We are proud
Safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage through theatre covers fields such as cultural studies, sociology, ethnology, anthropology, folklore studies, theatrology and ethnomusicology. The Young People’s Commission of the Polish Section of the International Folk Art Organisation (cooperating with UNESCO) has been involved in the scientific research since 2022, organising, among other things, scientific debates called Tarnogród Seminars.
Following Poland’s ratification of the Convention, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage entrusted the National Heritage Institute with maintaining the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the National Register of Good Practices in Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In June 2018 by the decision of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage – Assemblies o Rural Theatre Groups and the nationwide movement of rural amateur theatre groups were entered in the National Register of Good Practices in Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, in accordance with the UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of 2003. This unique event is the first entry in the Polish Register of Good Practices.
Since then, on the occasion of the Assemblies, there have been consultations with ensembles and animators of the rural theatre movement, dedicated to the entry in the UNESCO Register of Good Practices, culminating in a letter of intent sent in 2023 to the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, expressing the will of the bearers to enter the Assemblies in the UNESCO Register. The inclusion of the Assemblies in the UNESCO Register of Good Practices will enable the sharing of folk culture experience and knowledge with the world.
National Register of Good Practices
National, regional or trans-regional practices that best reflect the principles and objectives of the Convention and aim at safeguarding heritage are included in the list. The following practices are in the register:
- Assemblies of Rural Theatre Groups and nationwide movement of rural amateur theatre groups
- Activity of the Malopolska Cultural Centre SOKÓŁ in Nowy Sącz in safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage
- Vistula Flis – the tradition of wooden boat building and Vistula navigation
- National Festival of Folk Bands and Singers with Folk Art Fair
- Traditional May chanting at the shrines in Żabnica in Western Pomerania
- Meeting of Four Candles, or an evening of carols, attended by worshippers of four Christian denominations living in the municipality of Trzebiatów
- Folklore Feast of the Kalisz area
- Reactivation and development of amphibian woodcarving
- Activities of the Bukowina Cultural Centre Folk House in Bukowina Tatrzańska
- The Passion Play on the City Market Square in Góra Kalwaria