Intangible Cultural Heritage in Latvia is perceived and positioned as our strength in the field of culture as well as for our nation. State supports the safeguarding and development of ICH and its expressions in various ways – it is well represented in various strategic documents, including cross-sectoral, as well as a centralised system for its safeguarding and development has been established. All communities in Latvia are seen as equal and are encouraged to practice, use and transmit their ICH. Various mechanisms have been established to support NGOs working in the field of ICH, encourage ground level activities especially outside urban centres as well as local community involvement in identifying and documenting relevant ICH.
ICH in Latvia greatly relies on the general education as well as on cultural education systems - Ministry of Culture and the Latvian National Centre continuously advocate for the importance of maintaining and increasing cultural and artistic components in general education schools as well as support for professional cultural education institutions. Earmarked grants are ensured by state to strengthen the sustainability of ICH, especially Tradition of Song and Dance Celebration in Latvia. Another important component that supports the safeguarding and promotion of ICH is interest-related education provided by the National Centre for Education.
The Latvian National Centre for Culture is the responsible body in Latvia for the implementation of the Convention. In 2016 the Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted – it establishes the National List of ICH, the Council of the ICH, provisions for funding for ICH projects and activities (including preparation of nominations) by the State Culture Capital Foundation, rights of communities to use and transmit its ICH.
From 2012 – 2016 Latvia served as a member at the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage – it was a very important and valuable experience to develop capacities of our national experts and respective institutions. Following this in 2017 the UNESCO Chair on Intangible Cultural Heritage Policy and Law was established at the Latvian Academy of Culture.
Over the last five years, the following aspects should be highlighted regarding the implementation of the Convention:

• Adoption of the Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016;
  
• Growing and expanding research in the field of culture, including ICH and Tradition of Song and Dance Celebration especially, and flourishing cooperation internationally on topics related to ICH on academic and research level;
  
• Carrying out of quality and quantitative studies and monitoring of ICH tradition practitioners, bearers, general public, especially regarding the Tradition of Song and Dance Celebration;
  
• Increasing number and quality of in-service training, continuous and non-formal education programmes related to ICH provided by state as well as relevant associations working in the field of ICH;
  
• Approaching between ICH and the professional cultural education as both fields are under the responsibility of the Latvian National Centre for Culture;
  
• Advancing of communities and associations in assuming responsibility for safeguarding, promoting, raising awareness of, documenting, organising events on ICH in their locality or interest;
  
• Annually growing budget provided by the State Culture Capital Foundation for ICH and traditional culture, and respective growing interest and number of applications to carry out various activities related to ICH.
  

Implementation of the Convention has resulted in greater awareness in the society about ICH, evaluation and discussion about ICH in Latvia and growing interest about various ICH expressions as well as respect towards tradition bearers. Song and Dance Celebration has contributed to raise positive attitudes and pride about ICH in Latvia.

