Objectifs :
The webinar explores the influence of sustainable development priorities, values and narratives on ICH policy-making, implementation and appropriation by heritage entrepreneurs on the ground.

Programme :
12/01/2026, 14.00-16.00 CET
Safeguarding Gravity Irrigation: Co-producing Knowledge for Climate Adaptation
This paper examines a research-action project dedicated to traditional gravity irrigation, a practice increasingly affected by modernization, urbanization, and climate change. In June 2023, a collaborative initiative was launched to document and promote this system as intangible cultural heritage (ICH). The process led to its inclusion, in June 2024, in the French national ICH inventory, echoing the December 2023 inscription of “Traditional irrigation: knowledge, techniques and organization” on UNESCO’s Representative List, supported by seven European countries. The national inventory strengthened a growing network of actors and resulted in the creation of the ASAIG association, which is now responsible for implementing safeguarding measures and preparing an extension file, together with Greece, Spain, Portugal, and Austria, to join the UNESCO multinational inscription. Since 2022, our research team has accompanied the formation of this multi-stakeholder network—comprising practitioners, institutions, and several hundred individuals—as well as the national and international nomination processes, aimed at enhancing the visibility and protection of these irrigation systems. Drawing on data collected since June 2023 and on our direct involvement, this paper reflects on the potential of participatory heritage approaches as laboratories for the co-production of knowledge on climate adaptation. We show how the heritage framework brings together economic, environmental, and cultural motivations to support the resilience of gravity irrigation systems.
Francesca Cominelli is an Associate Professor at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, within IREST, and a member of the EIREST research team. Her work focuses on the economics and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and craft professions, in connection with commons, sustainable development, and cultural diversity. Her research also involves the use of audiovisual media, leading to collaborations with documentary filmmakers. She has carried out missions for several national and international organizations, including UNESCO, ICOMOS, INMA, WIPO, and the OECD.
Aurélie Condevaux is an Associate Professor in Anthropology at IREST (Institute for Research and Higher Studies in Tourism), University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and a member of EIREST (Interdisciplinary Research Team on Tourism). She coordinates a Master’s program in Heritage Tourism Management and Valorization. Her PhD, completed at Aix-Marseille University/C.R.E.D.O. (Centre for Research and Documentation on Oceania, UMR 7308), examined cultural-touristic “performances” in New Zealand and Tonga. Beyond tourism, her work has explored the political dimensions of heritage-making processes, with particular emphasis on intangible cultural heritage, both in the Pacific region (Tongan dance and music practices) and in Europe (traditional irrigation). More recently, her research projects have focused on “digital labour” and virtual tourism.

02/02/2026, 14.00-16.00 CET
Measuring the success of sustainability within the 2003 Convention

In this paper, I will suggest that approaches to the promotion of ICH to support the SDGs, like any approach to sustainability within culture frameworks, suffers from a self re-enforcing and self-referencing bias where 'success' is located in a hoped-for future, while heavily drawing on an idealised past. Given the challenges facing UNESCO's other Culture Conventions, the 2003 Convention emerges as a more adaptable and usable instrument for the promotion and safeguarding of people's heritage and identity, yet sustainability remains out of reach for many communities. The 2003 Convention has a unique focus on communities and consent so it should be a relatively easy Convention to implement but because sustainability, as a continually forward looking process, can never be truly achieved (there is no fixed destination) the Convention goals also keep growing. Given this, I will ask whether we should be measuring success in different ways within the ICH context.

Charlotte Joy is a social anthropologist who specialises in contested heritage and heritage protection. She is a lecturer in Cultural Heritage Management in the Department of Archaeology, University of Southampton. She is the author of two books, 'The Politics of Heritage Management in Mali' (Routledge, 2012) and 'Heritage Justice' (CUP, 2020). She chairs UK Blue Shield's Working Group on the protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage and is a member of UNESCO's Network of Facilitators of the 2003 Convention. She is currently doing a fellowship at Humboldt University in Berlin, as part of the Inherit programme entitled: The Material Culture of Evidence/Evidence as Material Culture.

26/02/2026, 14.00-16.00 CET

The Changing Meanings of Repair in the Post-Soviet Context: From Necessity to Sustainability

Repair in the post-Soviet context reflects specific historicity and cultural meanings shaped by the Soviet past and its consumer culture, which contrast with the development of mass consumption in Western Europe and the US after World War II. Soviet economic and social context has been discussed as a ‘repair society’, where traditional consumption practices, like repair, reuse and DIY mentality, persisted due to necessity. This presentation shows how the meanings of DIY repair has changed in Estonia by comparing the perception of the Soviet era with contemporary situation. Repair have remained vivid in Estonian cultural memory, and for generations born and raised during the Soviet era, it is a lived experience. Repair practices can be perceived as cultural heritage and craft skills, with the potential for ecological sustainability. The meaning of repair in Estonia has changed from being an economic necessity until quite recently to being a form of resistance to the capitalist socioeconomic system.

