Abstract
The paper focuses on the intangible heritage dynamics in postsocialist Bulgaria. It explores various examples of contemporary uses of traditional mumming to highlight the entanglements between heritage and neoliberal economic discourses. Drawing upon public policies and projects, alongside communities’ or individual initiatives, the article examines the ongoing processes of festivalization, commodification, and reconfiguration of heritage. On the one hand, it problematizes the effects of these interventions such as the redefinition of living heritage as a marketable resource, and the moralization of its bearers and practitioners as entrepreneurs. On the other hand, it traces the reactions of the local communities that domesticate or challenge external economic imperatives in the uncertain post-1989 situation.
Keywords: intangible heritage, postsocialist transition, commodification, entrepreneurship, Bulgaria
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