ICOMOS-UK Summer Outing & AGM

 Open Air Museums and Society

3rd-5th July 2009

at St Fagans National History Museum (near Cardiff)
Part of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales

St Teilo’s Church, St Fagans © St Fagans: National History Museum

St Teilo’s Church, St Fagans © St Fagans: National History Museum

 ICOMOS-UK is pleased to invite you to our Summer Meeting Seminar and AGM at St Fagans National History Museum, south Wales, in collaboration with Eurwyn Wiliam, our Vice President for Wales, former Director of St Fagans, Deputy Director General of National Museum Wales and latterly Keeper Emeritus, National Museum Wales.

The ‘first generation’ open air museums were set up in Scandinavia at the end of the 19th century. Over the next 80 years many others followed in Switzerland, the Netherlands, Eastern Europe and North America.

Set up to highlight the value of regional buildings which contribute so much to our national identity at a time when many vernacular buildings were becoming vulnerable to destruction or radical change, they became the repositories of ‘unspoilt’ structures which could be read as social documents, particularly of rural life before the industrial era.

The meeting will include visits to the museum’s buildings, a concert in its painted, mediaeval church and a seminar discussing the vision, extraordinary diversity and benefits of open-air museums in Europe.

Programme:

Friday 3rd July:

5.30 – 6.30 Drinks Reception at St Fagans

6.30 – 8.00 Informal Concert at recreated mediaeval church of
St. Teilo’s from Pontardulais, West Glamorgan

8.30 – 9.30 Supper at Iolo Morganwg restaurant, St Fagans

Saturday 4th July:

Seminar: Open-Air Museums and Society,
(Committee Room, St Fagans)

10.00 – 10.30 Coffee

10.30 – 10.40 Introduction and welcome

10.40 – 11.00 Dr Eurwyn Wiliam, Keeper Emeritus, National
Museum Wales: Open-air museums in Europe: a visionary idea

11.00 – 11.20 Gerallt Nash, Senior Curator, St Fagans National History Museum: Presenting recent history at St Fagans

11.20 – 12.00 Richard Suggett, Manager of the Emergency Building Recording Team, Royal Commission for Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales: Searching for the earliest houses in Wales

12.00 – 12.20 Dr Thomas Bloch Ravn, Director of Den Gamle By, Denmark’s National open air museum, Chair of the Association of Open-Air Museums: Open-air museums and society

12.20 – 12.45 Discussion

12.45 – 1.45 Sandwich Lunch Iolo Morganwg restaurant

1.45 – 4.15 Guided visit to St Fagans National History Museum

5.00 – 6.00 ICOMOS-UK AGM in the Committee Room (The Annual General Meeting is open to all members and their guests)

6.00 – 7.00 Optional Supper

Sunday 5th July:

Optional tour to the landscape of the Blaenavon World Heritage site

The main price for ICOMOS-UK members at £50 includes the Friday evening reception, supper and concert, and the Seminar and lunch on Saturday. Guests and non-members are welcome. The pub supper on Saturday evening will be paid for individually by those attending. There is a supplementary £20 cost for the Blaenavon visit on Sunday.

Download the flyer and booking form

For more information please contact:
Camilla Massara
Events Co-ordinator
ICOMOS-UK
Tel: 020 7566 0031
e-mail: camillamassara@icomos-uk.org

This event is organised in collaboration with Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Walesamgueddfa cymru

International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy

27th – 31st July 2009, Berlin, Germany

The International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy 2009 will bring together a diverse group of participants from across the world for a weeklong program of lectures, social events and panel discussions that will look at the role of soft power in contemporary international relations. The speakers during the week are experts and leading figures from politics, academia, and the private sector. The participants of the Symposium include students, young professionals, senior academics and diplomats, all of whom will have the chance to debate the future of soft power and cultural diplomacy with fellow participants and leading authorities. In the evenings the participants will have the opportunity to network in social events, enjoy live music and entertainment and to explore Berlin’s vibrant nightlife.

The theme of this year’s Symposium will be the role of soft power in the international environment, and the speakers will include Jorge Sampaio, United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilisations and former President of Portugal (1996-2006), Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique (1986 – 2005) and former Chairperson of the African Union (2003 – 2004), Cassam Uteem, former President of the Republic of Mauritius (1992-2002), Dr. Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, former President of Latvia (1999-2007), and Dr. Vasile Puşcaş, Romanian Minister for European Affairs.

More information

Symposium Brochure

Contact: symposium@culturaldiplomacy.org

Study tour of the Republic of Ireland – Quality Place-making

7th-10th July 2009

This tour will explore four towns in the Republic sharing information and good practice on what makes a high quality place.

Youghal001_sqFrom contemporary lighting schemes and public realm design in Cork to the colourful shop fronts in Youghal, embedded in the towns history, and Waterford’s vision “ to create a framework of public and civic spaces of character and visual quality” in a medieval city known for its ancient City Walls and craftsmanship, and finally an international conference in Kilkenny Castle – “Serving people while preserving heritage” – which will bring together practitioners and representatives from policy making bodies.

Programme Details and Online Booking

Places are limited and bookings must be received by 12 June.

Contemporary architecture in the context of a World Heritage City

Wednesday 3rd June

Please join an evening looking at contemporary architecture in the context of a World Heritage City with a special guest from Canada, Herb Stovel, an expert on World Heritage matters, to speak about his experiences with the changing landscape of international world heritage cities.

Please contact Glasgow City Heritage Trust on 0141 552 1331 to reserve your place (limited spaces available).