Looking back: Symposium 'Intangible heritage today'

In the fall of 2024, the Knowledge Center for Intangible Heritage Netherlands (KIEN) organized the symposium "Intangible heritage today: research into sustainability, colonial present, inclusion and inventory". During this event we shared research and projects that KIEN has worked on in recent years. Did you miss the symposium or do you want to experience it again? Good news: all presentations can now be viewed separately via YouTube!

The program of our symposium consisted of various presentations by our academic staff. This resulted in a varied offer: from a critical discussion on queer identity and embroidery to a panel discussion on the inventory of intangible heritage.

We have made it easy for you by putting all the presentations separately on YouTube. This way you don't have to watch the entire symposium at once, but you can directly click on the topics you want to know more about. Below you will see an overview of all sessions. You can watch them via the links or by visiting our YouTube playlist of the symposium .

Heritage Practice Monitor – quantitative research into heritage practice

With: Susanne Bergwerff (KIEN), Wim Burggraaff (Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands) and Arno Neele

All around us, people practice heritage. But how many people do this actively in the Netherlands? And what kind of activities do they undertake? The Heritage Practice Monitor collects this information to help policymakers. Susanne Bergwerff, Wim Burggraaff and Arno Neele talk about the development of the monitor and the new questions that arise as a result.

Colonial present: on colonial language use, self-representation and emancipation

With: Marlous van den Akker (KIEN) and Jose Tojo (founder Kula Skoro)

How do colonial language and imagery still resonate in how Maroon groups present themselves? And can words with a colonial background also contribute to emancipation today? Marlous van den Akker and Jose Tojo discuss the role of language use and self-representation in this context.

Sustainability today & tomorrow

With: Jet Bakels (KIEN), Chantal Bisschop (CAG) and Michelle Hahn (Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality)

Old traditions in a new guise help green the landscape and connect us with our environment. Shepherds become landscape architects, and Frisian bird catchers now protect birds. How do we make this knowledge more widely known? Jet Bakels discusses the power of intangible heritage for a sustainable future together with researchers and partners.

Intangible heritage experience among Chinese-Dutch youth

With: Mark Schep (KIEN), Aholi So (Leiden University) and Jessy Wong (Pan Asian Collective)

How do Chinese-Dutch young people experience their heritage? What did they receive from their (grand)parents and what does that mean to them? Aholi So and Mark Schep share the results of their research and reflect on the position of Chinese-Dutch people in society together with Jessy Wong.

Queer Crafts: Crafts, Identity, and Activism

With: Rosemary van de Wal (KIEN), Dora Derks and Elze Kloen

In the session on queer crafts, Rozemarijn van de Wal will talk to queer makers Dora Derks and Elze Kloen about the importance and meaning of forms of craft for people from the queer community. How do textile work forms play a role in expressing or shaping queer identity? What is the relationship between intangible heritage, gender and activism? And why is it important that an organization like KIEN pays attention to queer intangible heritage?

How do we inventory intangible heritage in the Netherlands?

With: Kelly Warnaar-Boender (KIEN), Rozemarijn van de Wal and Roos Wijnants (moderator, KIEN)

In 2024, KIEN started a new approach to inventorying intangible heritage. The goal? Developing an accessible method that makes heritage visible and supports practitioners. How do we do that in an inclusive way? Kelly Warnaar-Boender, Rozemarijn van de Wal and Mark Schep take you along in KIEN's reflection on this process.

Join our network on intangible heritage and research

The symposium on 8 November was the starting point for the formation of a network around intangible heritage and research. What this network will look like and what it exactly entails is still open to interpretation. Do you want to be part of this network? Then leave your name and contact details here, so that we can contact you for future network meetings or consultation moments. We will only send relevant e-mails about the network.

Sign up for this network here

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