Like other parts of the Third Sector, ICOMOS-UK understands the need for government cut-backs but is concerned about the possibly severe implications of the budget in terms of the capacity of the charitable sector in general, and the heritage sector in particular  to deliver appropriate services in the light of the re-trenchment of the public sector in many areas.

The ability of the heritage sector to deliver important cultural services (alongside equally important eco-system services) is now widely recognised. These resources relate to the social  aspects of the ‘big society’ that the Government has rightly focused on – the  sense of place, sense of well-being and the idea of  local distinctiveness, all of which have been acknowledged in the new PPS5 and in the work many Agencies have been undertaking in response to the ratification of the European Landscape Convention. The ability of the heritage sector to contribute substantially to GDP is now also widely recognised, through the way it underpins much of the tourism sector, as has been confirmed by the arrangements for the 2012 Olympics.

Yet the cultural heritage sector relies to a much greater extent on the charitable sector than either the Arts sector or the Environment sector. And the anticipated cut-back of DCMS resources linked to a potential decrease in revenue from gift aid, as a result of the £1,000 increase in the personal income tax allowance, and to an increase in VAT, will all impact negatively on the charitable sector.

There is an urgent need for the heritage sector to create a platform from which to engage with the government in order to underline the strong relationship between the charitable sector, government agencies and local authorities and to make the case for appropriate resources to sustain these relationships, in straightened times.

The following members were elected:

President

• Gustavo ARAOZ (United States of America)

Secretary General

• Bénédicte SELFSLAGH (Belgium)

Treasurer General

• Jadran ANTOLOVIC (Croatia)

Candidates – Vice President

• Kristal BUCKLEY (Australia)
• GUO Zhan (China)
• Andrew HALL (South Africa)
• Francisco LOPEZ MORALES (Mexico)
• Olivier POISSON (France)

Candidates – Executive Committee

• Sofia AVGERINOU KOLONIAS (Greece)
• Alfredo CONTI (Argentina)
• Gideon KOREN (Israel)
• Kirsti KOVANEN (Finland)
• Philippe LA HAUSSE (Mauritius)
• Wilfried LIPP (Austria)
• Christoph MACHAT (Germany)
• Yasuyoshi OKADA (Japan)
• Hae-Un RII (Korea)
• Angela ROJAS (Cuba)
• Hristina STANEVA (Bulgaria)
• Boguslav SZMYGIN (Poland)

Membership is open to ICOMOS members able to demonstrate expertise in any field associated with protection, maintenance and conservation of monuments and sites that have intangible cultural heritage associations.

If you are interested in joining this Committee and you are a member of ICOMOS-UK, please contact Camilla Massara on camillamassara@icomos-uk.org for more information.

ICOMOS-UK Website goes live

Welcome to ICOMOS-UK’s new website!

Our new site is based around a blog which is an international heritage and conservation news service. Here you will find stories, features and reviews about our events, projects and members, as well as news from around the world on conferences, campaigns and reports.

ICOMOS-UK plays an essential role in advising on aspects of World Heritage and sites for nomination across the UK. Our new website will therefore focus on stories about World Heritage in the UK and internationally.

On our new site, you can find all the information you need about ICOMOS-UK and its specialist committees, as well as features on our recent projects (use the links at the top of the page, and for features visit the ‘In Focus‘ section). On the left hand side you will see our latest stories and underneath the latest news from the ICOMOS Documentation Centre and the World Heritage Centre.

On the right hand side you can use the links to browse the site by category (‘I’m looking for’) or by theme. The size of the themes (also known as Tags) indicate how many stories are associated with that topic. You can also browse the site through monthly archives. The new site is also fully searchable using the Search Box on the top right hand side.

The International Heritage News Service will also feature reports from our members who represent the UK on ICOMOS International Scientific Committees (read David Yeomans’ report on Standards for Historic Buildings).  We also welcome reviews of events and publications on internationally important subjects from our members (read Barry Joyce’s book review of Shayam Chainani’s Indian Diary).

We hope you’ll enjoy browsing our new site and continue to send us your stories from around the world. Remember you can leave comments after any of our stories and features.

Tell Abu Hawam

ICOMOS-UK is the UK national committee for the International Council on Monuments and Sites. This blog is going to be an international news service for cultural heritage, conservation and historic environment. The stories will come from ICOMOS members who serve on international scientific committees on diverse subjects such as industrial heritage, cultural tourism, conservation of wood and education and training. However we will also be scouring the web for news from other sources, both in the UK and elsewhere. Finally, the blog will alert you to the activities of ICOMOS-UK and its members and committees including event announcements, reviews and reports.

The aim of the news service is to demonstrate the common issues faced by many people who are involved with historic buildings, sites and landscapes and also to share information and experiences that might be of help to others.

Feedback very welcome.