Portals and databases on elements of cultural heritage at folklore festivals

Abstract

The paper describes the method of collecting, processing and digitising materials on intangible cultural heritage presented at folklore festivals and the construction of multimedia databases and portals for their promotion. These activities make certain elements of intangible cultural heritage and cultural and artistic societies as their heirs more visible and accessible to the public, while giving additional incentives to the heirs themselves to pass them on to young generations. This is carried out by the Society for the Digitisation of Traditional Cultural Heritage from Široki Brijeg in cooperation with partners and the heirs of the elements through two projects. The first project, diple.org, is being in cooperation with the Association of Croatian Amateur Cultural and Artistic Societies in B&H and presents the traditional cultural heritage of Croats in B&H. The second project, tkanica.org, presents the heirs, their elements and folklore festivals in B&H that operate under the auspices of CIOFF® and is in cooperation with the CIOFF® Section for B&H. The projects have so far covered over two hundred heirs. More detailed data on seven cultural and artistic societies, seven folklore festivals, two lists of a number of characteristic elements at the sites as well as a list of playing skills on seven traditional instruments were processed. The realisation of the previous part of the project showed that the heirs of the elements that invest significant efforts in field research on the elements of intangible cultural heritage of their region managed to maintain continuity in work and further draw positive public attention to their heritage.