The Government has launched a call for submissions to the UK’s first-ever national inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) – living heritage – on foot of the UK’s ratification of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, open to 27 March 2026.
Government writes:
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Welcome to the Inventories of Living Heritage in the UK
Your gateway to the vibrant traditions and social practices that tell our nation’s stories.
This site celebrates our living heritage, as part of the UK’s commitment to the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Whether you’re just discovering or keen to get involved, you’re in the right place.
What is Living Heritage?
In 2024, the UK joined many countries in supporting the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Convention looks at Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) or living heritage, as we call it, which is cultural heritage that is living and practised. Examples of living heritage in the UK range from bell-ringing to boat-building, cèilidh to carnival, pantomime to pancake day, Highland games to Eisteddfod, Lambeg drumming to longsword dancing, and dry-stone walling to wassailing.
Discover more
As part of this, the UK is setting up inventories of living heritage in the UK. There are four separate inventories for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and these will combine into one inventory of living heritage in the UK.
2025 is our first year of accepting submissions, so we don’t have anything on our inventories yet, but your living heritage can soon be included…
- Oral expressions
- Performing arts
- Social practices
- Nature, land and spirituality
- Crafts
- Sport and games
- Culinary practices
Call for Submissions
The inventories will be formed of living heritage that is submitted by communities themselves.
Do you know a living heritage practice that belongs in the inventories? You can play a part in shaping our inventory. We’ll guide you through how you can make a submission on behalf of your community of practice.
Getting involved starts with telling us about your living heritage. This is a simple first step known as an ‘Expression of Interest’ (EOI). Once you’ve submitted your EOI, our team will guide you through what happens next.
