Intangible Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis: Transformations, Risks and Governance

The COST Action CRICULT (CA24125) invites contributions to an international conference dedicated to the role of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in times of crisis and its impact on tangible heritage. Cultural heritage is increasingly affected by a wide range of crises, including climate change, armed conflict, forced migration, political instability, and rapid socio-economic transformation. While much attention has been devoted to the protection of tangible heritage, the loss, transformation, and instrumentalisation of intangible heritage—including traditions, languages, rituals, and knowledge systems—remain underexplored, despite their fundamental role in shaping cultural identity and sustaining material heritage.

Within CRICULT, Working Group 4 (WG4) focuses on the crisis of intangible heritage, emphasizing how the erosion of cultural practices and knowledge systems can directly impact the preservation, meaning, and continuity of physical heritage environments. A special focus of this conference will be on Intangible Religious Heritage, addressing the specific
challenges arising at the intersection of religious practices, legal frameworks, spatial environments, and processes of secularisation, transformation, and politicisation. To complement the academic discussions on Intangible Religious Heritage, a research trip to Neuzelle Abbey will be organized, offering participants the opportunity to engage directly with a significant site where intangible religious pract ices and tangible heritage are deeply interconnected.