Transforming Museum Education Through Intangible Cultural Heritage

ABSTRACT This paper examines how museum education is transformed through intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as defined by UNESCO. It demonstrates how museums can support the intergenerational transmission of ICH and its long-term sustainability by recognizing and valorizing ICH practices, the role of the bearer communities in safeguarding processes, and the importance of collaboration. Such is the approach taken by ICH museums, where communities take the leading role in museum education. The Museo del Baile Flamenco (Flamenco Dance Museum) and the Museu do Fado (Fado Museum) are two examples of how education within this type of museum can not only raise awareness about ICH but also promote the teaching and learning of these expressions both within and outside bearer communities. Each of these museums was studied from 2017 to 2019 as part of a research project seeking to understand how ICH museums approached the musealization and safeguarding of intangible cultural expressions while taking into consideration the vital role of communities and working collaboratively with these stakeholders.