Our Association formed the Live Traditions Display Team of the WE ARE THE WORLD! Bring a bell! Concerts on the 3rd August 2018. It consists of 25 members, with over 150 performers. It is a permanent body of individual and group performers selected from our membership who satisfy criteria for artistic excellence and for authenticity of performed cultural heritage which is live in Australia, by presenting at least 100 year old music, using authentic traditional instruments and original languages, or dance, using antic costumes or replicas of authentic costumes, who also agree to adhere to the Event Syllabus of our Concerts.
Our definition of “live traditions” corresponds to the definition of the intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO and develops it one step further: “Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects”, but “it also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.” It is “ an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization. An understanding of the cultural heritage of diverse communities helps with intercultural dialogue and encourages mutual respect for other ways of life.” It is the ”wealth of knowledge and skills” “transmitted…from one generation to the next”.
This transmission contributes “to giving us a sense of identity and continuity..“. It contributes to social cohesion, encouraging a sense of identity and responsibility which helps individuals to feel part of one or different communities and to feel part of society at large”. By presenting live traditions, by maintaining and preserving such practices, distinct identities of communities are expressed.
By its aims and character, the Live Traditions Display Team is eligible for accreditation with UNESCO, the body which aims to preserve intangible cultural heritage in the world.
Our Association, the Cosmic Harmony Foundation Inc., a charitable organisation postulated in 1997 the principle of unity in diversity applied through the medium of traditional art, which means expressing and accepting diversity, and embracing others in the same time. Our Association has been applying this method since through the Unity in Diversity Events, which gave birth to the final brand name and format of WE ARE THE WORLD! Bring a bell! Melbourne’s Cultural Heritage Concerts, designed to be held as annual events for family viewing.
