outlined in the Basic Texts of UNESCO 2003 Convention. In the context of Flanders’ cultural heritage framework, the UNESCO ‘safeguarding measures’ for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) have been further translated into ‘cultural heritage functions’, that are also regularly referred to in this toolbox.