Overview
- DCMS launched a UK-wide call on December 5 for entries to record and safeguard intangible cultural practices following the UK’s ratification of UNESCO’s 2003 convention.
- Submissions are open for four months and must be completed by March 27, 2026, with the first inventory intended to be released next summer.
- Entries must involve the communities that practise the traditions, with officials stressing inclusivity for customs introduced by immigrant communities.
- Nominations will be accepted in seven areas: oral expressions, performing arts, social practices, nature, land and spirituality, crafts, sports and games, and culinary practices.
- The inventory will comprise separate lists for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that will combine into a UK register, with government-cited research valuing the heritage sector at over £15 billion in 2022 and crafts at about £400 million annually.