The major responsibility for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage lies with the Ministry of Culture and its subordinate institution, the Centre for Arts Education and Intangible Heritage (CAEIH). It is the main national body responsible for: implementing national cultural policies and programmes in the field of intangible cultural heritage; consulting with municipalities and communities; carrying out documentation, information and popularization activities and raising awareness about projects; and organizing the main nationwide celebrations and festivals. The Centre cooperates with national and local government institutions, research institutions, educational establishments and non-governmental organizations. The Ministry of Education and Science and its subordinated institutions – the National Centre for Education in particular – are also deeply involved in the safeguarding process, namely in relation to the education and transmission of traditions among children and school pupils. Institutional cooperation on the implementation of the Convention is actively encouraged and supported, on a continuous basis, by the Latvian National Commission for UNESCO. An important role in the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage in Latvia is played by the 119 city and municipal authorities that provide organizational and financial support to various groups of intangible cultural heritage practitioners (including municipally-established artist collectives) in their efforts to safeguard their intangible cultural heritage. Partnerships have been forged between state and municipal institutions and non-governmental organizations, local communities, individual bearers, formal and non-formal educational institutions and organizations. Civil society and non-governmental organizations are increasingly involved in the decision-making process for the implementation of cultural policies in Latvia. For instance, the Folklore Society of Latvia is a comparatively new non-governmental organization made up of intangible cultural heritage professionals and practitioners. Its purpose is to promote and support the activities of ethnographic ensembles, folklore groups, folk storytellers and musicians and other intangible cultural heritage practitioners in Latvia. One of its tasks is to maintain an active dialogue with state and local government institutions on matters related to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.
New legislation dedicated to intangible cultural heritage is planned under the leadership of the Ministry of Culture with the broad participation of other ministries (Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Economy), governmental institutions, academic institutions, various associations (the ‘Aprika’ folklore association, the association of ‘Latvian Countryside Women’) and individual experts (linguists, folklorists, economists, etc.). Once the Intangible Cultural Heritage Law has been adopted, CAEIH will have overall responsibility for inventorying and other safeguarding actions.
As for training future cultural professionals, the Latvian Academy of Culture offers a Bachelor degree programme on traditional culture and folklore with a special focus on intangible cultural heritage, as well as post-graduate courses. The Latvian Culture College of the Latvian Academy of Culture prepares professionals in cultural management, library sciences, dance management and cultural tourism, promoting tangible and intangible heritage through both theory and practice. The University of Latvia also offers undergraduate and post-graduate study programmes in folkloristics as well as cultural and social anthropology, and the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music provides training in ethnomusicology at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. Finally, the CAEIH fosters lifelong learning in various domains of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, as well as raising the professional competences of educators working in this sphere.
The main documentation institutions for intangible cultural heritage are the following: the Archives of Latvian Folklore; the Institute of Latvian History, the University of Latvia (especially the Department of Ethnography); the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia (collects documents and preserves folk monuments along with evidence of the way of life and culture of the rural population); the National History Museum of Latvia (the largest repository of Latvian material culture); the National Library of Latvia (provides access to collections in digital form, which are physically stored in different library collections throughout Latvia); and the Centre for Scientific Research of the Latvian Academy of Culture (documentation from its research projects).
As yet, no inventory has been established in Latvia although the new Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage will establish one. There have nevertheless been some initiatives since 2006. These include a Digital Culture Map used for the identification and promotion of intangible cultural heritage at the regional and community levels (e.g. developing various regional and local databases and registers of regional and local values with community participation websites for some communities). The latest version of the draft law of December 2011 proposes, as a compromise, an outline for the establishment of three lists of intangible cultural heritage: (1) an inventory of intangible cultural heritage; (2) a list of traditional economy; (3) a list of culinary heritage. The Centre for Arts Education and Intangible Heritage will be the main body responsible for overseeing the maintenance and continuous updating of the intangible cultural heritage inventory. As demanded by individual domestic producers and micro-entrepreneurs and in order to balance the various interests surrounding intangible cultural heritage, the inventory will incorporate intangible cultural heritage values as stipulated by the Convention as well as the certification system for traditional products.
The main criteria proposed are: (1) the element of intangible cultural heritage is recognized by an individual, group or community; (2) the element of intangible cultural heritage possesses cultural, historical, artistic, social, linguistic and scientific value; (3) the element of intangible cultural heritage is based in the tradition and transmitted from generation to generation; (4) there are tradition bearers who know the element of intangible cultural heritage and can ensure the safeguarding of relevant skill(s) and knowledge and its sustainability. The law requires that a nomination for the inventory be developed and submitted with the participation and consent of the individuals, groups and communities concerned. The law does not reflect the viability of the element of intangible cultural heritage, the format, regularity with which the inventory is updated or other aspects. It is foreseen that these elements will be defined in a subsequent by-law by the Cabinet of Ministers on the Inventory.
Various measures to ensure the recognition of, respect for and enhancement of intangible cultural heritage have been implemented, such as a large-scale intangible cultural heritage safeguarding project from 2009 to 2011. The project is entitled the ‘School of Traditional Skills’ and is aimed at promoting various manifestations of intangible cultural heritage and their practitioners to the public. In order to promote intangible cultural heritage in its context, the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia presents the artefacts and buildings of traditional life in an open-air exhibition in Riga, as well as in two in situ museums.
As far as education is concerned, Latvia has been active in introducing the teaching of intangible cultural heritage into schools; an appropriate methodology is still being developed, on the basis of experiences gathered. The National Commission for UNESCO has chosen the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage as one of the themes offered to the network of the UNESCO Associated Schools. As a result, since 2008 schools in different regions of Latvia have been working to identify, research, document and master the traditions in their local surroundings. Intangible cultural heritage is also addressed through non-formal extracurricular activities, such as folk group rehearsals, master classes and camps during school holidays, student science fairs, field studies, thematic events, etc. For adult education, the School of Folklore of CAEIH provides classes in traditional music, folk costumes and their wearing traditions, mythology, annual celebrations and family feasts, folklore, etc. The School of Dance of the Centre has a professional in-service training programme for the leaders of the folk dance groups.
With regard to bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international cooperation, Latvia has entered into partnership agreements with Egypt (2005), Bulgaria (2005), Mexico (2005), Turkey (2005), Poland (2006), Moldova (2006), Peru (2007), Brazil (2008), the People’s Republic of China (2010), Flanders (2011) and the Belgian French community and the Walloon government (2011). These address questions related to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, including: the exchange of information, the sharing of documentation, participation in educational and cultural events; scientific cooperation; and the exchange of experiences between traditional cultural groups, craftspeople and non-governmental organizations, etc. Regional cooperation is mainly based on the shared tradition of the Baltic Song and Dance Celebration. Generally, international cooperation in the field of research is led by different research institutes as well as individual researchers. Recently, there has been more active international collaboration among researchers focusing on various aspects of intangible cultural heritage.
Latvia has one element on the Representative List: the Baltic song and dance celebrations (incorporated in 2008, together with Estonia and Lithuania, after having been proclaimed a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003). These are seen as a cornerstone of Latvian national identity and, historically, as a form of non-violent protest that encourages the transmission of traditional cultural values, promotes interest in associated intangible cultural heritage and tangible elements and ensures the sustainability of inherited values. A Programme for the Safeguarding and Development of the Song and Dance Celebration Tradition 2008-2013 has been adopted with such aims as: improving the knowledge and skills of young people; providing education and training for leaders of artistic groups; ensuring the continuity of the Celebrations; promoting documentation and research and its accessibility; and developing international cooperation.
During the preparation of the Report, five regional discussions were organized. These gathered together local cultural leaders, representatives of municipalities, cultural centres, and non-governmental organizations as well as active members of communities, from each cultural region of Latvia. A separate national consultation was also organized with non-governmental organizations. The consultations were organized as an open debate among the regional stakeholders on: the sustainability of the tradition; the main challenges; the primary changes they have observed; and the key conclusions, needs and proposals. These debates informed the preparation of the Report as well as serving as a basis for the development of other programmes and the organization of the upcoming Celebration.

