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Community-Based Inventorying Team from George Town, Malaysia (Photo credit: GTWHI) Published by George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), 31 December 2019 We thank those who have helped us in completing this project, in particular the valuable contributions from the State Government of Penang, UNESCO and the community of George Town. May our passion in safeguarding cultural heritage never die. Published by George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) 116 & 118, Lebuh Acheh, George Town, 10200, Penang, Malaysia www.gtwhi.com.my; T: +6042616606; F: +6042616605; E: [email protected] All rights reserved. Part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by means as long as it is for educational and non-profit purposes. All photographs and illustrations in the Project Report section are property of George Town World Heritage Incorporated, unless otherwise stated. All photographs and illustrations in the Featured Entries section are owned by the respective resource persons. © 2019 George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) Edited by Ang Ming Chee and Ng Xin Yi Copy-edited by Tey Li Li, www.EditorialCentrum.com Design and Layout by Lau Su Lin Printed in Malaysia by Cheong Seng Chan Sdn. Bhd This book is printed with 100% recycled paper. For citation, please use: Ang, M.C. & Ng, X.Y. (eds.)(2019) Community-Based Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventorying in George Town (Malaysia): Project Report and Featured Inventory Entries (Malaysia: George Town World Heritage Incorporated). The romanization of non-English names and terms are spelt according to popular pronunciation, which could be in Cantonese, Hokkien, German, Japanese, Malay, Mandarin, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, Thai and others. ISBN 978-967-15241-2-1 Executive Summary 4 1. Project Report 1.1. Introduction 8 1.2. Project Strategies and Methodology Development 8 1.3. Project Briefing for the Local Communities 18 1.4. Introductory Workshop for Local Facilitators 22 1.5. Training of Trainers Workshop 27 1.6. Community-Based Inventorying Training Workshop for Local Facilitators 32 1.7. Inventory Entries and Data Management 39 1.8. Wrap-Up Meeting 47 1.9. Evaluation Meeting 53 1.10. Conclusion 60 2. Featured Inventory Entries 62 Questionnaire for Community-Based Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventorying in George Town, Malaysia 2019 180 Consent Forms 188 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This project report on Community-Based Intangible Due to having only six months to execute this project, Cultural Heritage Inventorying in George Town, Malaysia the planning and community engagement commenced documents the activities, processes, methodologies as early as in November 2018. We focused the project and featured inventory entries of UNESCO Culture on rituals and festive events in George Town, a domain Sector’s project on Intangible Heritage and Creativity relatively accessible by the multi-cultural society in for Sustainable Cities: Community-based Inventorying of George Town. Social practices, rituals and festive events Intangible Cultural Heritage in Urban Contexts. are habitual activities that structure our lives and are usually performed or celebrated to mark the passing of George Town (Malaysia) is the first pilot case in the world seasons, events in the traditional calendar or the stages that mobilized and trained the local community as local in a person’s life. They also vary from small gatherings to facilitators to inventory their intangible cultural heritage. large-scale social celebrations and commemorations, but The project aimed to empower local facilitators from they are a big part of George Town daily life. George Town to lead the documentation of their cultural heritage. The project also enabled the local facilitators We invited associations and non-government and George Town community to identify, assess and seek organizations in George Town that were familiar with, safeguarding efforts for their cultural heritage. Issues and had work experiences on cultural heritage activities. such as challenges in transmission of knowledge to the A project brief for the local community was conducted younger generations, were also discussed among people on 10 January 2019 to encourage buy-in and to identify from different cultural backgrounds. suitable and available local facilitators from the local community who would be trained to conduct the The project was implemented by George Town World inventorying. All local facilitators were nominated by Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI) in 2019, involving forty- their groups, and served in this project on voluntary basis. four local facilitators from twenty-three community- As insiders of their respective community groups, these based associations or non-government organizations local facilitators — many themselves also practitioners from George Town.1 The project team consisted of two — have better access to resources and information of UNESCO-accredited international facilitators (Suzanne their cultural practices. Riding on their social capital, the Ogge and myself), three in-house professionals from local facilitators were able to identify potential resource GTWHI (Chuah Ai Kheng, Ng Xin Yi and Sim Jun Hui) and persons and interviewees better, faster and easier. five project assistants recruited for this project (Gan Chee Wee, Siti Aisyah binti Jasni, Wan Atikah Wan Yusoff, Yeap Three training workshops were conducted under this Lee Hua and Yew Shi Ming). project. The Introductory Workshop for Local Facilitators 1 Boon San Tong Khoo Kongsi, Hong Kong Street Tow Boh Keong Temple, Leong San Thong Khoo Kongsi, Liga Muslim Pulau Pinang, Malaysian- German Society, Malaysian-Japanese Society, Malaysian Pakistani League Penang, Nattukottai Nagarathar Heritage Society, Nillaikalakki Silambam Association, Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Pulau Pinang, Persatuan Warisan Dato Koyah, Penang Diocesan Museum, Penang Eurasian Association, Penang Hakka Association, Penang Hindu Association, Penang Hokkien Association, Penang Siamese Association, Penang Teong Guan Association, Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi, Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (Penang Branch), State Chinese Penang Association, Telugu Association of Malaysia, and Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Penang. 4 | Community-Based Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventorying In George Town (Malaysia) was conducted on 26 January 2019; the Training of Initial communication and rapport were built during Trainers Workshop was conducted for all GTWHI and group discussions during the workshop, with working project staff on 21 and 22 February 2019; and the Training relationships built throughout the inventorying phase of Local Facilitators was conducted for everyone on 23 between March and June of 2019. Project assistants and 24 February 2019. We introduced the key principles worked closely with local facilitators during the inventory of the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding process, which included clarification of the questionnaire, of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, the concept of providing encouragement in conducting interviews, and intangible cultural heritage inventorying, and a scientific brainstorming the best strategies for completing the methodology to conduct cultural heritage inventorying. inventory reports, among others. Kudos to the local Much emphasis was placed on discussing, developing and facilitators and project assistants for going the extra mile adapting the inventory questionnaire and consent forms. and participating actively in each other's cultural and The importance of getting consent and conducting the religious events that took place in George Town during inventorying in a proper, ethical manner were reiterated the project phase. several times. These documents were used as bases of entries, and were translated from English into the local We faced a few challenges during the course of this languages (Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil) with invaluable project; in particular, many still sought to find the ‘most help from the local facilitators. authentic’, the ‘original’, or the ‘right’ answers during the inventory process. The training and clarification provided The willingness of the communities to spend time by the UNESCO facilitators made it clear that the nature sitting together for a brand-new project is, on its own, of intangible cultural heritage is constantly changing and a commendable effort, but their eagerness in sharing evolving through each generation. Cultural change is a their fascinating traditions is even more impressive and normal phenomenon as individuals and communities who infectious, for their enthusiasm also ignited the curiosity enact and transmit cultural heritage also change over and passion of the project assistants recruited for this time. We also struggled to overcome language barriers project. During the workshop for local facilitators, we and bridging gaps in understanding one another. While reached a consensus for each local facilitator to submit most local facilitators were fluent in English, it was at least three cultural heritage elements from their nevertheless highly challenging to explain and elaborate communities during the inventory exercises in March and the questions in the questionnaires to the interviewees in April of 2019. Each element report, produced from the their mother tongue accurately, as often times, there are inventory questionnaires, ranged from five to ten pages no equivalent substitutes to certain words in a language. of write-up with digital images. Conversely, due to the fact that most interview notes were taken in the vernacular