Living Heritage, Circular Futures: Intergenerational Transmission of Indigenous Craft Knowledge through Apprenticeship and Circular Production—An African Intangible Cultural Heritage Framework

Publication Details

Publication Date

10/11/2026

Volume / Issue

Vol 1, Issue 6 (2026)

Article No.

067

Journal

British Journal of Contemporary Research

DOI

https://doi.org/10.67693/BJCR-J2VF3YNC

Received

28 Oct 2026

Views

30

Downloads

10

Abstract

The survival of indigenous crafts depends on the bearers’ abilities to interpret, learn and re-shape their crafts for successive generations. The Akwete textile tradition and Igbo apprenticeship studies inform the analysis within the framework of UNESCO’s criteria for the assessment of intangible cultural heritage. This article blends apprenticeship and material use with a focus on the circular economy. The Intergenerational Indigenous Craft Apprenticeship and Circular Economy Model (IICACEM), has fifteen integral components consisting of apprenticeship, teach-back and recipient-learning, community consent and material use. The integration of recipient learning within craft apprenticeship demonstrates that the former is more indicative of craft continuity than the latter. Craft practice balance and confluence inform the determination of the conditions for engagement of youth within craft practice, craft continuity and material balance. The model is translated into practice through a learning architecture and assessment framework. This article identifies instruments for measurement, as well as refines the scope and limits for evaluating the framework. The model positions craft practice as a process for integrating culture with living heritage and community rights. Rather than hypothesising the effects of an intervention, this article presents a model, based on apprenticeship, material balance and continuous practice, to integrate culture and living heritage with craft practice.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Free to read, share, and adapt with attribution.