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As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Grand Canal of China has a rich intangible cultural heritage along its route. The intangible cultural heritage of folk songs is an important representative. The study of its distribution characteristics and influencing factors is of practical and social significance for promoting the protection and development of intangible cultural heritage in relevant areas and the construction of the Grand Canal Cultural Belt. This paper uses the theories of musicology, geography, sociology, data statistical analysis and spatial analysis to analyze the distribution pattern of intangible cultural heritage items in the Grand Canal basin from the dimensions of geographical space and folk song genre, and from the perspective of natural and social conditions. The results show that the spatial distribution of folk songs in the Grand Canal basin shows a trend of "distribution along the river, two cores and two belts". Water system, landform and regional culture are the main influencing factors for the formation and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage of folk songs. At the same time, compared with the mountainous areas in western China, the economic and social development and frequent population flow in the Grand Canal basin lead to the diversified and unified musical culture characteristics of folk songs. Finally, this paper proposes the suggestions that the folk songs should be integrated into the local social and economic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Boundaries and Transgressions in the Anthropocene: Intangible Cultural Heritage as a Case Study" examines the significance of Intangible Cultural Heritage for education, learning, and socialization. In the Anthropocene, where humans play a crucial role in the fate of the planet, it is important to engage with nature and culture as a shared heritage of humanity. Intangible Cultural Heritage can make an important contribution to the development of global citizenship. The five areas of the UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage are of great importance: oral traditions and expressions, music, body language, performing arts, customs, festivals, rituals throughout the year, humans and nature, craftsmanship. UNESCO is committed to preserving these works and practices and using them for intercultural dialogues and global partnerships to safeguard cultural diversity and develop global citizenship. [Extracted from the article]

Over the last few decades (especially since 1970s) international folklore festivals across the globe have been showcasing, promoting, publicizing and safeguarding traditional cultures (specifically dance, music and art) from different parts of the world. Prominently, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) supported organizations such as CIOFF (International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Art), IOV (International Organisation of Folk Art) and CID (International Dance Council) has been focused in terms of the promotion and protection of folk and cultural heritage. A significant number of these international folklore festivals are organized by various cities, towns and villages across the world, for example, Festival Les Cultures du Monde in Gannat, France, Parade Brunssum in Brunssum, Netherlands, Mondial Des Cultures in Drummondville, Canada and WOMAD in Adelaide, Australia. On an average ten to twenty folk music and dance groups are invited from various parts of the world to participate in these festivals that run for several days/weeks, thereby not only providing an opportunity to the groups to showcase their culture, but also, to mingle with other folk groups and local people. Utilising first hand interviews with the organizers of the festival, folk group members and volunteers conducted during the 39th edition of Les Cultures du Monde - the international folklore festival of Gannat in France 2012, this research paper will examine, how the Gannat festival has become a venue for celebrating cultural diversity and in what ways it attempts to promote and safeguard the intangible cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since public libraries in Iran have a rich and strong intangible cultural heritage, it is important to study the capacities of these libraries. For this purpose, the method implemented for the study was the Delphi technique. The population of the study consisted of 30 experts and researchers who were selected through targeted sampling. Based on the findings of this study, the roles of Iranian public libraries were the provision of intangible cultural heritage by collecting from local areas, holding public exhibitions and re-narration of intangible cultural heritage. This study further emphasizes the application of intellectual property rights and provision of infrastructure of information technology by Iranian public libraries for the preservation and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage. Concerning research findings, Iranian public libraries are considered one of the knowledge cultural centers for diversity within society that, through preservation and dissemination of intangible cultural heritage, could play a significant role in promotion of the individual's awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morocco is endowed with an intangible cultural heritage of great interest at the global level, to which Moroccan craftsmanship, for which it is widely known internationally, makes a significant contribution. In today's, the notion of heritage is continuously expanding, experiencing an almost unlimited extension. The intangible heritage increasingly occupies a prominent place in the planning of several bodies, whose aim is to raise awareness among nations of the need to protect their cultural diversity and to help them to develop projects for the safeguarding and preservation of this category of heritage. The majority of marketing research has not addressed the issue of the relationship between social media communication and the promotion of intangible cultural heritage in the sense that there is an information deficit in addressing this issue. The concept of social media communication represents for professionals a lever of great importance since it has become indispensable to a good marketing strategy. It constitutes, in the context of research, a real tool for the promotion of intangible cultural heritage and the enhancement of territories. The main objective of this article is to explore the concept of intangible cultural heritage given the great importance it represents and its relationship with social media communication in the Moroccan context, especially in the promotion, transmission and even the safeguarding of this wealth. The study used a multidisciplinary exploratory in the fields of media communication and territorial marketing. Thus, the study focused on the two concepts: intangible cultural heritage and communication through social media, while analysing the nature of their interrelation in general and more specifically the relationship between communication through social media and the promotion of Marrakech handicrafts as part of Morocco's intangible cultural heritage. The results of this empirical study of an exploratory nature, conducted among 14 experts operating in the Moroccan handicrafts sector, demonstrated the existence of a strong relationship between the use of social media communication and the promotion of Moroccan intangible cultural heritage and more specifically the intangible cultural heritage of the city of Marrakech through the development and enhancement of its handicraft products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the changing roles of heritage professionals by focusing on the participatory practices of intangible urban heritage. Developments towards democratisation in the heritage sector led to a growing expectation that heritage professionals would work with local publics. This democratisation is manifested in (1) the use of digital media for grassroots heritage practices, (2) the broader scope of what is defined as heritage, and (3) a focus on communities in UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Heritage professionals are thus challenged to develop inclusive heritage practices, particularly in cities, which are characterised by a dynamic nature and cultural diversity. In this article, I analyse how urban heritage organisations and professionals have responded to these developments. Drawing on interviews and a qualitative content analysis of these organisations' policy documents, I examine the ways in which heritage professionals reconsider their public role through what I define as networked practices of intangible heritage. This concept captures the networked structure in which heritage professionals increasingly work, and also demonstrates how heritage is given meaning through public practices that take place in both the physical and virtual realms of contemporary cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]