IN-PERSON: Prague – Section A

Abstract

In 2018, UNESCO, listed the art of dry-stone walling, knowledge, and techniques on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Since the turn of the 21st century there has been a resurgence in dry-stone construction as a way to connect to the land and link people to their heritage. Each year, people gather at festivals to learn and share this vernacular art of dry-stone walling. Festivals offer a place for people to build community through communicative and performative processes which can be labelled as “civic communion” (Proctor, 2006). It is a time when a community “reflects upon, celebrates, and ultimately sanctifies important local images and truths through communication” (p.54). This ethnographic essay explores the co-creation of civic communion by dry-stone wall festival stakeholders. A research review highlights festivals as a method of building community and social capital in rural communities. Next, triangulated research methods are presented as a way to understand the lived experiences of festival stakeholders. Finally, the analysis concludes with implications for future research around civic communion, community building and “festivalizing” projects that preserve both the tangible and intangible heritage known as dry stone walling.