Online Talk: Living Heritage

Date 17 November 2026 19:00 - 20:30

Location Online talk

Speaker Matthew Cheeseman

Living Heritage

A Folklore Society Online Talk by

Matthew Cheeseman

Tues 17 November, 19:00 BST

‘Living Heritage’ and ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ are terms brought about by the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The French gastronomic meal (Le repas gastronomique des Français) and the Craftsmanship of Alençon needle lace‑making (point d’Alençon) are two examples from the French implementation of the convention, which the United Kingdom ratified in 2024. This means that England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each have their own register, on which communities can list things like ‘oral expressions’ (which include sayings and nursery rhymes), ‘social practices’ (which include anything from Bonfire Night to the Notting Hill Carnival) and crafts (which include everything from basket weaving to pub sign writing). Matthew Cheeseman, Professor of Writing and Folklore at the University of Derby, discusses the implementation of Living Heritage in the UK. The talk covers his experiences running a community hub for Living Heritage, aspects of the implementation, and its potential politicisation.

Matthew Cheeseman has been a member of The Folklore Society since 2005 and has served on its Council since 2013. He is co-convenor of the Folklore Without Borders research network, which seeks to embed greater diversity into UK folklore and folkloristics. He is Professor of Writing and Folklore at University of Derby.

Tickets £6.00 (£4.00 for Folklore Society members with the Promo Code–log in to https://folklore-society.com/members-only to get the Promo Code) from https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/living-heritage-tickets-1992172131473 

Every ticket sold supports the work of The Folklore Society

Image: Living Heritage logo, DCMS