Conferences

Nepal conference image Conference

Heritage and Recovery: A Decade of Learning from the Gorkha Earthquake

The Victoria & Albert Museum’s Culture in Crisis Programme in partnership with the University of Sterling and Social Science Baha, staged a major international conference from 2 to 4 April 2025, in Kathmandu, Nepal.

2025 marks ten years since the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake(s) struck Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people, and causing catastrophic damage to lives and livelihoods, as well as physical, social, and cultural infrastructure. The incident deeply impacted heritage across the country; from internationally recognised monuments and heritage sites to community and religious heritage buildings and landscapes, objects and museums, and the myriad cultural practices that enrich the lives of Nepal’s inhabitants. In the aftermath of the Earthquake, heritage has emerged as a key sector for post-disaster recovery, not only because of its role in Nepal’s economy, but also as a central aspect of collective memory, national and local identity, and social and psychological well-being.

As Nepal commemorates ten years since the Earthquake, entering what is officially referred to as ‘long-term recovery', it is time to reflect on the many forms of recovery and reconstruction processes that have taken place.

Skeiron 1 Conference

Destruction by Design: The Legacies of Damage to Cultural Heritage (2024)

On 20 September 2024, The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Culture in Crisis Programme, in partnership with University of Stirling and V&A Dundee, staged this international conference at V&A Dundee, Scotland. The conference critically examined politically motivated, intentional damage and destruction of cultural heritage. Such acts become part of the ongoing biographies of heritage objects, monuments and places, creating difficult and contentious dilemmas about their future lives for those involved in caring for them. The conference provided an important forum for comparing historical and contemporary examples and reflecting on the consequences of different conservation, restoration and documentation policies and practices, with a view to shaping future directions.
The full event programme can be found here: https://sway.cloud.microsoft/LXuVVfVWXvgo52bm?ref=Link

CIC logo Conference

Heritage at War: Plan and Prepare (2023)

In February 2023, The Victoria and Albert Museum’s Culture in Crisis Programme, in partnership with the School of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester staged an international conference exploring the past and present risks of military conflict to heritage.
'Heritage at War: Plan and Prepare' brought together voices from Europe, the US, Africa, and Asia to explore how lessons learned from past experiences of conflict can inform our approaches to the safeguarding of cultural heritage today. Presentations explored how the heritage sector, the military and other stakeholders collaborate to protect cultural heritage under attack, navigating the specific risks of direct military conflict on the ground.

This conference is generously supported by the University of Leicester’s ESRC Impact Acceleration Award.

INTO Heritage Conference

INTO Dundee – Heritage Now: Relevance & Community (2022)

INTO Dundee: Heritage Now: Relevance & Community highlighted the importance of both people and purpose within heritage preservation, taking an encompassing look at tangible and intangible heritage, as well as the preservation of landscapes where nature and heritage co-exist. The conference explored key ideas such as how relevance is perceived, shaped and adapted within heritage, and how organisations can engage communities and (re)present narratives.

As the heritage sector faces ongoing evolving challenges, now more than ever organisations are recognising the importance of future-focused strategies. The conference provided an important forum for sharing experiences and developing best practices, with specific consideration to work relating to communities and the relevance heritage holds for them.

The event drew together a global audience of heritage professionals and those working in associated sectors, providing a rich opportunity for sharing international experiences and case studies.