The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is a research and educational unit that aims to promote greater understanding and sustainability of cultural heritage across the United States and around the world. Every year since its inception in 1967, the Center has organised the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a two-week event dedicated entirely to living heritage and traditional cultures that takes place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Initially focusing on American cultures, as partnerships and collaborations developed, the festival began showcasing communities and cultures from around the world. The aim of the event is first and foremost to create a platform for traditional craftspeople and practitioners to showcase their cultures and skills, and to enable a dialogue with visitors. It is an opportunity to discover, learn and exchange. The event is based on research, which means there is a lot of preparation and work with communities and researchers from those communities on curation and presentation to the public.
With this in mind, the Cultural Vitality Program (CVP) was established to build on lessons learned and methodologies used during the Festival with an emphasis on working with communities. Since its inception, CVP has piloted several programmes connecting ICH and tourism.
