ICH - Grenada National Trust

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Heritage is what we have inherited from the past, to value and enjoy in the present, and to preserve and pass on to future generations. Our Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is our customs, sports, music, dance, folklore, crafts, skills, and traditions.

The “Proud of my Heritage: transmission and safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in Grenada through inventorying and education initiatives” is a national project officially approved and funded by UNESCO to identify, register and promote our Living Heritage around the tri-island of Grenada. Any intangible cultural heritage element which reflects our identity and national pride that we recognize to be important and/or is under threat, deserves to be safeguarded and transmitted to next generations as:

Language and oral tradition: any way of expression or communication, storytelling.
Traditional knowledge about nature and the universe: knowledge that human groups have generated and accumulated over time in their relationship with our territory and the environment.
Traditional medicine and botanical: knowledge and traditional practices of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases including psychological and spiritual aspects.
Techniques and skills associated with the manufacture of handicraft objects, musical instruments, tools.
Traditional production: knowledge, practices and innovations of local communities related to traditional agricultural, forestry, fishing production and the collection of wild products and community exchange systems.
Popular arts: music, dance, literary, audiovisual and plastic traditions that are perpetuated by our communities.
Traditional religious of a collective nature: social and ceremonial events and rituals for religious purposes.
Culinary art: traditional practices of transformation, conservation, handling and consumption of food.
ICH associated with cultural spaces, including tradition bearers and cultural practitioners.
Festive and recreational events.
The project has three key objectives. Firstly, pilot inventorying exercises conducted in the tri-island of Grenada. During this stage, capacity building workshops on the 2003 Convention, mechanisms to safeguard living heritage, and community-based inventorying methodologies have been held with 150 local participants. Secondly, the “Proud of My Heritage” education programme for primary school children is implemented to raise awareness and transmit intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in pilot-schools in Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique.

Over 135 students and 20 teachers have been involved in this programme by discovering and learning the ICH elements in their respective schools and communities. One pilot school in Grenada and some schools in Carriacou are integrating living heritage within the school subjects as a cross-cutting approach by using the ICH Resource Guide. Thirdly, the Proud of My Heritage media campaign has been launched to raise awareness about Grenada’s living heritage. As part of this objective, a WhatsApp group has been created with local stakeholders to share and express their opinions about intangible cultural heritage. The campaign also involves TV and radio spots and interviews, press releases, social media ads, 2022 ICH-photo contest, 2023 Proud of my Heritage Calendars distribution and heritage events during February-March 2023 for general public awareness.

About the Project

The Proud of my Heritage project, funded by UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and executed by the Grenada National Trust aims to record, safeguard, and raise awareness about the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique through inventorying and education initiatives.

The Grenada National Trust is implementing the project at the national level with the collaboration of local stakeholders interested in safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage. Moreover, four ICH Groups/Zones with local people trained in UNESCO-ICH inventorying skills and the 2003 Convention have visited and interviewed cultural/living heritage bearers and practitioners, and documented ICH elements in Grenada, Carriacou & Petite Martinique. The Heritage Education Committee has created the ICH Resource Guide and lesson plans for Grace Lutheran School and some schools in Carriacou who are currently integrating the Proud of my Heritage Education Programme with enthusiasm and on a volunteer basis.

The ‘Proud of my Heritage’ project could not have successfully documented the twelve (12) Cultural/Living Heritage elements without the participation and special collaboration of the ICH/Living Heritage Practitioners and Bearers of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique. Thank you for being very keen, receptive and for sharing valuable knowledge for present and future generations. Special thanks to:

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Bearers & Practitioners:

Dancing of the Flags & Cake: Gloria Roberts, Lucy Deroche, Fedeline Bethel, Dwight Logan, Niel Matherson, Ella Patrice, Clint John, Tyrone Bethel, Randolph Harrison Fleary, Alban Enoe-Stewart.
Djab-Djab: Colin Dowe, Glenn Forsyth, Clary Joseph & Vaughn Thomas, and La Fillete.
Drumming & Drum Poetry: Nigel De Gale, Dionel De Gale, Alim De Gale, Godfrey Luke, Irwin Francis, Glenn Forsyth, Livingston Nelson. Drum maker: Monteith Drayton.
Fishing Boats: Desmond Gill & David Phillip.
Maypole: Lady Cheryl Antoine, Reginald Brizan, June Paul, Marilyn Thompson, Tyrelle Paul and Olive Paul, Gary Antoine & Arlene Joseph.
Maroon Festival: Lucy Deroche, Faithman Simon.
Quadrille Dance: Cosmos Bristol, Kwame Hamilton, Marilyn Samerson.
Saraka Nation Dance: Anika Edwards, Cadisher Edgar-Lewis, Elizabeth Thomas.
Shortknee: Captain Chantuelle/Hennessy Jeffrey & Hensley Jeffrey, Captain Andy Purcell “Lakay”, Lionel Alexander, Alister Thomas, Davis Richards. Mask Makers: David Lewis and Frank Bartholomew.
Story Telling: Lucy Deroche
String Band Music: Tyrone Bethel, Randolph Harrison Fleary, Anderson Matherson, Anslem James, Evris Noel.
Sugaring the Piton: Lucy Deroche.
Teachers and Students: Grace Lutheran School, St. Joseph Roman Catholic School and Schools in Carriacou.

