Expanding the inventory of ICH in Jersey 🇯🇪

Recognising ICH through local eyes 👀

Throughout the year, Touch TD has established how the island of Jersey really is eager to get to grips with its Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). Once the concept has been de-mystified and explained in more straight forward terms, it is clear that an inventory of ICH in Jersey can expand to include a whole raft of living heritage expressions. An array of potential features might include;

• social practices and rituals
• festivals and performances
• traditional crafts and skills
• stories and songs
• music and dances
• sports and games
• as well as knowledge of nature and the universe

The key for all concerned, however, has been to ensure that when an initial list of ICH expressions in Jersey does emerge, it is locally identified and right from the start brings in those active communities and practitioners around each expression. To help ensure all those components are recognised, the most effective and practical route was to get out and about amongst different groups on a mini ‘ICH roadtrip’ around the island.

Connecting through ICH pop-ups

Jersey’s ICH pop-up tour built upon the July launch event, and extended the project’s reach more widely amongst the island’s general public. Basic pop-up stalls consisted of a simple table accompanied by some explanatory material and the eye-catching roll-up banner used at the summer event. The sites chosen were located in areas of high footfall, with the aim of engaging people in conversations about ICH. Once there we focused on gathering people’s suggestions, and encouraging them to contribute to a basic Expression of Interest form for any ICH expression that was felt to be suitable for placing on the inventory. A selection of specially designed ‘ICH postcards’ were also distributed at the pop-ups. These all had an outline description flagging up the aims of the project and contact links on one side, and on the other, international examples of ICH comparable to expressions found in Jersey.

Popping up around the island, besides the busy public spaces such as the library, museum and market, we also had an opportunity to set up shop at the annual Faîs’sie d’Cidre event at Hamptonne. All around Hamptonne, the rich encounters and conversations as well as brining in suggestions for the ICH inventory, also allowed us to hear further about local practitioners, groups and organisations. Each addition helping to build up an important picture of interested parties, businesses and communities that revolve around the different living heritage expressions in Jersey.

Continuing to hit the media spotlight

With a target of reaching out to as a wide an audience as possible, the necessity to introduce and explain what ICH or living heritage means today in Jersey, becomes a constant task. Thankfully, that narrative is being eagerly consumed by local media and local audiences alike. During this most recent trip Touch TD enjoyed chatting again on BBC radio Jersey, and having the pop-up cafés highlighted via articles in the Jersey Evening Post. Those pathways have become more than one-way lines of communication, as the public is starting to expand their understanding on the significance of ICH in Jersey and respond back with their own stories or memories.

Linking ICH with cultural tourism

Beyond the creation of a basic inventory or list, the project is also seeking to ensure further connections are made to help sustain or safeguard the various aspects of ICH. On this theme, a mutually beneficial bridge is being extended towards building awareness of the potential for collaboration through different sustainable forms of cultural tourism. Visit Jersey plays a significant promotional role on this front. Hence we leapt on the chance to catch up with the Visit Jersey team when they attended the UK’s biggest trade fair, World Travel Market, held at Excel centre here in Touch TD’s backyard of east London! Conversations on the Jersey corner of the fair, outlined how once the public has a grasp of what ICH might include or look like, then there are numerous pathways through which to connect with Jersey’s rich tapestry of living heritage.

Stay in Touch!

Throughout the coming period, Jersey Heritage is keeping the doors wide open with dedicated webpages for information on ICH:

https://www.jerseyheritage.org/research-and-collections/research-ich/

Continue to drop in on Touch TD website, as more stories will emerge as we follow the trail of this practical approach to celebrating the vibrant suite of ICH expressions in Jersey!