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Paper short abstract:

Looking at various layers of the performance of “Faroese cultural heritage” this paper asks to what extent recent development can be seen as the result of a perceived cultural crises and how these manifestations may affect the way people engage with traditional performance practices.

Paper long abstract:

As there seems to be a surge in interest in documenting local legends through picturesque sculptures around the Faroe Islands - often accompanied by various performances and re-enacting of the story involved – questions about motifs and meaning behind the efforts are rarely being asked.

Even though there are visible ties to the interest of the tourist industry, the various projects are often presented to the public as means to safeguard local cultural heritage by “keeping the stories alive” and the efforts are generally welcomed by locals. This approach also fits neatly into recent political commitments to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of the Faroe Islands and in some cases the efforts seem to overlap, for instance when the traditional chain dance is used as part of the official programme celebrating the unveiling of yet another statue with a “traditional motif”.

Recognizing that “Cultural heritage” is persistently in crisis by definition(Harrison, 2013) any documentation of performance based cultural heritage can be seen as a response to a perceived threat. This paper looks at how the entanglement with official representations of “Faroese culture” contributes to stereotypical manifestations of “Faroese culture” and explores possible motifs behind and consequences of the ongoing trend, based on the notion of “heritage as a cultural process”, (Smith, 2006) and bearing in mind the possible redefinition of traditional performances as “representations of themselves”(Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, 1998).