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 will be 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 will be held with local stakeholders. Secondly, the “Proud of My Heritage” education programme for 5th and 6th grade children will be implemented to raise awareness and transmit intangible cultural heritage in Grenada. The school community will be involved in inventorying exercises and a pilot programme to integrate living heritage within the school curriculum will be designed. Thirdly, the Proud of My Heritage media campaign will be launched to raise awareness about Grenada’s living heritage. As part of this stage, a platform will be created for the general public to express their opinions about intangible cultural heritage. The campaign will also involve TV and radio spots, press releases, social media campaigns, theatre street events and a photography contest.

The Grenada National Trust will lead and implement the project at the national level with the collaboration of local and regional stakeholders interested in safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage. In addition, intangible cultural heritage community leaders, living heritage bearers and practitioners, researchers, lecturers and students will be involved in intangible cultural heritage activities during 16 months. The project will start soon, once the funds are received.

Upcoming activities* (2021-2022):

• ICH inventorying fieldworks in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique by participating in two 5-days UNESCO workshops in Grenada and become a local technician resource to explore, conduct and record the living heritage in the tri-island. Period: Approx. 4 months (2021-2022)
• Heritage Education: curriculum design and its implementation in one or more pilot schools for 5th and 6th grades, including inventorying fieldwork and site excursions with school community (children, parents, grandparents, tradition bearers). Period: Approx. 6, including training and fieldwork (2021-2022).
• Proud of my Heritage raising awareness campaign: creation and launch of the Heritage awareness campaign through GNT website, social media, TV channels, radio, press release. Planning and organizing the Heritage Month for Feb. 2022 (Theatre Street event, Heritage Photo Contest and ICH-Calendars). Period: Approx. 9 months (2021-2022).

If you are committed to participate, support and preserve Grenada’s cultural heritage and wish to be involved during these activities, you can contact us at Grenada National Trust: Email and Telephone: +1(473)419-8095 

*Potential candidate and collaborators will be selected based on their community role and representation, commitment and motivation to ensure his/her participation during the project’s implementation.

UNESCO NEWS: Proud of my Heritage: Grenada receives funding for safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage Project (https://en.unesco.org/news/proud-my-heritage-grenada-receives-funding-safeguarding-intangible-cultural-heritage-project)

Project Documents: (https://ich.unesco.org/en/assistances/-proud-of-my-heritage-transmission-and-safeguarding-of-the-intangible-cultural-heritage-in-grenada-through-inventorying-and-education-initiatives-01627) In this link you can read and download all documents related to the project as proposal and budget-timeline.