Questionnaire on national measures focusing on the safeguarding of the intangible
cultural heritage, namely traditional and folk culture as its important part
The Questionnaire is also available in its electronic form at http://www.nulk.cz/
Please, fill in and return the Questionnaire by 20 April 2005 at the following address:
Národní ústav lidové kultury, Zámek, 696 62 Strážnice, Česká republika.
The completed questionnaire can be also send by e-mail to: vlasta.ondrusova@nulk.cz
The questionnaire is designed exclusively for the purposes of an international workshop convened by the
Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
The meeting aims at sharing information and experience on the specific tools which are used in the safeguarding
of the traditional and folk culture - an essential part of the intangible cultural heritage. The meeting’s objective,
based on the exchange of information, is to draw inspiration for the introduction of new safeguarding tools.
Introductory remarks:
The traditional and folk culture is a very important part of the intangible cultural heritage in many countries in
Europe. This questionnaire therefore focuses primarily on the traditional and folk culture although some
questions go beyond folklore.
For the purposes of this questionnaire, the traditional and folk culture should be understood as a totality of
tradition-based creations (tangible and intangible) of a cultural community, expressed by a group or individuals
and recognized as reflecting the expectations of a community in so far as they reflect its cultural and social
identity.
For the purposes of this questionnaire, the term “expressions of the traditional and folk culture” shall include
music, dance and literary folklore, games, mythology, rituals, manners and customs, livelihood and traditional
farming techniques, handicrafts and technologies, architecture and other forms of folk art.
The terms “bearer” or “holder” mean communities, groups or individuals who create, maintain or transmit the
traditional and folk culture or its expressions.
Instructions:
The questions that follow are worded in such a way so as to allow quick answers that should not take too much
of your time.
Possible answers are suggested to each question. Please circle the option(s) which best correspond(s) to the
current situation in your country.
1. Is there a special policy at the government level in your country focusing on the preservation of the
intangible cultural heritage?
Yes
No
It does not exist as a special policy paper but these issues are included in a more general political document
(such as a cultural policy).
1.1. If the policy exists, does it explicitly cover the traditional and folk culture, its intangible expressions and
artefacts that are necessarily linked to them?
Yes
No explicit reference is made to the traditional and folk culture but it “goes without saying”.
No
1.2 If the policy exists, its achievements consist primarily in (please circle the options that apply best):
a)
b)
c)
better records of the traditional and folk culture assets
establishing and strengthening of specialized institutions
more systemic support to societies and associations that develop the traditional and folk culture
d)
introduction of the traditional and folk culture to schools and out-of-school
education
e)
f)
media presentation of the traditional and folk culture
raising public awareness of issues related to the traditional and folk culture preservation
2. Is there a ministry or other administrative body at the national level responsible for, among other things, the
safeguarding of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
3. If yes, are its tasks defined by law or other legally binding regulation?
Yes
No
Although the law does not expressly define the safeguarding of the traditional and folk culture as a responsibility
of the authorities at the national level, these tasks nevertheless fall under a more general wording, such as the
responsibility for the preservation of the cultural heritage etc.
4. In case your country is divided into provinces, regions, cantons etc., are administrative bodies at any of these
levels entrusted with the safeguarding of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
4.1 If yes, are these tasks assigned to the authorities explicitly by law or other legally binding instrument?
Yes
No
Although the safeguarding of the traditional and folk culture is not explicitly mentioned by law as a
responsibility of these authorities, these tasks nevertheless fall under a more general wording, such as the
responsibility for the preservation of the cultural heritage etc.
5. Is there a technical institution at the national level in your country which specializes in and is responsible for
the preservation of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
Its setting up is under consideration and can be expected before … … … (please give an indicative estimate).
5.1
If such an institution exists in your country, does it carry out or coordinate the following tasks? (please
choose the options that best describe the institution’s functions)
a)
keeps a national list of the most valuable expressions of the traditional and folk culture;
b)
identifies and documents (or coordinates the identification and documentation) of
these expressions;
c)
provides the authorities with opinions and expert reports on matters related to the preservation of the
traditional and folk culture;
offers education and training in identification, documentation and preservation of the traditional and
folk culture to volunteers;
d)
e)
maintains a national database of the expressions of the traditional and folk culture;
f)
processes the databases of databases of various aspects of the safeguarding of the traditional and folk
culture;
is involved in the traditional and folk culture presentation to the public at large by publishing
songbooks, manuals, video and audio recordings, etc., or organizing exhibitions and other events;
g)
h)
i)
j)
provides methodological guidance to municipalities, civic associations, schools and others who wish to
actively pursue, present and disseminate the traditional and folk culture;
conducts scientific research;
fulfils other tasks, please specify: …………………………
…………………………
………………………….
