Capturing and Sharing Intangible Cultural Heritage Through Knowledge Visualisation and Knowledge Modelling Tools

This paper aims to analyse and identify effective knowledge capture and knowledge sharing mechanisms for intangible cultural heritage (ICH), more specifically, craft knowledge (specific manufacturing processes). Identification of such mechanisms is important because those who master such practices are passing away. We analysed the current approaches of international organisations to preserving ICH, and craft ICH as a type of knowledge, and concluded that craft ICH is largely a tacit type of knowledge, embedded living knowledge interwoven with the cultural and historical context of its creation and its present actualisation. We then analysed the methods and tools that capture knowledge using Knowledge Management (KM), Knowledge Modelling and Knowledge Visualisation with focus on the potential for capturing and sharing craft processes, skills and the cultural and historical context of ICH. In addition to traditional instruments in knowledge modelling and knowledge visualisation, we are seeking to exploit the possibilities of (digital) storytelling to capture of the historical and cultural context, and the potential for augmented reality to transfer craft skills. The outcome of our study is a theoretical outline of a specific craft ICH Knowledge Model (K-Model) based on the principle of concept map, which should be interactive, user-friendly and in which various types of formal and informal contents are incorporated (text, sketch, pictures, diagrams, audio, video, augmented reality, Web links, etc.). The effectiveness of the craft ICH K-Models designed will then be empirically tested in various cultural and historical contexts, and the K-Model will be iteratively improved by the Slovak-Portugal research team.