Adapting the Living Human Treasures idea in Flanders (Belgium): The case of craftsmanship

The UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage places individuals, groups and communities at the heart of safeguarding. The Living Human Treasures (LHT), although discontinued as a UNESCO programme in 2006, introduced an earlier model of this approach and is prevalent in various national and regional contexts. However, it has often been treated with a limited view to grant honours and draw public attention to the excellence of masters, performers and other artists. On the other hand, as many actions try to find ways to integrate intangible cultural heritage(ICH) into education, it is important to revisit alternative practices that have put emphasis on human agency in the safeguarding of ICH. Therefore, the subsidy regulation for apprenticeship to craftsmanship in Flanders (Belgium), where there is no official LHT system, provides a relevant case that serves to align the human-centred approach of LHT with the Convention. An experimental practice that has been started by the Flemish Ministry of Culture in 2018 in Belgium, it is a remarkable initiative that addresses crafts communities in Flanders. Notwithstanding the problems such as the application process, the limited involvement of NGOs, the lack of a monitoring system and the absence of links to formal education, I argue that this experience devoted to a contemporary interpretation of crafts and craftsmanship can inspire others to mobilise and accommodate LHT systems into national and regional contexts with connections not only to culture but also to education, design, entrepreneurship and economy.