Abstract
In the last decades, there has been a growing number of new archives and repositories created by memory institutions (museums, libraries and archives) and other organisations (universities, schools, communities). At least three intertwined aspects have contributed to this state of the art: 1) oral history development has reinforced the need to document the memories of people, communities, and participants in past events; 2) the impact of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, urged for the need to record traditional silks and practices, e.g., Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) for a sustainable future; 3) the need to enrich and complement official archives with community experiences and participation. Many of these recent memory archives contain collections of sound and video recordings, photographs or other documentary materials related to memory preservation and to ICH documentation, either in analogue or in digital form. Project InMAP-Memories and Archives: Mapping the (In)tangible (2024-2025) analysed the situation of Portuguese memory archives that have been created in the last two decades by heritage organisations (museums, libraries, archives, universities, associations). Besides a characterisation of these memory archives that document Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and oral history, it was essential to understand the scale and extent of barriers to documentation, preservation and access. This diagnosis contributes to informing public policies in this field. The study combined a set of analysis tools, which included a survey, fieldwork (in-depth interviews and focus groups) and literature review. This paper presentation will discuss the main findings of the project.
Presenters
Ana CarvalhoAuxiliary Researcher, Interdisciplinary Centre for History, Cultures and Societies (CIDEHUS) – University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
MEMORY, INTANGIBLE HERITAGE-DOCUMENTATION, DIGITAL PRESERVATION, DIGITAL ACCESS, ORAL HISTORY
