KWAGH-HIR AS AN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE: A PERSPECTIVE ON THE QUESTION OF RELEVANCE IN A POSTMODERN WORLD

Abstract

Despite its inscription on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH), Kwagh-hir has been rapidly going into oblivion due to a number of factors. This paper thus discusses the enduring relevance and impact of Kwagh-hir theatre in a postmodern world and stresses the need for the resuscitation and preservation of this great cultural art form, product and indeed heritage of the Tiv people of Benue State. The qualitative approach of research was taken in this study, utilizing both primary and secondary sources to generate its data. The primary tools deployed were personal interviews and participant observation. Moreso, the study engaged a document analysis tool to mine relevant data. This study was anchored on and grounded in the UNESCO Framework of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which has provided a widely recognized framework for the identification and preservation of intangible cultural heritage. Findings of this study showed that the Kwagh-hir art form, which was hitherto amongst the few surviving indigenous arts, but now faces a similar fate to several tribal arts that have sunk into oblivion and some have gone into oblivion after coming in contact with modernity. This paper establishes Kwagh-hir as a dynamic cultural art form of the Tiv people, enumerating its cultural, social, political, national, and even international significance and relevance in present-day society. This concludes by canvassing the urgent need to resuscitate and preserve Kwagh-hir for posterity.