Preserving the source of "nourishing" heritage

Honoring those who “keep the soul” of heritage with new titles is a “necessary” condition. Meanwhile, the “sufficient” condition for those who hold the core elements of that cultural heritage to maintain their enthusiasm, love and actively pass on the heritage to future generations requires additional “nurture” from the joint responsibility of sectors and localities.

Artists perform Xuan Pha play. Photo: Thuy Linh

Need to behave properly

Thanh Hoa currently has 25 intangible cultural heritages (ICHs) recognized as national ICHs. The whole province has 66 individuals who have been awarded or posthumously awarded the title of “Meritorious Artisan” and 3 individuals who have been awarded or posthumously awarded the title of “People’s Artisan”. To date, there are 55 living artisans. Of these, 11 artisans enjoy the preferential treatment for artisans according to Decree No. 109/2015/ND-CP on support for People’s Artisans and Meritorious Artisans with low income and difficult circumstances.

However, in reality, artisans are often elderly people, many of whom live in poverty without any support or guarantee of a living. Many still have to “struggle to make a living” every day. With such a difficult life, even if they try to spend time contributing to national culture and sharing experiences with the community, it is difficult to do so completely.

In order to support and encourage artisans to actively participate in practicing and transmitting culture, the culture, sports and tourism sector and localities have implemented many activities to support artisans. Many localities have actively mobilized social resources to support artisans and those who preserve valuable cultural assets when participating in performing, practicing, guiding and teaching cultural heritages. However, the mobilized resources are often very small and can only be mobilized in large-scale activities, not long-term and regular. Typically, in Dong Khe commune (Dong Son), each time a group of artisans participates in folk cultural performances or provincial art festivals, the locality often mobilizes social resources to have funds to support and encourage the artisans.

Some mountainous districts such as Ngoc Lac and Nhu Xuan have supported artisans under the National Target Program for Socio -Economic Development of Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas. Implementing Project 6: Preserving and promoting the fine traditional cultural values ​​of ethnic minorities associated with tourism development, mountainous districts have supported part of the funding for artisans through organizing activities to teach, transmit, and popularize traditional cultural activities and train, foster, and teach the next generation.

In Ngoc Lac district, there is 1 People's Artisan and 4 Meritorious Artisans, of which 1 Meritorious Artisan has passed away. In the district, there is no artisan who enjoys the treatment regime for artisans according to Decree No. 109/2015/ND-CP on support for People's Artisans and Meritorious Artisans with low income and difficult circumstances, although most of the artisans are old and weak, and their family circumstances still have many difficulties. The district has "struggled" to find ways to support them to enthusiastically contribute. Since the implementation of the National Target Program on socio-economic development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the district has used part of the budget for training, fostering, and teaching successors under Project 6 to support artisans when participating in teaching heritage.

Together with the localities, the Provincial Cultural - Cinema Center has actively organized training programs, professional guidance, and ways to organize cultural and artistic programs for participating artisans. At the same time, it regularly organizes cultural exchange programs and competitions and performances in the province for artisans to practice and demonstrate their talents. In particular, the Provincial Cultural - Cinema Center has regularly organized for artisans to participate in competitions and performances nationwide. Director of the Provincial Cultural and Cinema Center, Nguyen Thi Mai Huong said: “In the training programs, artisans are not only given professional guidance and support in developing a systematic cultural and artistic program, but they are also supported with a portion of their food and accommodation expenses when participating. This is a source of encouragement for artisans to actively participate in cultural and artistic programs and teach cultural heritage in localities. In particular, through competitions and festivals in provinces and cities across the country, artisans have the opportunity to interact and interact with many ethnic groups, understand more about the value of culture and the uniqueness of the heritage they are holding. From there, they will appreciate and actively teach the cultural heritage of their people.”

Don't block the source of "nourishment"

The title of Meritorious Artisan and People's Artisan is something that anyone who contributes to folk culture wishes to have. Honoring artisans is to recognize and preserve cultural "resources". Because good and precious traditional values ​​are crystallized in "living treasures" - folk culture artisans. Therefore, when considering them as the core of traditional culture, it is necessary to pay attention to creating conditions for them to "burn" with the heritage or "pass on the fire" of heritage to the community.

Artists perform the Pon Pong play. Photo: Thuy Linh

Recognizing titles is just the tip of the iceberg. The root is to create conditions for artisans to live with heritage; to spread the precious values ​​of heritage in a long-term, sustainable way. Currently, localities have established art clubs/teams, organizing activities for artisans to practice and teach. However, the activities of the clubs are still not vibrant, not maintained regularly. Many people after being recognized as artisans work half-heartedly, not actively participating in practicing and teaching heritage.

Mr. Pham Nguyen Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that for artisans, awarding certificates of honor and monthly financial support is only a source of encouragement. The core issue is how the artisans will live, work and contribute after being awarded the title. Currently, in addition to the preferential treatment for artisans according to Decree No. 109/2015/ND-CP on support for People's Artisans and Meritorious Artisans with low income and difficult circumstances, there is no policy to support artisans in general. At the same time, the policies being implemented have not had much impact on artisans - those who hold the spirit of heritage. Therefore, it is necessary to have policies to ensure their lives, maintain their activities and take care of their health so that they can devote themselves to the community. Along with that, there should be policies to help artisans use and promote the knowledge they possess, contributing to promoting economic, cultural and social development in general.

Most of the People's Artisans and Meritorious Artisans are old and weak. All policies to support them need to be realized soon. Timely and fair support for the honored artisans not only affirms their role and recognizes their value but also promotes the humanity in the Party and State's policies towards those who have contributed to culture. At the same time, giving them due attention and creating conditions for them to devote themselves is an effective way to maintain the source of "nourishment" for culture, promoting the precious cultural heritage values ​​that artisans preserve throughout their lives.

Although in the past, without any support policies, artisans still devoted their lives to passionately and devotedly contributing to national culture. But it would be better if there was support to help them have more support and confidence to continue to stick with culture. In fact, there has been much evidence to show that if we do not know how to cherish and preserve the source of cultural "nourishment", then certainly many good cultural values ​​will not be preserved in a concentrated, systematic way and are at risk of being lost, or have faded away because they are not taught to the community, especially the younger generation.

Reporter Group

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nhung-nguoi-giu-hon-di-san-van-hoa-bai-cuoi-giu-nguon-duong-nuoi-di-san-231177.htm