Mr Vayalkara JAYARAJAN

• Chairman Folkland, International Centre for Folklore and Culture, India

• Session 4: Presenter 3

Community Participation in Folk Festivals for Protecting Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Role of NGOs as a Facilitator of Feedback

A folk festival is considered to be a special occasion of feasting or celebration. It is described as an exposition of ICH as it promotes music, dance, crafts, different kinds of culinary items, folk architecture as it expresses the traditional skills etc of a specified community. It also helps to encourage the traditions and recognize the tradition bearers. The method of conducting the festivals, the different genres of folklore presenting in the festivals passes from one generation to the other orally.

Folk festivals can be classified as seasonal, religious, social, political ritual etc according to its relevance in the society. Some festivals are international in character. Some festivals on the other hand are national. A folk festival is an opportunity for cultural exchange. This is a place where tradition bearers can participate and exhibit their original skill by way of performing the music, dance, making or preparing the handicrafts, costumes etc. A folk festival is a space of performance and the performers feel free “Within a museum without walls “

A festival protects and promotes cultural diversity, as festival works as a platform for different cultures. In an international festival it is a combination of cultures of different nations. In a national festival for example, it is an amalgamation of different ethnic groups of a particular country. It encourages active participation of all community members. It is a festival of all people belongs to that group. Internal democracy also maintains in electing the office bearers of the organization.

This paper examines the contribution of festivals for protecting the intangible cultural heritage and also discusses the role of NGOs as facilitator.

Keywords: folkfestivals, community, facilitator

V.Jayarajan is the Chairman, Folkland, International centre for Folklore and culture an organization based at Kerala state of India. He is also the convener of Kasargod INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage). He had worked as the Vice President of Indian Folklore congress and presently working as the Secretary of Society for Indian Medical Anthropology. He has Post graduation in Sociology and folklore, and PHd. in Social anthropology.

Jayarajan is lawyer turned teacher and has a passion for Art and cultural heritage. He had worked as an expert committee member of Department of Culture, Govt. of India and advisor to Sangeet Natak Akademy,Apex cultural body of Govt. of India. He has received several honors including Junior and senior fellowships from Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. He has several published works in his credit .He has also bagged William Evans Fellowship from Otago University, New Zealand.