5.2 If a technical institution for the traditional and folk culture exists at the national level, are its status and
functions provided for in law or other legally binding instrument?
Yes
No
6. Are other public administration or self-government bodies in your country involved in the preservation and
dissemination of the traditional and folk culture, although it is not their primary objective (such as town halls, the
ministry for education, the ministry for minorities etc.)?
Yes
No
6.1
a)
b)
c)
If yes, please specify (circle the options that apply):
civil service bodies at the national level whose main responsibilities are other than the safeguarding of
the traditional and folk culture or intangible cultural heritage (unlike the body referred to in 2.);
regional and local self-government bodies;
technical institutions established by regional and local self-governments.
If yes, please give an example of such an institution (one per each of the above):
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. Are schools and other educational establishments in your country involved in the preservation or
dissemination of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
7.1
a)
b)
c)
d)
If yes, please indicate the type of school:
primary schools
secondary schools
universities and their departments (such as Ethnology Department, Chair of Anthropology,
Ethnography and Folklore Seminar etc.)
other
If yes, please give an example of such an institution (one per each of the above):
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. Are important cultural institutions in your country involved in the preservation or dissemination of the
traditional and folk culture although they are not directly and exclusively specialized in the identification,
documentation, preservation, presentation and dissemination of the traditional and folk culture (such as radio,
national symphony orchestra, national theatre etc.)?
Yes
No
If yes, please give examples:
………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Are any of the below also involved in the preservation or dissemination of the traditional and folk culture in
your country?
a) voluntary professional and interest associations whose primary interest or one of the primary interests lies in
the preservation of the traditional and folk culture, including its dissemination, presentation of its expressions to
the public etc.
Yes
No
If yes, please give an example of such an association:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
b) foundations, endowment funds and charitable organizations whose primary interest or one of the primary
interests lies in the documentation or dissemination of the traditional and folk culture or other aspects of folklore
preservation
Yes
No
If yes, please give an example of such an organization
……………………………………………………………………………
10. Have new institutions specializing in the preservation of the traditional and folk culture been established in
your country over the past five years or have the existing institutions been strengthened?
Yes
No
Please give examples of new institutions
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
11. Have conditions been created in your country over the past five years for the establishment or strengthening
of institutions specialized in education in the field of safeguarding of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
If yes, please indicate the measures that have been adopted:
a) legal
i.e.: …………………………………………………………………………
b) administrative or organizational
i.e.: …………………………………………………………………………
c) financial
i.e.: …………………………………………………………………………
12. Has a strategy been drafted for the presentation of the traditional and folk culture to the public?
Yes
No
13. Regardless of whether such a strategy has been drafted or not, does your state lend its support to the public
presentation of this heritage in appropriate venues?
Yes
No
13.1 If yes, what are the forms of the state support (please circle options that apply):
a) the state set up an institution (institutions) whose main task is to present the traditional and folk culture,
b) the state created favourable legal conditions for the carrying out of projects designed to present to the public
the traditional and folk culture in appropriate venues,
c) the state provides economic support to projects designed to present to the public the traditional and folk
culture in appropriate venues,
d) other forms of support (please give examples):……………………………….
14. Do you believe that the public in your country is sufficiently informed about the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
15. Do you believe that the public is also informed about potential threats to the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
16. What are the main sources of information that the public has about the traditional and folk culture (please
circle the options that best apply)?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
word of mouth
lectures and education provided by experts and technical institutions
mass media
if yes, please specify:
 TV
 radio
 newspapers and magazines
 internet
advertising
documents depicting expressions of the traditional and folk culture(such as books, music, audiovisual
media, etc.)
17. Do the public media in your country support the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
17.1
a)
b)
c)
d)
If yes, specify how:
sponsoring
programmes about the expressions of the traditional and folk culture,
news coverage,
educational and discussion programmes,
e)
advertising of events aimed at presenting and studying the traditional and folk culture,
f)
other (please give an example):………………………………………………..
18. Do the private media in your country support the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
18.1
a)
b)
c)
If yes, specify how:
sponsoring
programmes about the expressions of the traditional and folk culture,
educational and discussion programmes,
d)
advertising of events aimed at presenting and studying the traditional and folk culture,
e)
other (please give an example):………………………………………………..
