Living Heritage

Community Support Hub for the new UK Living Heritage inventory

 

Living Heritage in the UK Heritage Crafts is an official Community Support Hub for the new UK Living Heritage Inventory launched by the Department for Culture Media and Sport on 5 December 2025. This initiative follows UK ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2024, something that Heritage Crafts had been campaigning for since 2010, to increase recognition of the country’s knowledge, skills and practices in a way that had previously been enjoyed by its buildings, monuments and museum artefacts.

We have been working with the Government on implementation of the Convention, which involves two stages: the Inventory stage, which is now up and running in the form of the new Living Heritage Inventory, and will in turn inform a future Safeguarding stage.

 

UK Living Heritage Inventory

A call for submissions has opened communities in the UK to submit their traditions and heritage practices at www.livingheritage.unesco.org.uk.

An area of heritage often overlooked, living heritage (or ‘intangible cultural heritage’) a broad subject that can include everything from bell-ringing to boat-building, cèilidh to carnival, pantomime to pancake day, highland games to Eisteddfod, Lambeg drumming to long sword dancing, and dry-stone walling to wassailing.

Seven categories will be used for the inventory:

  • oral expressions
  • social practices
  • performing arts
  • land, nature and spirituality
  • crafts
  • sports and games
  • culinary practices

The inventory is being set up by the Governments of the UK, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland following the UK joining the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage last year. Its purpose is to raise awareness and start a conversation about the value of this heritage, paving the way for future efforts to improve its safeguarding.

The call for submissions will be open for 4 months until Friday 27 March. During this period, there are a range of information sessions, workshops and events to provide help and guidance.

 

Community Hub

Heritage Crafts is an official Community Support Hub for crafts. We are offering online workshops and support for organisations, groups and individuals who wish to make a submission. You can also get in touch with us if you have specific query about your craft and the inventory.

Email: [email protected]

Heritage Crafts Community Support Hub Information Sessions and Q&A – come along to hear about the project and ask any questions you might have

Heritage Crafts Community Support Hub Surgeries – come along to discuss your application with other groups making submissions

 

Image: Chatham Historic Docks Trust