IN-PERSON: Prague – Section B

Abstract

Intangible cultural heritage is defined as the practice of preserving the nonphysical aspects of culture, such as traditional and popular folklore, customs, beliefs, knowledge, and language. A dominant field of research within this practice focuses on the preservation of human communication through spoken word (languages) and performing arts (songs), yet little research has been done to adequately address other forms of auditory heritage, such as the importance of preserving culturally significant soundscapes that are ephemeral and short-lived, yet nonetheless represent important elements of place-making that underly human activity, culture, and lived histories. If we were to engage with place-making as a form of lived and intangible cultural heritage, then sound becomes an important element that reflects everyday behaviors, as well as how people relate to the emotional geography of a particular place. In order to address this gap of research in the field of intangible cultural heritage to include ephemeral and lived auditory heritage, this paper will examine the processes and outcomes of two study cases in the cities of Ghent and Brussels (Belgium), where participatory artistic practices were used to experiment with different formats of collecting, archiving, and representing auditory heritage, through a combination of document analysis and ethnographic methods. The aim of this paper is to examine how sound can be incorporated in intangible cultural heritage discourse and how practitioners can utilize participatory art tools to expand ways of safeguarding and presenting soundscapes as heritage.