Round table on the topic ‘Living Heritage in the City’ – 6 July 2020

Regional Centre for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in South-Eastern Europe under the auspices of UNESCO,

New Bulgarian University, together with the Regional History Museum – Rousse, the Deparment ‘Ethnology’ in the University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski‘, the Regional Ethnographic Museum in Plovdiv

Invite you to participate in the fourth round table related to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage “University meets Museum” on the topic:

Living Heritage in the City – 6 July 2020, Online

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (Convention 2003) draws attention to cultural diversity and its recognition as a set of values. The conference addresses two important points in the research, safeguarding and promotion of the living heritage:

Exposure, animation and experience of intangible heritage in an urban environment

Creation of new cultural practices, new festive events and their integration into the cultural heritage of the city

Elements of the living heritage become parts of exhibitions or the subject of research and exposure as objects, photographs, visual and musical images.

The living heritage is also an element of a museum animation or the urban environment, when the museum transcends the confines of its building, so is it possible that we are dealing here with a carnival, a museum festive event, or a musical evening?

The living heritage is reenacted by creating situations similar to ‘times past’ ‘features of a time gone by’: the craftsmen and artisans’ alley, the wine or yogurt festival, events that draw audiences with a promise of hands-on participation.

The intangible cultural heritage presents positive images of communities, of regions, creating value in public spaces. The living heritage allows locals and tourists alike to choose from a variety of opportunities for exploring and experiencing cultures, traditions as well as novelties in a context of everyday life and celebration.

The round table raises the attention on the issues related to the living heritage in a wide region – the Member States of the Regional Centre Sofia: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Montenegro, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Türkiye and Ukraine.

Please send your request of participation with presentation in Bulgarian, English or French with maximum of 6 slides by June 18, 2020 on the official e-mail of the event: lh-conference@abv.bg with copy to Ms Chayana Istatkova: ch.bozhkova@unesco-centerbg.org.

Information regarding the accepted request will be communicated by June 23, 2020 and the details about the used platform for the round table.

Each participant will have at around 10 minutes for presentation. Working languages of the round table are English, French and Bulgarian and translation will be provided.

It is also planned to publish the materials of the round table and the deadline for sending your papers is July 30, 2020. All papers shall be with the following characteristics: texts up to 4275 words or 27 000 characters with spaces, including notes and literature. Pictures: up to 6 photos (300 dpi) with grant of rights for publishing. Citation shall be included into the text, references under line, APA standard. All texts shall be accompanied with a short summary of up to 600 characters with spaces with key words – between 3-6. Also a short presentation of the author of up to 450 characters with spaces.

Organizing Committee

Ms Irena Todorova, PhD (Executive Director of Regional Centre Sofia – UNESCO), Assoc. Prof. Irena Bokova, PhD (NBU), Assoc. Prof. Vasil Garnizov, PhD (Member of the NBU Presidential Council), Assoc. Prof. Sonia Alexieva, PhD (NBU), Assoc. Prof. Valentina Ganeva – Marazova, PhD (NBU), Prof. Nikolay Nenov, PhD (Director of RIM – Rousse), Assoc. Prof. Meglena Zlatkova, PhD (head of department ‘Ethnology’ at the University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski‘), Assoc. Prof. Angel Angel Yankov, PhD (Director of REM – Plovdiv)