-? m NGO accreditation ICH-09 - Form Re~u CLT I CIH I IT.'L-......,..._ United Nations • Intangible Educational, Scientific and • Cultural Le Cultural Organization • Heritage 02 MAl 2017 i~ .. ....... ti..U.tl ··7 ················ REQUEST BY A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION TO BE ACCREDITED TO PROVIDE ADVISORY SERVICES TO THE COMMITTEE DEADLINE 30 APRIL 2017 Instructions for completing the request form are available at: http://www. unesco.orqlculturelichlenlforms 1. Name of the organization 1.a. Official name Please provide the full official name of the organization, in its original language, as it appears in the supporting documentation establishing its legal personality (section B.b below). Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage 1.b. Name in English or French Please provide the name of the organization in English or French. Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage 2. Contact of the organization 2.a. Address of the organization Please provide the complete postal address of the organization, as well as additional contact information such as its telephone number, e-maif address, ONebsite, etc. This should be the postal address where the organization carries out its business, regardless of where it may be legally domiciled (see section 8) . Organization: Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Address: 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 2001, Washington, DC, 20010, USA Telephone number: +1-202-633-1141 E-mail address: [email protected] Website: www.folklife.si.edu Other relevant information: Form ICH-09-2018-EN - revised on 31/0812016- oaae 1 2.b Contact person for correspondence Provide the complete name, address and other contact information of the person responsible for correspondence concerning this request. Title (Ms/Mr, etc.): Dr. Family name: Mason Given name: Michael Atwood Institution/position: Director Address: 600 Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 2001, Washington, DC, 20010, USA Telephone number: +1-202-633-1141 E-mail address: [email protected] Other relevant information: 3. Country or countries in which the organization is active Please identify the country or countries in which the organization actively operates. If it operates entirely within one country, please indicate which country. If its activities are international, please indicate whether it operates globally or in one or more regions, and please list the primary countries in which it canies out activities. 1:8:]1ocal 1:8:] national 1:8:] international (please specify: ) 1:8:] worldwide D Africa D Arab States D Asia & the Pacific D Europe & North America D Latin America & the Caribbean Please list the primary country(ies) where it is active: In the last four years, we have been active in Armenia, Ecuador, Peru, Spain, Mexico, China, Bhutan, Kenya, and the United States of America. 4. Date of its founding or approximate duration of its existence Please state when the organization came into existence, as it appears in the supporting documentation establishing its legal personality (section B.b below). The Smithsonian Institution, of which the Center is an semi-autonomous research and education body, was founded in 1846 with an endowment from James Smithsonian and legislation passed by the United States Congress. The Center, under a different name, began in 1967 with the mounting of the first Festival of American Folklife (now the Smithsonian Folklife Festival . In 1988, the Center Form ICH-Q9-2018-EN- revised on 31/08/2016- page 2 acquired Folkways Recordings, which had been started as a for-profit record label by Moses Asch in 1948; Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is now a non-profit label. 5. Objectives of the organization Please describe the objectives for which the organization was established, which should be 'in conformity with the spirit of the Convention' (Criterion C) . If the organization's primary objectives are other than safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, please explain how its safeguarding objectives relate to those larger objectives. Not to exceed 350 words; do not attach additional information As the largest museum, research, and education complex in the world, the Smithsonian Institution is well known for its collections of more than 154 million objects. The Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is the institution's leading force for safeguarding the diversity of intangible cultural heritage. Our current strategic plan outlines three major objectives. Each objective is built on the foundation of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, an effort we actively engage by promoting greater understanding and sustainability of cultural heritage across the United States and around the world through research, education, and community engagement: I 1) Expand understanding of diverse living cultures. Our work bridges research and practice; seeks to enrich knowledge of intangible cultural heritage, creativity, and diversity; and uses that knowledge to provide engaging, practical trainings for the next generation of intangible cultural heritage professionals. Our research efforts are paralleled by our commitment to strengthen the stewardship, accessibility, and impact of intangible cultural heritage collections. 2) Invite public engagement in cultural practice and exchange. We use multiple methods of public engagement-the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and over 100 million annual visitors to our digital platforms-to spark discovery, support sharing, and deepen knowledge about intangible cultural heritage. 3) Champion cultural vitality and sustainability. Our work promotes the widespread recognition of the value of traditions, supporting not only their preservation but also their long-term sustainability. Our ecological approach to cultural sustainability means that we work with communities to holistically assess the status of intangible cultural heritage and collaboratively develop trainings and other project-based activities to foster supportive conditions to sustain heritage in line with the community's own long-term vision. Form ICH-09-2018-EN- revised on 31/0812016- page 3 6. The organization's activities in the field of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage Sections 6.a to 6.d are the primary place to establish that the NGO satisfies the criterion of having 'proven competence, expertise and experience in safeguarding (as defined in Article 2.3 of the Convention) intangible cultural heritage belonging, inter alia, to one or more specific domains' (Criterion A). 6.a. Domain(s) in which the organization is active Please tick one or more boxes to indicate the primary domains in which the organization is most active. If its activities involve domains other than those listed, please tick 'other domains' and indicate which domains are concerned. I2$J oral traditions and expressions I2$J performing arts I2$J social practices, rituals and festive events I2$J knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe I2$J traditional craftsmanship I2$J other domains - please specify: Foodways 6.b. Primary safeguarding activities in which the organization is involved Please tick one or more boxes to indicate the organization's primary safeguarding activities. If its activities involve safeguarding measures not listed here, please tick 'other safeguarding measures' and specify which ones are concerned. I2$J identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making) ~ preservation, protection ~ promotion, enhancement I2$J transmission, formal or non-formal education ~ revitalization I2$J other safeguarding measures- please specify: Developing a research-based ecological approach to cultural sustainability 6.c. Description of the organization's activities Organizations requesting accreditation should brieffy describe their recent activities and their relevant experience in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, including those demonstrating the capacities of the organization to provide advisory services to the Committee. Relevant documentation may be submitted, if necessary, under section B.c below. Not to exceed 550 words; do not attach additional information Each of the Center's core departments-the Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Cultural Sustainability Initiatives, Research and Education, and Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives­ plays an important role in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Celebrating its fiftieth anniversary in 2017, the Center's Festival department produces the annual research-based Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Each year, the Festival brings more than 200 tradition bearers from the United States and around the world to share their music and dance, storytelling, craftsmanship, foodways, knowledge systems, and oral traditions with hundreds of thousands of visitors. The Festival plays an important role in the research, documentation, and promotion of intangible cultural heritage. For example, in 2013, the One World, Many Voices: Endangered Languages and Cultural Heritage program highlighted thirteen communities from around the world to share their efforts to revitalize and maintain their Form ICH-09-2018-EN- revised on 31/08/2016- page 4 most important cultural practices. As the non profit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. Folkways provides online access to tens of thousands