Itinérance Méditerranée is a French non-profit organization founded in 2018 and accredited by UNESCO under the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The organization is dedicated to the safeguarding, transmission and promotion of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), with a particular focus on traditional textile craftsmanship and related cultural practices across the Mediterranean. Our work is structured around four complementary areas: documentation, transmission, valorization and awareness-raising.
We develop immersive, collaborative and interdisciplinary projects in close cooperation with communities of practitioners, cultural and academic institutions, researchers, NGOs and international organizations. Our activities include the identification and documentation of living heritage practices, including through digital mapping, multimedia documentation, podcasts, photography and film; educational and intergenerational transmission programmes, bringing together artisans, students, designers and teachers; and exhibitions and public programmes designed to make intangible cultural heritage visible and accessible to wider audiences.
Since 2021, we have coordinated the Ex-Voto workshop, an international educational programme bringing together students, teachers and artisans around textile co-creation. The programme has been developed with institutions including ENSAD Paris, the Casablanca Academy of Fashion and GIU Cairo, and aims to foster the living transmission of textile knowledge and skills through collaborative and inclusive methodologies. We also develop long-term documentary and research projects.
Our collection of 14 podcasts documents diverse textile practices across the Mediterranean, including basketry in France, henna dyeing in Morocco and embroidery in Guermessa, Tunisia. Our exhibitions, including Textile Crafts in the Mediterranean at Mucem in Marseille in 2023, combine textiles, photography, film and sound to contribute to the documentation, interpretation and intergenerational transmission of living heritage. Our work has also been presented at the 19M gallery in Marseille and through five French Institutes in Morocco. Our methodology is based on the active participation of the communities who are bearers of the heritage concerned.
Projects begin with consultation and identification of local needs, followed by a process of preparation, documentation, co-creation and public presentation. We seek to establish relationships based on equality and mutual respect, ensuring that practitioners participate actively in decisions concerning their heritage and its representation. Particular attention is given to cultural context, the use of local materials, the prevention of cultural appropriation and the recognition of practitioners as active bearers and transmitters of their heritage.
Through these activities, Itinérance Méditerranée aims to contribute to the viability of living heritage, strengthen intergenerational transmission, support the recognition and empowerment of women practitioners, and encourage intercultural dialogue and cooperation across the Mediterranean. Our work is grounded in the principles of the 2003 Convention, particularly community participation, transmission, documentation and awareness-raising.
Year of accreditation: 2026
Main domain(s) of the ngo’s activities: Oral traditions and expressions, Performing arts, Social practices, rituals and festive events, Traditional craftsmanship
Main safeguarding measures: a) identification, documentation, research (including inventory-making), b) preservation, protection, c) promotion, enhancement, d) transmission, (non-) formal education
Main country where the NGO works: France