The Suiti is a small Catholic community within the Lutheran (Protestant) part of Latvia, whose synthesis of pre-Christian traditions and religious rituals has created a unique blend of intangible cultural heritage that is crucial for their identity. The Suiti cultural space is characterized by a number of distinct features, including vocal drone singing performed by Suiti women, colourful traditional costumes, the Suiti language, local cuisine, religious traditions and celebrations of the annual cycle. Factors threatening the viability of the element identified in the report concern the decreasing number of tradition bearers, lack of interest of younger generations and the general economic instability of the area. The State Party has undertaken a set of safeguarding measures, with the initiatives of communities, to combat these problems; better financial perspectives for the continuation of such efforts is identified in the report as one of the main challenges for ensuring the viability of the element.

Effectiveness of the safeguarding activities

In its report, Latvia affirms that safeguarding efforts undertaken so far have shown improvements in youth engagement with the element and intergenerational transmission, restoration of spaces associated with the element and necessary for its practice, and the establishment of local cultural associations for the element. The Suiti have strived to put their knowledge and skills to use, for example, in the field of education and research, in making of traditional costumes and in playing instruments. According to the State Party, skills in project development and attraction of investments have improved, as well as ability of the community to determine priorities, ideas and to attract funding for implementation. The Suiti have established cooperation with other communities in Latvia, an advantage for raising awareness, exchange of experience, strengthening of the community and attracting international funding. The safeguarding activities implemented by the community are mainly based on specific and short-term activities, as highlighted in the report; a more stable and financially more extensive support programme is identified by the reporting State as desirable for purposeful long-term safeguarding of the Suiti cultural space, which would provide the community with an opportunity of planning its development in a sustainable manner.

Community participation

According to the reporting State, safeguarding of the Suiti cultural space is based on the initiative of the communities concerned. Even though not all communities are reported to be active in safeguarding traditions, they have manifested interest in the implemented initiatives, such as celebration of traditional festivities and music concerts, handicraft workshops and exhibitions. New NGOs, associations and music ensembles have also been set up for Suiti communities and their activity includes playing music and improvement of craft skills, in particular making of their traditional costume. It is also reported that the support of the Roman Catholic Church has stimulated firmer incorporation of Suiti cultural traditions in religious practices of the community.

Viability and current risks

According to the assessment provided by the State Party, the safeguarding activities undertaken so far have helped to revive traditions and practices associated with the Suiti culture space. However, Latvia also identifies a series of inter-connected demographic and socio-economic factors that continues to threaten its transmission and viability, including land ownership issues, a reduction in the number of local inhabitants and youth emigration to regional centres for study and work. The State reports that national economic development policies are felt to have failed to reach this community and that there is a lack of long-term stability in the safeguarding approach. Land transfer and incomers also influence the Suiti cultural environment: some new inhabitants do not relate to the Suiti culture and it is reported that they do not consider its safeguarding to be a priority. Financial support, including State financing, for the safeguarding activities is identified in the report as unreliable and insufficient and granted according to tendering procedures, which introduces a degree of unpredictability.