19.
When carrying out projects aimed at identifying and documenting the expressions of the traditional and folk
culture, do the authorities in your country create conditions for the participation of communities, groups and
individuals who create, maintain and transmit these expressions?
Yes
No
19.1 If yes, is it their statutory duty?
Yes
No
20. Do the authorities in your country create conditions allowing the communities, groups and individuals who
create, maintain and transmit the traditional and folk culture to take part in the implementation of projects
designed to present the traditional and folk culture expressions to the public?
Yes
No
If yes, please specify how: …
21. Have support programmes (such as subsidies) been introduced in your country in order to assist in the
practice or revitalization of important rituals, customs and habits?
Yes
No
21.1 If yes, do the municipalities support these efforts?
Yes
No
21.2 Where the disappeared or disappearing rituals and customs are recreated, is this revitalization made by local
and authentic communities?
Yes
No
21.3 Is revitalization of local and regional rituals, customs and habits received rather well among experts?
Yes
No
22. Are the residents of a certain area informed about the specific links between the natural resources of that area
and the traditional and folk culture expressions?
Yes
No
22.1 If yes, is that information communicated also by (please circle the options that apply):
a)
local schools
b)
local civic associations and initiatives
c)
local, such as municipal, authorities
d)
local press and media
22.2 If no, how is the information made available to the young?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
23. Do the authorities in your country support education in order to protect places of historic interest whose
existence is a prerequisite for concrete expressions of the intangible cultural heritage, including the traditional or
folk culture, or is related to them?
Yes
No
23.1 Is the protection of such places laid down in law or other legally binding regulation?
Yes
No
24. Do the authorities in your country help strengthen public recognition of and respect for the intangible cultural
heritage through educational and information projects aimed at the public at large and the youth in particular?
Yes
No
25. Are there any subsidy programmes in your country to support the carrying out of those educational and
information projects?
Yes
No
26. Have the authorities in your country involved the compulsory school system in efforts to educate the young
towards more respect for the intangible cultural heritage (through, for instance, school curricula)?
Yes
No
27. Is there a possibility in your country of educating and teaching to respect the values of the traditional and
folk culture outside the compulsory school system?
Yes
No
27.1 If yes, what possibilities are there? (such as arts being taught outside the usual school hours, singing and
dancing courses in one’s leisure, courses of traditional crafts etc.):
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
28. Are the following teaching aids available in your country to school and extra-curricular education that leads
to acquiring and understanding the expressions of the traditional and folk culture?
a) textbooks (including songbooks and sheet music)
Yes
No
b) audiovisual aids
Yes
No
c) other electronic aids
Yes
No
If other, please specify:………………………………………………….
29. Are tangible artefacts that form part of the traditional and folk culture exhibited in your museums?
Yes
No
30. Are intangible expressions of the traditional and folk culture, such as different technologies, rituals, customs,
habits, songs, music and dance, also presented in your museums?
Yes
No
31. Do museums and technical institutions receive public fund contributions for the purchase of traditional and
folk culture artefacts for their collections?
Yes
No
32. Do your country’s authorities show moral appreciation of traditional and folk artefacts donorship to museum
collections?
Yes
No
33. Do the authorities support private collections of traditional and folk artefacts on condition that the collections
are open to the public?
Yes
No
34. Are publishing activities thematically related to the traditional and folk culture supported from the public
funds?
Yes
No
34.1 If yes, please specify who provides that support (by circling options that apply):
a)
civil service bodies at the national level
b)
regional and local self-government
c)
technical institutions set up by regional and local self-governments
d)
voluntary professional and interest associations, including foundations, endowment funds and
charitable organizations.
35. Is a regular (periodic) overview prepared at the national level of regional events that aim at presenting and
disseminating expressions of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
36. Are there regional overviews of events that aim at presenting and disseminating expressions of the traditional
and folk culture?
Yes
No
37. Is there a national catalogue of institutions and organizations involved in the presentation of the traditional
and folk culture in your country?
Yes
No
37.1 If yes, is the catalogue updated regularly?
Yes
No
38. Are statistical and economic data processed in relation to events where the traditional and folk culture is
presented (for instance, attendance at cultural events open to the public, public budget expenditure on these
events, number of associations etc.)?
Yes
No
39. Are ethnographic regions and their specific features scientifically defined in your country?
Yes
No
40. Do your country’s authorities take account of those ethnographic regional specificities when safeguarding the
traditional and folk culture (ethnographic regions are not necessarily identical with the administrative units)?