Tenno Teidearu is a researcher at the Estonian National Museum and a PhD candidate in ethnology at the University of Tartu. His main research interests are sustainable consumption practices, especially domestic DIY repair, reuse, and repurposing, but he has also studied material religion. His recent research on repair and reuse practices in Estonia focuses on their materiality, connections with intangible cultural heritage, and contemporary repair movement.

Repairing Culture: The Viljandi Repair Festival and Sustainable Practices in Heritage Craft Education.

This presentation explores the Viljandi Repair Festival as a cultural event that not only promotes sustainability but also strengthens the living traditions embedded in intangible cultural heritage. Organized by the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy within the Estonian Native Craft curriculum, the festival serves as a meeting point for artisans, educators, and communities to rediscover repair as a creative and heritage-based practice.
The discussion will examine how repairing and reusing are deeply rooted in traditional craft knowledge and how these practices are being revitalized in contemporary contexts to address ecological and social challenges. It will highlight the role of education in transmitting these values through the Estonian Native Craft program, where students engage in projects that merge historical techniques with modern sustainability principles.
By presenting examples from the festival and related academic initiatives, the talk will demonstrate how repair culture fosters continuity of skills, community resilience, and cultural identity, while contributing to circular economy goals. Ultimately, the presentation invites reflection on how intangible cultural heritage can inspire innovative approaches to sustainability and creative industries.

Ave Matsin is the Head of the Estonian Native Craft curriculum and Lecturer in Heritage Textile at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy. She combines academic leadership with active research and teaching in heritage crafts, traditional textile practices, and sustainable craft. Her scholarly work focuses on historical clothing and textile techniques, including her doctoral research on the medieval dress of the Siksälä woman and earlier studies on textile tools from Estonia’s prehistoric and medieval periods. Ave is particularly interested in how the study and development of materials used in heritage crafts can contribute to solving contemporary environmental challenges. This interest is reflected in her research and development projects on Estonian sheep wool, exploring its potential for sustainable innovation. In addition to her academic and research roles, Ave leads Viljandi’s activities as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, serves as a board member of the Estonian Folk Art and Craft Union, and is a member of the Estonian Intangible Cultural Heritage Council. She also coordinates initiatives such as the Viljandi Repair Festival, which promotes repair culture, reuse, and circular economy principles within craft education. Her work bridges intangible cultural heritage with modern sustainability practices, fostering dialogue between traditional skills and contemporary design.


• 11/03/2026 14.00-16.00 CET

Textile Heritage as Inspiration for Sustainable Futures

The presentation explores how textile heritage can serve as a source of inspiration for sustainable futures, connecting traditional knowledge, material practices, and contemporary innovation. Drawing on examples from heritage-based projects and community initiatives, it highlights the ways in which past textile practices—rooted in locality, craftsmanship, and care—can inform new approaches to circularity, social responsibility, and design. The presentation reflects on how cultural heritage, rather than being a static legacy, is becoming an active and creative resource for reimagining sustainable ways of living and making.

Katarina Šrimpf Vendramin is an ethnologist and cultural anthropologist, and a researcher at the ZRC SAZU Institute of Slovenian Ethnology in Ljubljana. Her work in recent years has focused on the study of clothing culture, textile heritage, and the intersection between material culture and folklore studies. She has participated in several international projects, where through applied research she explores how traditional practices can inform contemporary approaches to textile in the contexts of sustainability, tourism, and community engagement.

• 01/04/2026, 14.00-16.00 CET.

Clea Hance, FNRS, UCLouvain-Saint-Louis

Intangible Cultural Heritage, Cultural Diversity, and Legal Obligations
This presentation will explore intangible cultural heritage (ICH) as a matter of public interest with legal value, comparable to the role of sustainable development today. It will question how safeguarding ICH can be understood not only as a cultural policy goal but also as a binding legal obligation. The discussion will draw on the Human Rights Committee’s recent decision in Daniel Billy and others v. Australia (Torres Strait Islanders Petition), which found that Australia’s failure to address the impacts of climate change violated the Torres Strait Islanders’ rights to family life (Article 17 ICCPR) and to enjoy their culture as a minority (Article 27 ICCPR). This case illustrates how ICH and cultural diversity are increasingly framed within binding legal discourse, raising important questions about the tools and limits of law in this field.

