Language Heritage and the UK Public: Successes and Challenges of the UK Heritage Sector

Abstract

ABSTRACT The United Kingdom (UK) lacks a uniform approach to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH) such as language. The UK ratified the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in June 2024. In the absence of any UK-wide ICH framework, various approaches to safeguarding ICH have been taken at nation-level and at the level of (usually individual) museums, libraries and heritage groups. ICH can bring tangible heritage to life and give objects meaning and enhance the dynamic of cultural heritage. However, although language is included in the UNESCO Convention, to the extent that it is a “vehicle” of ICH, only recently have some museums and other organizations started to exhibit language. This article sets out our research findings from a pilot study undertaken in 2022 where we engaged with heritage sector professionals to identify how their organizations currently work with language heritage. Participants in our study voiced concerns that language heritage can be hard to encapsulate. We outline the challenges and successes of language heritage work, as well as the support that professionals felt they needed to undertake further work to enable them to engage with the public and local communities in order to safeguard this important aspect of ICH.