The Proud of my Heritage Team:

ICH Project Principal: Darryl Brathwaite – President of Grenada National Trust
ICH Project Management: Adriana Rojas Kerezsy – Executive Director of Grenada National Trust.
ICH Project Planning, Logistics, Oversight Support: Carlton Peter Antoine
ICH IT Project Director: Conny Herrmann
ICH Project Public Relations, Marketing & Communication Agency: Chrislyn Lashington
GNT Social Media: Eugenia O’Neal
ICH Proud of my Heritage Education Committee: Adriana Rojas Kerezsy; Andrea Mc Leod; Darryl Brathwaite; David Hopkin; Gloria Bonaparte; Rev. Ib Meyer; John Angus Martin; Mary Alma DuBois Calliste; Nailah James; Terrance Louison; and Susan Mains.

ICH-Research & Fieldwork:

Zone 1: Gloria Bonaparte, Marlene Neptune, Delysia De Coteau, Maria Mafla & Ingrid Lewis.
Zone 2: Judy Antoine, Norris Henry, Amonie J. Holas, Jadie Allard & Newton Alexander.
Zone 3: Brenda Phillip, Rechelle Finlay, Teheria Viechweg, Maria Davies
Zone 4: Nadina Williams, Dexter Miller, Antonia Peters, Dione Leggard, Andre Matherson, Naiah Ogilvie, Akeisha Clarke-Frank, Gloria Wells, Stacy Bedeau, Sashelle Alves.
ICH Research Expert: John Angus Martin
ICH-Research & Team Support: Carlton Peter Antoine

The local key stakeholders and sponsors:

Cell & Beats; Coyaba Beach Resort; FLOW; Grace Lutheran Church & School; Grenada Cultural Foundation; Grenada Trade Center; Grenada Film Company; Grenada National Commission for UNESCO; Lashington Marketing Agency; Ministry of Culture; Ministry of Education in Carriacou; Netherlands; Osprey Ferry; Paradise Beach Restaurant (Carriacou); Pixel Perfect Apps; PKF Grenada; Sea Breeze Hotel; and Schools in Carriacou & Petite Martinique; Tom and Denise Hebson, The Wisconsin Lutheran High School, and the UNESCO-ICH for supporting, sponsoring and funding this Project.

All these persons and organisations have been crucial to successfully ensure the intangible cultural heritage activities during these 16 months and for transmitting our Living Heritage to younger generations.

ICH Resource Guide

ICH Elements

: Lady Cheryl Antoine

: Project teams join students of the St. Joseph Roman Catholic School to learn Maypole from intangible cultural heritage practitioner Lady Cheryl Antoine

: String band playing music

: UNESCO Global Facilitator Nigel Encalada leads the 2nd stakeholder workshop on intangible cultural heritage in Grenada

: Project team briefs Minister for Culture Honourable Ron Redhead and Proud of my Heritage team

: Grenada National Trust Principal Darryl Brathwaite presents Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell with a copy of Grenada Heritage Book

: People in Carriacou dancing

: Project team interviews well-known drummers Irwin Francis, Nigel DeGale, and Alim DeGale

: Project team interviews Shortknee Captain Andy Purcell aka Lakay as part of the project’s inventorying

: Shortney

The Proud of my Heritage project in Numbers

Between November 2021 and February 2023:

500 ICH Calendars for 2023 distributed
150 Workshop attendees (in person and online)
Over 135 children are currently learning about ICH
43 Cultural practitioners interviewed
24 Communities from 7 Parishes involved
20 Teachers trained in the Proud of my Heritage Education Programme
12 Intangible Cultural Heritage elements documented
1 ICH Photo Contest launched recognizing local competitors, including youths
1 ICH Resource Guide and lesson plan created for local schools
Proud of my Heritage Events in February 2023 to display our Living Heritage
1st Intangible Cultural Heritage inventorying list for the tri-island of Grenada: available to the general public in March-April 2023.

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Bearers & Practitioners:

The Proud of my Heritage Team:

ICH-Research & Fieldwork:

The local key stakeholders and sponsors:

ICH Elements

Stringband Music

All Saints’ Day & All Souls’ Day

Dancing of the Flags & Cake

DJab DJab

Shortknee

May Pole

Bèlè / Belair

Shakespeare Mas

Boat Building

Fishing Boats

Drumming

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