Cultural studies perspectives on the digitisation of intangible culture

Intangible culture only comes to life and can be experienced through its practice. This poses a challenge for its digitisation. As part of the project ‘Practices of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Lower Lusatia’, a database is currently being set up with evidence of local practices of intangible culture. This work raises questions about, among other things, systematic nomenclature and the appropriate modelling of this data. However, as the digital recording and representation of intangible cultural practices is still in its infancy, there is a lack of relevant specialist literature and best practice examples. An in-depth interdisciplinary examination of the problems outlined is therefore necessary.
In cooperation with the Institute for Theatre Studies and the Dance Archive in Leipzig, the Research and Advisory Centre for IKE at the Institute for Saxon History and Cultural Anthropology, and with the involvement of the NFDI4Culture consortium, a working group on the digitisation of intangible culture is being established. This group not only provides a forum for the exchange of experiences in the digitisation of intangible cultural forms, but also for the discussion of related cultural studies issues. The aim is to jointly develop innovative solutions and proposals for future standards. The results will be gradually incorporated into academic discourse.