IOV World

Purpose and mandate

Folk culture remains alive when people can practise, share and renew it.

IOV World connects cultural bearers, researchers and organisations working to protect, preserve and promote folk art and folk culture as living heritage.

The mandate

Protect, preserve and promote folk art and folk culture.

Founded in 1979, IOV brings an international network into dialogue around living cultural heritage. Its role is to strengthen exchange and cooperation while keeping communities, practitioners and context at the centre.

International standing

IOV has been accredited since 2010 to provide advisory services to UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Accreditation number NGO-90154.

Read the accreditation record
An artisan shaping a traditional sculpture in a workshop
Skilled practice carries knowledge through materials, tools and relationships between generations.

Areas of work

How the mission becomes practice

The network combines public programmes, specialist exchange and long-term cultural relationships.

  • Knowledge exchange

    International conferences, seminars and assemblies connect researchers, practitioners and cultural organisations.

  • Research and documentation

    IOV supports records, studies and archives that make cultural knowledge visible without separating it from its communities.

  • Festivals and exhibitions

    Public programmes create space for performance, craft and cultural encounter across the international network.

  • Cultural exchange

    National Sections and regional leaders connect people and institutions across borders through shared programmes.

  • Youth participation

    Intergenerational work gives younger practitioners opportunities to learn, contribute and take responsibility.

  • Institutional cooperation

    IOV works with cultural organisations, public institutions and international partners where mandates align.

Working principles

A people-centred cultural network

  • Community context

    Cultural practices are presented with attention to the people, places and relationships that sustain them.

  • Responsible documentation

    Consent, attribution and provenance guide the use of photographs, testimony and archival material.

  • International dialogue

    Different regional perspectives meet through exchange, research and long-term professional relationships.

Take part

Connect your work with IOV

Membership and direct contact are the clearest routes into the international network.

Membership Contact IOV