Scuola di Storia delle Tradizioni Popolari

At Tricase, the School of History of Popular Traditions by Liquilab

An international event between anthropology, art, and residence.

From July 22 to 27, 2025, Piazza Dell’Abate in Tricase will host the 10th edition of the School of History of Popular Traditions “Beyond the Mediterranean among life stories, heritage communities, archival, and narrative museums”: an international event dedicated to safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Promoted by Liquilab - ORS APS - UNESCO NGO, the meetings will gather every evening starting at 8:00 PM in the square institutions, universities, museums, and narrative archives, along with scholars, researchers, and representatives of Italian and foreign heritage communities. Six intense days of workshops, experiential itineraries, concerts, and artistic performances in the historic center of Tricase, designed to explore life stories as a language, method, and inclusive approach to cultural and narrative construction. Research experiences, heritage communities, NGOs, UNESCO elements, participatory practices, and forms of valorization and transmission of intangible cultural heritage will be presented.

The institutions and guests

The event will feature the participation of the Director of the Central Institute for Intangible Heritage of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts, and Local Government of Malta, the President of the Regional Council of Puglia, the Cultural Assessor of the Puglia Region, the Province of Lecce, along with professors and scholars from major Italian and international universities, including:
- University of Salento
- Sapienza University of Rome
- SAGE - University of Basilicata, Naples Federico II, Salerno, Foggia, Salento
- Academy of Fine Arts of Lecce
- Aix-Marseille University
- University of Malta.

Anthropologists, museologists, ethnomusicologists, cultural operators, Ministry officials, and students will engage in dialogue with local communities and protagonists of safeguarding intangible heritage.

Performative moments

The program will be enriched by artistic events intertwining music, theater, and poetry. It begins on July 22 with an itinerant artistic journey from Liquilab featuring P40, Lucia Minutello, and Kirbj Coppola, followed by performances from improvisational poets from Maremma and upper Lazio (July 23), with the Salento group Cuspide Malva (July 24), Terra di sud from Molise (July 25), Maltese artists performing traditional L-Għana singing (July 26), and the Salento trio Angelo Litti, Aldo Nichil, and Umberto Panico (July 27).

The Residence “Life stories as artifacts of an interpretative and participatory museography”

Connected to the School of History of Popular Traditions, this is a free educational residency, scheduled every morning from July 23 to 27, 2025, with an introductory day on July 22 at 8 PM. The residency, curated by Prof. Vincenzo Padiglione (one of Italy’s leading experts in museum anthropology), is aimed at cultural operators, artists, anthropologists, students, and enthusiasts of museums, life stories, and intangible heritage. The course proposes an active reflection on how to narrate life stories through art, anthropology, and participatory museography. It offers a unique occasion for training, experimentation, and returning life stories by designing a participatory museography installation with participatory and transdisciplinary methods. The residency will be held at the Liquilab headquarters from 9 AM to 12 PM in Piazza Dell’Abate in Tricase, and registration is possible by writing to infoliquilab@gmail.com or calling +39 348 3467609

A School in dialogue beyond the Mediterranean

The entire project is based on synergy between public institutions, ministries, universities, museums, archives, and heritage communities. Actively sharing and participating in the initiatives will also be the Archival and Bibliographic Superintendence of Puglia, the Biblio-Museum Pole of Lecce, SIMBDEA, Circolo della Zampogna UNESCO NGO, ICOM Puglia, SIAC Italian Society of Cultural Anthropology, and numerous other national and international cultural partners. From September 12 to 14, 2025, the School will continue its opening towards the Balkans. Liquilab - ORS APS thus continues its multi-year commitment to safeguarding and enhancing life stories and intangible cultural heritage, offering meetings, spaces, and tools.
The detailed program of the School can be viewed at the link https://liquilab.it/scuola-2025/
The events are free of charge.
Web: liquilab.it/scuola-2025/