Pomiędzy praktykami niematerialnego dziedzictwa kulturowego a działaniami na jego rzecz. Krytyczna perspektywa prakseologiczna .......... 11

BETWEEN THE PRACTICES OF INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ACTIVITIES FOR ITS BENEFIT

The article analyzes the concept of intangible cultural heritage popularized by UNESCO and the related patrimonialization processes of cultural practices from two complementary perspectives: the interdisciplinary critical heritage studies with related heterodox theory of heritage and the practice theory. The tension between the practices of intangible cultural heritage and the activities for its benefit highlighted in the title is demonstrated on the examples of selected projects that the author has co-created or continues to co-create in various ways while maintaining the attitude of an assisting broker. The analysis of the intangible heritage and the so-called good practices for its safeguarding from a wider critical praxeological perspective (know-how to do in action) going beyond the so-called thinking in terms of national or UNESCO’s world lists and registers is part of an approach that understands heritage more as a verb than a noun. The safeguarding of the heritage becomes a means and not an end in itself and is based, in this case, not so much on declarative attitudes focused mainly on values, but on broadly conceived action: active experience, practical skills, and transmission (cultivation). On the other hand, it is also a sociocultural activity that largely aims at institutionalization. Both activities are part of the patrimonialization processes, enabling the discovery of the pro-development potential of intangible heritage. Moreover, the critical praxeological perspective, which provides a new view of the concept of intangible heritage, changes the emphasis when it comes to the experts-depositaries dichotomy. As a result, the latter become co-researchers, co-organizers, co-decision makers as equal active players who have a real impact on the co-creation and development of the national and global system of intangible heritage safeguarding.