LECA was founded in 1992 as an ethnology organisation. Currently LECA is acknowledged by the Flemish secretary of Culture as the expertise centre on the culture of everyday life in Flanders, with a distinct focus on the heritage of festivities and rituals and the tradition bearers concerned.
With the 2003 UNESCO Convention as its driving force the organisation’s main concern is to offer support to heritage communities in safeguarding their intangible cultural heritage. For that purpose LECA developed a 4 step-method that involves inventorying, research, analysing existing needs and requirements and the development of customised safeguarding measures. LECA’s service also includes counselling for heritage communities that want to apply for inscription on the national ICH-inventory. Upon request LECA also initiates larger-scale projects, that unite different organisations who cherish the same ICH element in their safeguarding efforts.
Additionnally LECA takes part in a national network on ICH in Flanders. In close cooperation with the other network partners LECA invests in promoting and communicating UNESCO’s policy on ICH in general and contributes to the implementation of the related ideas and beliefs in Flanders. To that purpose LECA is one of the organisations involved in the contributing content to www.immaterieelerfgoed.be, an interactive website with database, and in guiding practioners and tradition bearers towards the site by pointing out its relevance and importance to them.
Domain(s): social practices, rituals and festive events.
Main Safeguarding measures: a) identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making); b) preservation, protection; c) promotion, enhancement; d) transmission, (non-) formal education; e) revitalization.
Main countries where the NGO works: Belgium
