From 2022 to 2025 the project Dance as ICH: New models of facilitating participatory dance events (Dance - ICH) will explore facilitation of dance as intangible cultural heritage and the relationship between local dance heritage communities, museums, heritage institutions and the public.

The project’s main objective is to strengthen the capacity and knowledge in the museum and the cultural heritage sector's work on dancing as intangible cultural heritage (ICH), as a current contemporary facilitation practice, and to establish new or renewed models for participatory dance events as a co-creative process in call from heritage communities. This project aims to develop innovative methods, processes, and arenas for participatory folk dancing as ICH of the 21st century. It aims to trigger new ways of acting and thinking about facilitation of ICH, to develop and reinforce the capacity of the European cultural heritage professionals. Innovation plays a key role in establishing sustainable structures to ensure that future generations feel affiliated to European cultural heritage in a participative, bottom-up manner. Dance as ICH is calling for a renewal of the exhibition towards events of practice, and where the traditional role of researchers, curators, administrators and others are challenged. In such, innovation is necessary and a natural part of the customisation and adaption to new era.

The partners
The partners in the project include European regional museums, universities, archives and research institutions and are as follows:
•    Norwegian centre for traditional music and dance
•    The Museums of Southern Trøndelag (MiST)
•    CEMPER, Centre for Music and Performing Arts Heritage in Flanders
•    The Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU)
•    The Slovene Ethnographic Museum (SEM)
•    ASTRA National Museum Complex
•    The Hellenic Folklore Research Centre (HFRC) - Academy of Athens
•    The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)
•    The Hungarian Open Air Museum (Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum)
Associated partners:
•    The foundation Stiftinga Hilmar Alexandersen
•    Svenskt visearkiv