Cultural Economies of Intangible Cultural Heritage as Modalities of Care: The Wealth of Networks, Community-Based Value Chains and Commoning

Abstract

Broadening the focus on cultural economies of ICH to include ways of caring for the future emphasises the uniqueness of living traditions and their limitations in becoming marketable assets. It highlights the reconsideration of valorisation as a means of care that facilitates the vibrancy and resilience of ICH through the interplay of its cultural, social and economic dimensions. From a broader perspective, the paper specifically addresses the non-monetary forms of resourcing for ICH of six UNESCO-listed cultural expressions, Blaudruck, Swabian-Alemannic Carnival, Poetry Slam, Batana Eco Museum, Fado Music and Falconry, which are hard to measure. Each is practised in a publicly visible, vibrant way and enjoys broad participation by diverse people. The resourcing of ICH through sharing and caring in networks, community-based resourcing and commoning, demonstrates the crucial role of cultural economies as modalities of care in maintaining the robustness and vibrancy of ICH.