Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the content of the events of ethnographic open-air museums and attraction of participants to the events

Abstract

The intangible cultural heritage has different forms and expressions. This research deals with one part of the intangible cultural heritage, such as traditional customary festivities, and other events organised in the open-air museums of Latvia. Such festivities are popular and widely attended in Latvia. The research has examined the documents for organisation of the events and analysed the content of the events at the 4 largest Latvian Open-Air museums situated in different locations in Latvia: the Ethnographic Open-Air Museum of Latvia (Riga), the Ventspils Open-Air Museum (Ventspils), the Jurmala Open-Air Museum (Jurmala) and the Jekabpils “Selonian Yard” Open-Air Museum (Jekabpils). During the research, literature analysis and content analysis of documents was carried out and partly structured interviews were undertaken for the museum managers, as well as survey was performed of attendees to the museum events. At the end of the research, according to the survey of attendees and the content analysis of the events, recommendations were elaborated to staff of the Open-Air Museums in order to improve the content of the events, to rouse interest of the attendees of events and to encourage increase in the number of events.