Call for paper: "Intangible Heritage Horizons and Echoes: Safeguarding the Invisible"
Parma, 16 February 2026 - Call for papers for the conference “Intangible Heritage Horizons and Echoes: Safeguarding the Invisible” to be held in Parma from May 29 to 31, organized by the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Cultural Industries, together with Heritage International Institute and Sciences Po.
Over recent decades, the concept of cultural heritage has gradually expanded, moving from the protection of tangible assets alone to the recognition of intangible practices, knowledge, and expressions transmitted by communities. It is a living and dynamic heritage, whose preservation must ensure its continuity without rigidifying it, enhancing the central role of the communities that preserve it.
Today, it is exposed to new threats, such as armed conflict, climate change, natural disasters, and globalization processes, which risk compromising cultural diversity and the transmission of traditions. Unlike tangible heritage, there are still no specific legal instruments for protection in crisis situations, making constant cooperation between institutions, scholars, and local communities necessary.
Digital technologies offer innovative opportunities for documentation and dissemination, but they also raise legal and ethical issues related to the management of cultural data and the risk of decontextualizing traditional knowledge. In this context, the initiative aims to combine scientific research and good operational practices to strengthen the protection of intangible cultural heritage as a factor for peace, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue, including through digital tools such as the virtual museum.
Deadline for abstracts: 20 March 2026