Clea Hance is a legal researcher, fellow at CEDRE FNRS, UCLouvain-Saint-Louis, Brussels, and an associate researcher at the ISP, ENS Paris-Saclay. Her work examines the legal dimensions of cultural heritage protection, combining empirical research with comparative analysis, with a particular focus on France and the United States. She investigates how normative frameworks shape heritage protection, while also exploring how practical safeguarding challenges push the limits of law and legal concepts, revealing both the possibilities and constraints of legal approaches to cultural heritage.

Discussant: Janet Blake

16/04/2026, 14.00-16.00 CET
Repairing Culture: The Viljandi Repair Festival and Sustainable Practices in Heritage
Craft Education.
This presentation explores the Viljandi Repair Festival as a cultural event that not only
promotes sustainability but also strengthens the living traditions embedded in intangible
cultural heritage. Organized by the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy within
the Estonian Native Craft curriculum, the festival serves as a meeting point for artisans,
educators, and communities to rediscover repair as a creative and heritage-based practice.
The discussion will examine how repairing and reusing are deeply rooted in traditional craft
knowledge and how these practices are being revitalized in contemporary contexts to address
ecological and social challenges. It will highlight the role of education in transmitting these
values through the Estonian Native Craft program, where students engage in projects that merge
historical techniques with modern sustainability principles.
By presenting examples from the festival and related academic initiatives, the talk will
demonstrate how repair culture fosters continuity of skills, community resilience, and cultural
identity, while contributing to circular economy goals. Ultimately, the presentation invites
reflection on how intangible cultural heritage can inspire innovative approaches to
sustainability and creative industries.
Ave Matsin is the Head of the Estonian Native Craft curriculum and Lecturer in Heritage
Textile at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy. She combines academic
leadership with active research and teaching in heritage crafts, traditional textile practices, and
sustainable craft. Her scholarly work focuses on historical clothing and textile techniques,
including her doctoral research on the medieval dress of the Siksälä woman and earlier studies
on textile tools from Estonia’s prehistoric and medieval periods. Ave is particularly interested
in how the study and development of materials used in heritage crafts can contribute to solving
contemporary environmental challenges. This interest is reflected in her research and
development projects on Estonian sheep wool, exploring its potential for sustainable
innovation. In addition to her academic and research roles, Ave leads Viljandi’s activities as a
UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, serves as a board member of the Estonian Folk
Art and Craft Union, and is a member of the Estonian Intangible Cultural Heritage Council. She
also coordinates initiatives such as the Viljandi Repair Festival, which promotes repair culture,
reuse, and circular economy principles within craft education. Her work bridges intangible
cultural heritage with modern sustainability practices, fostering dialogue between traditional
skills and contemporary design.

Pré-requis :
To subscribe to the Chair's mailing list, write to: chaire-unesco-pcidd@cyu.fr

Equipe pédagogique :
Chiara Bortolotto

Les Compétences et capacités visées à l'issue de la formation (fiches RNCP)

Arrêté du 22 février 2019 définissant les compétences des diplômés du doctorat et inscrivant le doctorat au répertoire national de la certification professionnelle. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000038200990/

Bloc 1 : Conception et élaboration d’une démarche de recherche et développement, d’études et prospective

- Disposer d'une expertise scientifique tant générale que spécifique d'un domaine de recherche et de travail déterminé

- Faire le point sur l’état et les limites des savoirs au sein d’un secteur d’activité déterminé, aux échelles locale, nationale ou internationale

- Apporter des contributions novatrices dans le cadre d’échanges de haut niveau, et dans des contextes internationaux

Bloc 2 : Mise en œuvre d’une démarche de recherche et développement, d’études et prospective

- Mettre en œuvre les facteurs d’engagement, de gestion des risques et d’autonomie nécessaire à la finalisation d’un projet R&D, d’études ou d’innovation

Bloc 3 : Valorisation et transfert des résultats d’une démarche R&D, d’études et prospective

- Mettre en œuvre les problématiques de transfert à des fins d’exploitation et valorisation des résultats ou des produits dans des secteurs économiques ou sociaux

- Respecter les principes de déontologie et d’éthique en relation avec l’intégrité des travaux et les impacts potentiels

Bloc 4 : Veille scientifique et technologique à l’échelle internationale

- Acquérir, synthétiser et analyser les données et informations scientifiques et technologiques d’avant-garde à l’échelle internationale

- Développer des réseaux de coopération scientifiques et professionnels à l’échelle internationale

Bloc 5 : Formation et diffusion de la culture scientifique et technique

- Rendre compte et communiquer en plusieurs langues des travaux à caractère scientifique et technologique en direction de publics ou publications différents, à l’écrit comme à l’oral

- Enseigner et former des publics diversifiés à des concepts, outils et méthodes avancés

- S’adapter à un public varié pour communiquer et promouvoir des concepts et démarches d’avant-garde

La formation participe à l'objectif suivant :former au développement durable et soutenable