MGS named as hub for National Inventory of Living Heritage
We are pleased to be named as a Community Support Hub in the UNESCO-supported initiative of establishing a National Inventory of Living Heritage for the UK.
In 2024, the UK Ratified the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The UK is the 183rd country to ratify the convention, joining a vibrant and active international community aiming to safeguard its Intangible Cultural Heritage.
UNESCO describes Intangible Cultural Heritage, or Living Heritage, as: “traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts”.
A National Inventory for Living Heritage in the UK has been established to list and safeguard Intangible Cultural Heritage practices. This builds on our work to establish the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Scotland wiki inventory.
Community Support Hubs have been established across the UK to assist and advise communities in putting forward submissions to the National Inventory for Living Heritage. We are one of two Community Support Hubs based in Scotland, alongside Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS). Together, we operate as the first ports-of-call for anyone interested in recommending examples of ICH to add to the Living Heritage Inventory for ICH in Scotland.
Jacob O’Sullivan, our Museum Development Manager – Collections & Interpretation, commented: “It’s an honour for MGS to be selected as a Community Support Hub, and to work alongside TRACS as one of two such support bodies in Scotland. This is testament to the positive impact of the ICH in Scotland Partnership, and the strong position of ICH in Scotland, evidenced through projects such as ‘Protection Through Connection’ and the annual ICH in Scotland Conference. We look forward to working with any communities or tradition bearers interested in learning more about the submission process’.
If you are interested in finding out more about the Living Heritage Inventory and how to get involved, we are holding two online information sessions – one on January 22nd 2026, and one on February 17th – as well as 1:1 support sessions between January and February.