Yes
No
40.1 If yes, please specify how (by circling the options that best apply):
a)
financially
b)
administratively
c)
technically
d)
logistically
e)
morally
f)
with human resources
g)
in a different manner, please
specify:………………………………………………………………………………
41. Are there any ethnic groups in your country who live across ethnographic regions?
Yes
No
42. Do your country’s authorities take account of the specificities of these ethnic groups when safeguarding the
traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
In part (please specify):………………………………………………
42.1 If yes (please circle the options that best apply):
a)
the rights of ethnic groups, including their cultural rights, are recognized by law
b)
a dialogue between the authorities and the ethnic groups is guaranteed
c)
special grant programmes are open to these groups
e)
other: ………
43. Is there a relatively well-established terminology for identifying and documenting various elements of the
traditional and folk culture in your country?
Yes
No
In part only
44. If in part only, is support provided from the public funds to the further standardization of the traditional and
folk culture terminology?
Yes
No
44.1 Do you consider presenting these outputs in a printed publication?
Yes
No
44.2 Do you consider presenting these outputs in electronic format?
Yes
No
45. Has a comprehensive concept for the documentation of the traditional and folk culture been drafted in your
country?
Yes
No
45.1 If no, is the documentation of the traditional and folk culture carried out according to other official
documents (such as regulations relating to the documentation of museum collections or regulations on the
protection of immovable cultural monuments)?
Yes
No
46. Have databases of collection documentation been established in your country with regard to
a) museums
Yes
No
if yes, specify which:………………………………………………………………………
b) libraries
Yes
No
if yes, specify which:………………………………………………………………………
c) academic establishments
Yes
No
If yes, specify which:………………………………………………………………………
47. Is there an ethnographic map of the living expressions of the traditional and folk culture in your country?
Yes
No
In part only
The drawing of an ethnographic map is under consideration and can be expected before:
…………………………………(give an indicative estimate).
48. Have special elements of the traditional and folk culture to which, by their nature, access is restricted, been
documented in your country?
Yes
No
In part only
48.1 If yes, access to such documentation is allowed to:
a ) bearers of such elements,
b) researchers,
c) anyone who meets the conditions laid down by law.
48.2 Does the law protect the traditional and folk culture special elements to which access is, by their nature,
restricted?
Yes
No
49. Do the publicly funded programmes to support science and research include tasks related to the
identification, documentation, presentation and dissemination of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
50. Is the thematic structure of research in your country coordinated so as to include all institutions that take part
in the research of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
51. Are student papers (dissertations, seminar papers) used in the research and documentation of the traditional
and folk culture?
Yes
No
52. Is there a network of voluntary non-professional rapporteurs of the traditional and folk culture in your
country?
Yes
No
52.1 If yes, do they receive methodological support?
Yes
No
52.2 If such a network exists, does the law define the voluntary rapporteur status?
Yes
No
53. Is there a system of regional technical institutions that fulfil the function of information, training and
methodology centres for the documentation of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
54. Do the civil service and self-government bodies have an interest in the provision of methodological guidance
by specialized institutions in the field of protection and documentation of the traditional and folk culture to
a) other agencies that were set up and are funded by the bodies mentioned above?
Yes
No
b) voluntary traditional and folk culture collectors and rapporteurs?
Yes
No
c) non-professionals who are interested in an active presentation of the traditional and folk culture (such as
dancers or craftsmen)?
Yes
No
d) lay public
Yes
No
e) others
Yes
No
If yes, please specify: …………………………………………………………
55. Is there a database at the national level containing data about the traditional and folk culture and its
documentation?
Yes
No
56. Is there specific legislation to support and preserve the traditional and folk culture in your country?
Yes
No
56.1 If no, are support and preservation of the traditional and folk culture provided for in other regulation?
Yes
No
In part only
If in part only, please specify what is protected (e.g. buildings classified as folk or museum collections etc.)
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
56.2 If no, do the professionals in the field believe that such legislation should be adopted?
Yes
No
Its adoption is under consideration and can be expected before ………(please give an indicative estimate)
57. In case your country has a special law on the preservation of the intangible expressions of the traditional and
folk culture, that law:
a)
b)
affords general protection to all traditional and folk culture heritage
is selective and applies only to the preservation of the most important expressions of the traditional
and folk culture
58. In case your country has that special law, does it impose obligations on the civil service in preserving the
traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
The document is rather declaratory in nature.
