The first phase of the LHTMApp – Mapping Living Human Treasures project was successfully completed in the period from November 2025 to February 2026, laying the foundations for Serbia’s first digital platform dedicated to the systematic mapping and documentation of Living Human Treasures – bearers of intangible cultural heritage (ICH).
During this phase, a mobile application (Android version) and the initial version of the project’s web platform were developed. The platform is conceived as a publicly accessible digital repository featuring an interactive map. The application enables structured and geo-referenced data collection on heritage bearers, including biographical information, descriptions of skills and practices, photographs, audio-visual materials, and contextual socio-demographic data, while ensuring full protection of personal data and adherence to ethical standards of field research.
The software development was preceded by consultations with experts, representatives of local communities, civil society organizations, and academic institutions in order to ensure that the application structure reflects the real needs of documenting traditional knowledge. Special attention was given to micro-regions where heritage remains insufficiently researched and where the number of recognized heritage bearers is declining due to population aging and rural depopulation.
During the second half of March 2026, the application will be tested through activities involving students in cooperation with the Serbian Ethnomusicological Society and the Faculty of Music, Department of Ethnomusicology in Belgrade, as well as meetings with representatives of associations dedicated to heritage preservation. At least 15 young researchers will be involved and trained in fieldwork ethics, principles of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, and the practical use of the application in field conditions.
Fieldwork across Serbia will begin in April 2026, with the goal of identifying and publicly presenting at least 50 Living Human Treasures by November, primarily in the field of performing arts. The project will also produce recommendations for improving cultural policies related to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, based on the data collected.
This one-year project is conceived as a pilot initiative that will continue to develop in the coming years. Its long-term goal is the comprehensive mapping of Living Human Treasures across the entire territory of Serbia and the establishment of a permanent digital system for monitoring the state of intangible cultural heritage. In future phases, the project plans to employ advanced technological solutions, including artificial intelligence tools, in order to enable systematic processing and analysis of the collected data, which will provide – for the first time – a comprehensive overview of the condition and dynamics of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Serbia.
LHTMApp is implemented by the World Music Association of Serbia, a representative cultural association in the field of intangible heritage, in partnership with the Music Information Centre of Serbia and the Serbian Ethnomusicological Society. The project is co-funded by The Headley Southeast Europe Cultural Heritage Fund and implemented with the coordination of the Balkan Museum Network.
