Related pages:

• For the JMO’s proposed submissions to the Living Heritage inventory, see our page: //www.morrisfed.org.uk/resources/unesco-living-heritage-submissions/ (THIS PAGE)
• For the JMO’s latest Expressions of Interest (EOI) to the Living Heritage inventory, see our page: //www.morrisfed.org.uk/resources/unesco-living-heritage-eoi/ 
• For the current information about the Living Heritage inventory, see our page: //www.morrisfed.org.uk/resources/unesco-living-heritage/
• For background information on the consultation by the DCMS in the lead up to the Living Heritage inventory, see our page: //www.morrisfed.org.uk/resources/unesco-ich/ (THIS PAGE)

‘Living Heritage’ is the UK’s implementation of the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).  For more info on UNESCO ICH see https://ich.unesco.org/en/home and how it applied to morris dancing and related activites at: https://www.morrisfed.org.uk/resources/unesco-living-heritage/

Our Submissions in 2026

12 Submissions were entered in March 2026 by the JMO (Joint Morris Organisations) on behalf of our memberships:

• Appalachian Step Dancing
• Border Morris Dancing
• Cotswold Morris Dancing
• Fools and Beasts in Morris Dancing
• Longsword Dancing
• Molly Dancing
• Mumming and Guising Play
• North West Morris Dancing
• Plough Morris Dancing
• Rapper Sword Dancing
• Stave Dancing
• Step Clog Dancing

These were submitted by other groups:

• English County Dancing
• Maypole Dancing
• Step Dancing

See the Final Submissions by JMO to Living Heritage Inventory of the UK [PDF].

With huge thanks to the many of you who responded with great suggestions, questions and many kind words about the project, we’re pleased to show you the final texts that were submitted to the DCMS for the inventory of Living Heritage for the UK.

It really was a challenge fitting enough information into the limited word counts, and we’re very grateful to everyone who got involved. We’re now awaiting feedback and the publication of the listings, which we’ve been told will take 4-6 months.  We will let you know as soon as we hear back from the DCMS.

Of course these things can always be improved, and we are also obliged to update them every 2 years.  The DCMS has said that there will be another window for additional submissions around mid 2027.

Thank you from your JMO Living Heritage team – Emma Melville (Morris Ring), Jen Cox (Open Morris) and Jenny Everett & Pauline Woods-Wilson (Morris Federation).

Next Steps

The DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport) will review all submissions over the next 4 to 6 months before they launch the ‘live’ Inventory.

The submitter is obligated to update their submissions every 2 years, so there is an opportunity for correction and refinement.

March 2026 was only the initial window for submissions – Further windows for submissions will be open in the future, the next one is planned for mid 2027.

Process for submissions to the Inventory

This is a 2 stage process.  The first stage was to enter Expressions of Interest (EOI)s, and the second is a process of community consent leading the full submission.

The first wave of submissions closes on 27th March 2026.  The JMO (Joint Morris Organisations) has been working together to prepare our submissions, and we now need your input as part of the morris community, as community consent is a crucial part of the UNESCO submission process.

You can see our draft submission text at tinyurl.com/JMO-LH-Draft-202603 .  If you have any feedback, please email us at ich@thejmo.org by Tuesday 24^th March 2027.

If you wish to join us to discuss the draft submissions, we’re opening two zoom calls as opportunities for discussion on Friday 20th March at 11:00 and 18:30. If you’d like to join us, please email ich@thejmo.org

The JMO needs to enter the submissions by Friday 27th March 2026. There will be another window of opportunity for submissions in mid 2027.

Thank you from your JMO Living Heritage team – Emma Melville (Morris Ring), Jen Cox (Open Morris) and Jenny Everett & Pauline Woods-Wilson (Morris Federation).

FAQ

Why is Appalachian dancing included, when it originated in the USA?

The DCMS is building an inventory of all Living Heritage being undertaken in the UK, regardless of its origins.  The inventory is a snapshot of what is happening now in the UK.  See their Principles on this page https://livingheritage.unesco.org.uk/info/faqs#what-are-your-principles which says:

<< We may share expressions of living heritage that are similar to those practised by others. Whether they are from the neighbouring village, from a city on the opposite side of the world, or have been adapted by peoples who have migrated and settled in a different region, they all are living heritage: they have been passed from one generation to another, have evolved in response to their environments and they contribute to giving us a sense of identity and continuity, providing a link from our past, through the present, and into our future. >>

Expressions of Interest (EOI) entered by JMO prior to full submission

For the JMO’s latest Expressions of Interest (EOI) to the Living Heritage inventory, see our page: //www.morrisfed.org.uk/resources/unesco-living-heritage-eoi/ 

Community Consent – we need you!

As part of the submissions process to the Invetory, it is a requirement that the practitioners of the Living Heritage give their Community Consent for the description of their activity and whether it needs safeguarding.

What can our members do?

The JMO will contact their memberships and key contacts in March 2026 to request Community Consent – a vital part of the process prior to submission – we ask you to help us improve the submissions (within the word count allowed, of course!).  We hope that this will be in early March 2026.

Community consent is a vital part of submissions to the inventories, so, prior to submission, we will be consulting the membership of all three organisations on the wording, examples, links to other sources of information, and whether it needs safeguarding.

When it comes to adding items to the Inventory, we may ask you to submit your own events for inclusion, but we will let you know the process for that when we know more details.

Here are the headings we have already submitted Expressions of Interest for:

Expressions of Interest (January 2026)

• Appalachian Step Dancing
• Border Morris Dancing
• Clog Step Dancing
• Cotswold Morris Dancing
• English Country Dancing
• Fools and Beasts
• Longsword Dancing
• Maypole Dancing
• Molly Dancing
• Mumming and Guising Plays
• North West Morris Dancing
• Plough Morris Dancing
• Rapper Sword Dancing
• Stave Dancing
• Step Dancing

Last updated: March 2026