BACA to organise “Intangible Cultural Heritage Forum” on September 20-21

Manama, Sept. 6 (BNA): The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) will organise the “Intangible Cultural Heritage Forum” on September 20-21, at the Flexible Theatre of the Bahrain National Theatre from 06:00 pm to 09:00 pm. The fourth edition of the forum will highlight four elements of intangible heritage, namely Al-Murada, Wedding Folklore, Traditional Music (Al-Sut) and Children's Festivities Folklore. The forum aims to strengthen relations among decision-makers, experts and practitioners in the field of intangible heritage, as well as highlight the elements of the kingdom’s intangible heritage, in order to affirm their importance in the local community and measure it within the international and regional framework. The event will address a number of topics including the importance of preserving and protecting intangible cultural heritage through enhancing interaction with the public regarding cultural heritage in general. The most prominent objective of the Fourth Forum is to highlight the role of intangible cultural heritage in the Bahraini society, enrich scientific research regarding cultural heritage in accordance with definitions and obligations mentioned in the UNESCO Convention of 2003, ratified by Bahrain in 2014, and promote projects undertaken by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and its efforts to preserve the continuity of the intangible heritage. It will also discuss the role of the government and society in preserving and promoting intangible culture, within the mechanisms and conditions related to the 2003 agreement. It is worth noting that BACA launched the first edition of the Intangible Heritage Forum in September 2019 through a series of lectures that shed light on important elements of intangible heritage. Intangible cultural heritage is defined as the set of practices, expressions, knowledge and skills that communities and groups adopt for self-expression, and thus takes on the distinct characteristics of people belonging to a particular culture. In addition, people form a deep-rooted cultural identity stemming from their heritage’s long history that specialists in cultural affairs can analyse through social practices, traditional ceremonies, rituals and oral traditions, as well as other cultural considerations. Specialists and those interested may register to attend the forum on BACA’s website: www.culture.gov.bh.