58.1 Do the civil service duties include the creation of conditions for the identification and documentation of
selected expressions of the traditional and folk culture?
Yes
No
58.2 Does the law also provide for special rights and obligations in relation to communities, groups and
individuals who are the bearers of the traditional and folk culture protected by that law?
Yes
No
58.2.1
If yes, do the obligations of the communities, groups or individuals include the duty to facilitate a regular update
of the traditional and folk culture documentation for the purposes defined by that law (on the proviso that their
other rights are fully respected, such as intellectual property or personal data protection)?
Yes
No
58.2.2
Do the rights of the communities, groups or individuals include the right to claim certain advantages established
by that law for the purposes of preserving, presenting and disseminating the protected expressions of the
traditional and folk culture held by the communities, groups or individuals?
Yes
No
59. Do the citizens of your country, on conditions laid down by law, have access to the documentation of the
traditional and folk culture expressions protected by that law?
Yes
No
59.1 Do the rights of the communities, groups or individuals who are the bearers of the traditional and folk
culture include the right to request that certain data of the documentation of the traditional and folk culture
relating to expressions held by such communities, groups or individuals should not be publicly available?
Yes
No
60. Does the law provide for a duty to respect the traditional and folk culture expressions that represent
identification symbols of a community, group or individual?
Yes
No
61. Does the law define any sanctions for breaching its provisions?
Yes
No
62. Is there a “National Folklore Council” in your country acting as an advisory body to the minister for culture,
or to the government, or any other advisory body of a similar nature?
Yes
No
62.1 Is yes, does law define its statutes?
Yes
No
63. Has an official national list of immovable traditional and folk culture monuments of exceptional value been
established?
Yes
No
The list is under consideration and can be expected before: …………
It is a part of other lists (such as the official list of immovable cultural monuments)
63.1 If it exists, is it selective?
Yes
No
64. Has an official list of intangible traditional and folk culture monuments of exceptional value been made in
your country (hereinafter referred to as the “List”)?
Yes
No
Its adoption is under consideration and can be expected before: …………
64.1 Does the law provide for the existence of the List?
Yes
No
64.2 If it exists, is the List selective?
Yes
No
64.3 Specify who makes the decision to include an expression of the traditional and folk culture on the List (such
as the government, the competent ministry, a specialized department authorized to do so by the ministry etc.):
……………………………………………………………………………………………
64.4 Are the enlisted traditional and folk culture expressions re-documented regularly?
Yes
No
64.4.1 If yes, is it regulated by law?
Yes
No
64.4.2 Does the periodic documentation of such expressions afford preference in the subsidy-granting schemes?
Yes
No
64.5 Does the fact that an expression of the traditional and folk culture is on the List have any relevance for the
decision whether subsidies will or will not be granted to projects aiming at the presentation of such culture or
education?
Yes
No
64.6 Does the teaching at schools related to the traditional and folk culture primarily focus on the listed
expressions?
a)
yes, by virtue of special legislation
b)
there is no special legislation but it is the case in practice
c)
no
65. Are the exceptionally important bearers of the traditional and folk culture (such as ritual or craft masters)
supported or appreciated by society regardless of their ethnicity?
Yes
No
65.1 If yes, please explain how:
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
65.2 Is this social recognition and status of the best bearers of traditions regulated by law or other legally binding
regulation?
Yes
No
66. Is your country a party to bilateral and multilateral international projects relating to the traditional and folk
culture?
Yes
No
If yes, please give examples:
………………………………………………………………………………………………
67. Is such cooperation supported by your country’s authorities?
Yes
No
67.1 If yes, please indicate how:
a)
legally, e.g. using bilateral agreements on cultural cooperation
b)
financially
c)
morally
d)
with organization support
e)
in another manner. Please specify:
………………………………………………………………………………………
68. Does your country take part in special programmes developed by intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations (such as UNESCO, EU, Visegrad) that focus on the safeguarding of the traditional and folk
culture?
Yes
No
69. Is your country a State Party to the Convention on the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage?
Yes
No
69.1 If your country is not a State Party to the Convention, do experts in your country believe it should be?
Yes
No
The Convention is not sufficiently known in my country.
70. Do your authorities support the preservation of the traditional and folk culture abroad in relation to
expatriates who brought that culture to their new country?
Yes
No
End of Questionnaire on national
measures focusing on the
safeguarding of the intangible
cultural heritage, namely traditional
and folk culture as its important part