International Intangible Heritage Showcase & Forum: Toward WIN 2026 – A Global Festival Opening a New Chapter for Living Heritage
Aug 01, 2025
Updated October 2025
– Beginning in 2026, the IP-WIN and PRE-WIN programs will be jointly organized as an integrated global platform, launching from Suwon (Gyeonggi Province), Korea — an emerging international hub of living heritage, urban innovation, and cultural diversity.
A Festival of Living Heritage Opening the Future of Cities
Following extensive consultations with our partners and sponsors, the Organizing Committee of the World Intangible Heritage Network (WIN) has made the difficult but strategic decision to postpone IP-WIN 2025 to a later date.
While this postponement is regrettable, it is also necessary to preserve the high quality, inclusiveness, and sustainability that define the festival’s vision. The additional preparation time will allow for broader international participation, expanded partnerships, and the integration of IP-WIN and PRE-WIN under a single, unified framework. This structure will serve as the foundation for WIN 2028 – The World Intangible Heritage Grand Festival, marking a new milestone in global cultural cooperation.
We sincerely appreciate the continued support of all members, partner institutions, and communities that share our vision of celebrating living heritage as a source of empathy, innovation, and peace.
Toward a Shared Global Platform
The revised program will bring together UNESCO-inscribed intangible heritage troupes and cultural policy experts in a more comprehensive format, emphasizing collaboration among cities, networks, and international organizations.
By linking IP-WIN and PRE-WIN, the new structure will serve as a pilot for the evolving World Intangible Heritage Network (WIN) — a platform that fosters dialogue between heritage communities, cultural policymakers, and creative industries.
The festival will retain its founding spirit under the theme:
“Echoes of Living Heritage – Culture, Empathy, and Peace.”
Core programs such as the International Forum (“Finding Our Roots”) and the World Intangible Heritage Showcases will remain central. However, they will be redesigned to encourage joint planning, resource sharing, and regional cooperation among multiple countries and cities, promoting a more inclusive and sustainable cultural ecosystem.
Strategic Directions and IAB Meeting
To reinforce the creative management and long-term vision of the WIN Festival, the Secretariat will present new strategic directions and an updated operational plan at the upcoming IAB Meeting in November 2025.
These discussions will outline clear pathways to:
• Expand the institutional base and strengthen international partnerships
• Secure sustainable funding through collaborative sponsorships
• Integrate digital platforms and cultural diplomacy strategies
As many have rightly emphasized, the true meaning of the WIN Festival does not lie in the efforts of a few Korean sponsors or the Secretariat alone, but in the collective capacity, commitment, and unity of all IAB members and their institutions worldwide.
We look forward to realizing the next edition—scheduled for autumn 2026—through your shared wisdom, experience, and wholehearted cooperation.
A Small but Meaningful Beginning
Although Culture Masters continues its work with modest resources, our mission remains clear: to open new possibilities for global cultural diplomacy through a platform where myth, memory, art, and sustainability converge.
Intangible heritage is not a relic of the past—it is a living language of humanity, offering insights and solutions for community resilience, ecological balance, and intercultural respect.
The journey toward WIN 2028 begins here—with shared commitment, collaboration, and imagination.
🧭 Toward Sustainable Cities and International Hubs
The International Forum will focus on two themes:
Intangible Heritage and Urban Sustainability
Lineages of Heritage and Community Resilience
These discussions will reaffirm intangible heritage as not merely preservation of tradition but as a vital driver of urban innovation and sustainable development.
⚙️ Operational Guidelines Summary
- Voluntary Participation: Participants join at their own cost, respecting equality and agency in cultural exchange.
- Official Approval System: Applications will be reviewed and approved based on alignment with IP-WIN philosophy.
- Technical Support & Certification: Venue and equipment coordination, plus participation certificates provided.
- Awards & Promotion: Awards based on audience response and creativity; official promo kit provided.
- Sustainability: Eco-friendly operations, use of local resources, digital-first approach.
- Ethics & Diversity: Adherence to ethical standards of mutual respect and non-discrimination.
Global Significance
This event marks the launch of the “World Intangible Heritage Network (WIN),” initiating a global project that will expand through PRE-WIN 2026 and WIN 2028.
Although Culture Masters starts with modest resources, we aspire to open new possibilities for global cultural diplomacy through a ‘small but meaningful beginning’.
Intangible heritage is not a relic of the past, but a living language that offers solutions to global challenges such as community resilience, ecological balance, and intercultural respect.
IP-WIN 2025 is a humble first step toward a new model of cultural diplomacy where myth, memory, art, and sustainability converge.
Sponsorship & Partnership Guide
- Active participation from public and private partners is welcome
- Official partners will be acknowledged on websites, print, and promotional materials
- Sponsorship supports performances, cultural forums, and youth participation programs
- Organizations focused on ESG, CSR, or public diplomacy can raise their global cultural profile
- Your support builds a living cultural bridge between tradition and the future
Sponsorship & Participation Inquiries
Email: culturemasters.1@gmail.com
Website: www.culturemasters.org
Contact: +82 2 582 3350 https://youtu.be/KtaKA7D_teA?si=Qt2L-1VH58d9IPNo
※ The program may be modified based on participating countries and local conditions.
© 2025 Culture Masters. All rights reserved.
Related Video: WIN 2025–2028 Promotional Video