On 30 October 2020, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage approved funding of US$ 99,862 for the project ‘Proud of my Heritage: transmission and safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Grenada through inventorying and education initiatives’.
The Small Island Developing State Grenada is a tri-island country in the in the English-speaking Caribbean, comprising the island of Grenada and its dependencies, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, as well as several small, largely uninhabited islands. The country has a rich array of cultural expressions, which are threatened by several factors including natural disasters.
The project to be implemented under the received fund for the safeguarding of ICH has three key objectives: Pilot inventorying exercises will be conducted in the tri-island of Grenada. During this stage, capacity building workshops on the 2003 Convention, mechanisms to safeguard living heritage, and community-based inventorying methodologies will be held with local stakeholders.
Proud of my Heritage - is the name of the educational programme for children, which is developed to raise awareness of intangible cultural heritage in Grenada. The participating school community will be involved in inventorying exercises and a pilot Living Heritage Integration Programme will be integrated into the school curriculum.
A media campaign will be launched to raise awareness of Grenada's living heritage among the population, including traditional boat building or the process of chocolate-making. As part of this phase, a platform will be created for the general public to express their views on the intangible cultural heritage. The campaign will also include television and radio spots, press releases, social media campaigns, street theatre events and a photo competition.
It is expected that the project will provide key stakeholders with essential content on the importance of recognizing and protecting intangible cultural heritage. It will also provide local people with reliable information about their living heritage and raise awareness among the general public. This project will help to establish a basis for implementing the 2003 Convention in the country from a community-based approach.
Photo 1: Tradicional sloop-building in Carriacou, Grenada
Photo 2: Local men explaining how to process the cacao beans and be converted into chocolate
© Grenada National Trust