On March 20-21, 2024, IOV 16th European International Scientific Conference of Folk Culture was held in Campobasso, Italy, under the title “Intangible Cultural Heritage on the Move. Debates, Processes, Perspectives”. The event was organized by IOV Science and Research Commission for Europe; IOV Italian Section / FITP Italy; University of Molise, Department of Humanities, Social and Educational Sciences Center of Research BIOCULT. The chair of the conference organizing committee was prof. Letizia Bindi, the head of the Science and Research Commission of IOV Italy.
Perspectives on intangible cultural heritage were the leading theme of the conference. Participants from several countries (Italy and Poland were most strongly represented) offered papers on cultural heritage practices in different parts of the world.
The Polish Section of IOV was represented by members of the Steering Committee of IOV Science and Research Commission for Europe: prof. dr hab. Anna Brzozowska-Krajka, the chair of IOV Science and Research Commission for Europe who presented the paper: “Production” of folklore: ethno-mimesis as a stage practice of safeguarding tradition (the cases of Polish folklore of communities in Poland and abroad); dr hab. Katarzyna Marcol, Professor of University of Silesia, with the paper: Folk music family band and folk university – various ways to preserve and promote cultural heritage in Poland, dr. hab. Kinga Czerwińska, Professor of University of Silesia, with the paper: Crafts heritage – between past traditions and modern uses), as well as dr Tymoteusz Król, member of IOV Youth Commission of IOV Poland, with the paper The role of folk dress in language revitalization. The case of Wymysoü (Wilamowice), and former long-time IOV World Executive Secretary for Central and Eastern Europe – prof. dr hab. Wiesław Krajka. The other papers given in the conference were the following: prof. Letizia Bindi: Biocultural heritage and local regeneration processes: reflections from fieldworks; prof. Fulvia Caruso (President of the Scientific Commission of FITP): Technical-scientific participatory inventory of folk groups of the FITP; prof. Alessandra Broccolini (Sapienza Università di Roma), dr Sabina Gala (Università degli Studi di Perugia), dr Cinzia Marchesini (Istituto Centrale per il Patrimonio Immateriale), prof. Daniele Parbuono (Università degli Studi di Perugia): The intangible heritage and social importance of folk groups; prof. Ina Shved (Anhui University, China; Member of the Steering Committee of IOV Science and Research Commission for Europe): Actualization and valorisation of intangible cultural heritage and folk culture in present-day Belarus: a participatory perspective; dr Pino Gala (Etnocoreology and Anthropology of Dance): Zoomorphic dances in regional Italian traditions; dr Omerita Ranalli (Co-ordinator of the Regional Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Molise): The register of the intangible cultural heritage of the region Molise; dr Leandro Ventura (Director of the National Institute of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture): The role of a national ministerial ICH Institute for safeguarding and valorisation of folk groups. The papers were devoted to both general theoretical-methodological reflections and specific case studies.
Before starting the conference, the participants were given a tour of the town by the organizers. It was especially interesting to visit the Museum of Corpus Christi Mysteries which exhibits original constructions – the platforms used during the Corpus Christi processions in Campobasso. The exhibition in the Museum includes the hall which presents the history of the Mysteries through panels, photographs and original costumes used in the processions, and the hall where thirteen mechanical machines and their accessories used in these events are exhibited. A video shown in this Museum illustrates changes in these processions over the recent decades. The “Misteri” processions both recreate traditional celebrations and are a significant event of popular culture. They reproduce scenes from the Old and New Testament created by the sculptor Paolo Saverio di Zinno in 1740.
The conference sessions were held in Fermi Hall of the library of University of Molise. There, the participants had also an opportunity to visit exhibition of the history of education in the Campobasso region and taste local food. In the evening, a concert was given in the Auditorium Palazzo Ex-Gil by some folklore ensembles gathered in the FITP (Italian Federation of Popular Tradition) .
On the second day, after the discussion upon the papers was over, the conference was closed by prof. Anna Brzozowska-Krajka and prof. Letizia Bindi. This was followed by an open meeting of the IOV Science and Research Commission for Europe, conducted by its chair, prof. Brzozowska-Krajka, who gave a particularly warm welcome to the members of the Steering Committee of this Commission present at the conference: from Italy – prof. Letizia Bindi, from Poland – prof. Kinga Czerwińska and prof. Katarzyna Marcol, as well as to the other participants of the meeting who included Fabrizio Cattaneo, Secretary General of IOV World and the chairman of the Italian Section of IOV, and Dr. Gerardo Bonifati, President of FITP. In addition to the Commission’s current affairs, plans were announced for the next IOV European Conferences of Folk Culture – the 17th conference in Cieszyn, Poland, combined with celebration of the anniversary of Department of Ethnology of Cieszyn campus of University of Silesia, and the 18th – in Vilnius, Lithuania, organized by Prof. Rimantas Astrauskas of the Department of Ethnomusicology at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater and the Lithuanian IOV Section.
The conference participants are very grateful to IOV Italian Section for their remarkable hospitality in the beautiful Italian town Campobasso, the capital and the cultural centre of the region of Molise.
Tymoteusz Król, IOV Youth Commission of IOV Poland
