INTRODUCTION

In Brazil, the field of heritage has undergone major transformations in the last decade. Important aspects of this change concern the increasing democratisation of heritage tools, as well as the rise of new stakeholders and their relationship with heritage policies. While these changes have occurred in other parts of the world, they have particular connotations in Brazil as social grass-root movements gain a more active role in the country's cultural governance.

The dramatic changes in the work with ICH also reflect the relevance of grass-root participation, as well as the impact of social demands on the development and execution of protective legal instruments and other policy tools. The consequences at the local level are immense; they have created a new field of action and raised great expectations. It is interesting to note that this is not simply a top-down phenomenon. The possibilities introduced by these safeguarding instruments, and by the construction of a professional discourse and practice concerning ICH, are also being appropriated by a range of stakeholders and cultural communities, transforming it into a crucial local issue.

Therefore, it is important to explore the new dynamics in the work with ICH in Brazil, especially in reference to the (often tense) relationships between the state and local-level communities and representatives. In order to discuss some aspects of these complex dynamics, this chapter will make use of examples from the north-eastern Brazilian state of Pernambuco.