Heritage Now: Relevance and Community – Youth-Led Strategies for Climate Action (3/5)
In this session, we bring together an international panel of professionals working on youth-led strategies for tackling the climate crisis through heritage. Understanding that the health of people, wildlife and the environment are all deeply intertwined, this conversation focused on nature-based solutions and community-led climate efforts, exploring the potential of the heritage sector to respond to the devastating impacts of the climate crisis.
Speakers
• Sarah Younan, Youth Engagement Coordinator, National Museum of Wales
• Rashad Salim and Hannah Lewis, Co-Founders, Safina Projects
Heritage Now: Relevance and Community – [Re]Interpreting Relevance (2/5)
In this session, we investigate what happens when heritage sites and stories no longer hold relevance within communities. Drawing together speakers who have worked to adapt and evolve heritage spaces and their narratives, we discuss topics such as truth and trust, meaningful co-production and how we can tell multi-dimensional stories to open up engagement opportunities.
Speakers
• Elon Cook Lee, Director of Interpretation and Education in the Historic Sites Department, National Trust for Historic Preservation (US)
• Francis Musa Momoh, Research and Development Officer, Monuments and Relics Commission (Sierra Leone)
• Chrischené Julius, Collections Manager, District Six Museum (South Africa)
Heritage Now: Relevance and Community – Community Ownership (1/5)
In this, the first of five sessions, we examine who ‘owns’ heritage? Exploring ideas around ownership and influence, we discuss how communities and heritage organisations navigate these concepts, in collaboration or in opposition. Bringing together a multidisciplinary group of professionals working with heritage, we ask; who makes the decisions? How do we prioritise? What are the impacts of such actions?
‘Heritage Now: Relevance and Community’ draws from and develops key themes explored during the 2022 international conference of the same name. Each event brings together voices from around the world, to share experiences and to collectively discuss pressing topics related to heritage preservation.
Conference Recording: INTO Dundee – Heritage Now: Relevance & Community (2022)
In October 2022, the Culture in Crisis Programme in partnership with the International National Trusts Organisation, the National Trust for Scotland and V&A Dundee convened a major international conference, in Dundee, Scotland.
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.
The War on Ukrainian Heritage
In this online event recorded in November 2022, we hear from Dr Kateryna Goncharova, Ukrainian Heritage Crisis Specialist at the World Monuments Fund, about the Russian military invasion and its impact on Ukrainian Heritage.
As well as providing an overview of the significance of Ukrainian culture and heritage, this event outlined the immediate threats and risks posed by the war; explaining how they are impacting a nation's fragile historic environment.
Attacks on heritage and identity during this conflict have been wide-reaching and have included targeted attacks within historic cities, the destruction of cultural sites and the looting of museums and archival collections.
While the war and its effect on Ukrainian heritage has been reported widely, there have been notable cases of misunderstanding and misinformation. Through this event we explored these issues and heard – from the ground – what’s taking place.
Listen to the recording to hear what can be done to safeguard heritage and how people and institutions can support Ukrainian heritage professionals and their work today.