The national body charged with the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage is the National Heritage Fund (NHF). A parastatal body of the Ministry of Arts and Culture, since 2010 the NHF has been the National Repository for Intangible Cultural Heritage. In conformity with the National Heritage Fund Act of 2003, the NHF has as its objectives, inter alia, to ‘safeguard, manage and promote the national heritage’ (which also comprises intangible cultural heritage), to ‘educate and sensitize the public on cultural values, national heritage and to instil a sense of belonging and civic pride with respect to national heritage’. The Act is being amended to make provision for research into and the documentation and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
No institution, as such, exists for training in intangible cultural heritage management. Most of the people undertaking research in this field have been trained abroad. However, recently, some others have started to receive training in oral history or oral tradition documentation at the University of Mauritius and at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute. These trained individuals are employed by different institutions to carry out research into and the documentation on intangible cultural heritage.
In terms of documentation, a fairly large number of public institutions, mostly cultural centres linked to Mauritius’s numerous ethno-linguistic groups, collect and store data on various aspects of intangible cultural heritage, which they make accessible to the public. The NHF receives copies of all research works on intangible cultural heritage funded by or through the Government and also makes provision to ensure that its collections are available to the public. The Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund (AGTF) has produced an audio CD comprising a specific oral expression (songs) called the ‘sohar’ related to indentured labourers. This CD is available to the public at large.
Two main inventories for intangible cultural heritage have been prepared in Mauritius: a national list under the responsibility of the NHF (‘Inventory and Documentation of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Republic of Mauritius – A First List’), and a thematic list under the supervision of the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund (‘Towards an Inventory of Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage Related to Indentured Legacy in the Republic of Mauritius’). The latter is being incorporated into the national list. The criteria for inclusion of intangible cultural heritage in the national list are: (1) Elements which are known, most popular and are being practised; (2) Elements which are less known by the young generation and least practised nowadays; (3) Intangible heritage common among the older generation; (4) Practices which have a tendency to be modernized; (5) Practices which are being influenced by foreign societies and are losing their local touch. The intangible heritage elements have been listed with the involvement of the community itself. Communities form an active part as they are the ones providing the information; they are the resource persons and all their contacts are kept in the database so as to enable the National Heritage Fund to remain in touch with them. Consultative workshops are organized to review the data collected and have the consent of the community to insert the elements into the national database.
The Government has a strong policy of promoting different forms of music and performing arts through the Ministry of Arts and Culture and the Ministry of Education and Human Resources. Three art centres called ‘Centre de Formation Artistique’ (Centre for Arts Training), which operate under the Ministry of Arts and Culture, have been opened in different parts of the country to promote performing arts and traditional craftsmanship. Three more will be opened in the near future. Practices are now shown on national TV to create awareness and encourage people to take an interest in intangible cultural heritage. The promotion of traditional craftsmanship is one component of the national project in developing small-scale enterprises. Technical and financial assistance is given to skilled people to promote their craft products. Furthermore, unskilled and interested people are provided with specialized training starting at grass-roots level to develop their talents.
Bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international cooperation takes the form of cultural exchange agreements signed with different countries (e.g. China, Egypt, France, India, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan and Seychelles) allowing for the promotion of elements of intangible cultural heritage, especially in performing arts. Furthermore, the country hosts a yearly international Creole festival where elements of intangible cultural heritage are exhibited and promoted.