Italy’s first professional master’s programme dedicated to Intangible Cultural Heritage gets underway

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Training professionals in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage, with expertise in law, economics, demo-ethno-anthropology and performance studies, ready to work with institutions, communities and businesses active in the sector and to support the economic development of local areas and the cultural and creative industries: this is the goal of the new first-level professional master’s degree in Intangible Cultural Heritage: Territories, Governance and Intercultural Relations - the first of its kind in Italy.

The programme, directed by Professor Matteo Paoletti, is jointly hosted in Bologna by the Department of the Arts and in Ravenna by the Department of Cultural Heritage. It was developed through a collaboration between the two departments of the University of Bologna and the Ministry of Culture - UNESCO Office. Several institutions are also involved in the programme, including the Committee for the Safeguarding of the Art of Italian Opera Singing, the Opera School of Bologna’s Teatro Comunale, and the Teatro Ponchielli Foundation in Cremona.

Intangible cultural heritage is playing an increasingly central role in cultural relations, both locally and internationally. Performing arts, craftsmanship, food and wine traditions, and ritual and festive practices shape communities and, also thanks to recognition by UNESCO, offer significant opportunities for local economic growth.

Experts in Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) will be able to work in compliance with national and international regulations, alongside national and local authorities, supporting institutional governance and policymakers. They will also be able to advise communities wishing to safeguard and promote their intangible practices through processes of patrimonialisation.

Applications are open until 30 July. Enrolment will take place from 17 September to 3 October.

Further information.