We’re pleased to share a new publication by Jiyun Zhang, in Heritage & Society: “Framing and Reframing the Participation of the Communities, Groups, and Individuals Concerned: A Media Archaeological Analysis of Nomination Videos of the 2003 Convention Submitted by China.”

This article investigates how the participation of communities, groups, and individuals concerned is visually and narratively framed in 44 intangible cultural heritage (ICH) nomination videos submitted by China to UNESCO (2008–2024). Using media archaeology and multimodal analysis, the author shows how these videos act as layered social texts and media artifacts shaped by institutional, political, and technological forces.

While recent videos show increased visibility of communities, state-driven framing still limits grassroots agency. The article calls for community-initiated narratives and participatory approaches that foreground empowerment and capacity building—paving the way for more inclusive and sustainable representation of ICH and their practicing communities, groups, and individuals.

📘 Discover how nomination videos act as layered social texts and catalysts for rethinking heritage-making.

Below: Members of the heritage community talking about their ICH element in Xi’an Wind and Percussion Ensemble (2009), © 2008 Shaanxi Art Research, with the permission of UNESCO