Festive Resilience: Safeguarding and Revitalising Carnival and Dance Traditions for Societal Resilience

Summary

The project addresses the dual challenges of the loss of intangible cultural heritage and increasing societal and climate disruption by focusing on two emblematic cultural forms: carnival and dance. Rich in historical continuity and community engagement, these traditions are reimagined as catalysts for resilience, mental well-being, ecological awareness and sustainable local development. In close collaboration with local communities, the project will use AI and XR technologies to digitally safeguard, creatively revitalise and responsibly promote these traditions.

Core components

• Safeguarding Carnival: Digital documentation of carnival traditions to enhance community cohesion, resilience, and identity amidst urbanisation, migration, and societal disruptions.

• Dance and Resilience: Community-driven models using traditional dances to boost mental health, social cohesion, and intergenerational dialogue, emphasising youth participation.

• AI & XR Innovation: Utilise AI and immersive XR tech for sustainable safeguarding, documenting, and communicating intangible heritage to engage diverse audiences and youth.

• Community Collaboration: Strong partnerships among communities, heritage experts, technologists, educators, and youth to co-create strategies for safeguarding cultural heritage sustainably.

• ICH & Climate Action: Investigate carnival and dance traditions for traditional ecological knowledge, promoting climate resilience, adaptation strategies, and sustainable resource management.

• Cultural Tourism Boost: Sustainably promote carnival and dance heritage to support local economies through responsible, authentic cultural tourism while safeguarding community values.

Impact Alignment with Call Outcomes

• Providing multi-dimensional analysis of ICH’s role in societal resilience, identity, and climate adaptation.

• Delivering innovative digital methodologies for ICH documentation and intergenerational transmission.

• Supporting community engagement and the co-creation of safeguarding strategies, particularly among youth.

• Producing evidence-based policy recommendations for integrating ICH in resilience planning and climate adaptation.

• Stimulating cultural tourism and creative economies through responsible, community-led innovation.

The project builds on the technical and cultural expertise developed in related projects including:

• 5Dculture link

• XRCulture link

• Mobius link

• 3DBigDataSpace