The Sutton Subrang Dance Ensemble, Photo: Rolf Killius

The Museum of Croydon and the London Sitar Ensemble hosted a major exhibition in the Croydon NOW gallery of the Museum of Croydon, and other public display areas at Croydon Clocktower, from April to July 2009. The exhibition showcased the outputs of the ‘String and Dance Festival’ Project which was run by London Sitar Ensemble. The core exhibition comprised of oral history interviews (video), musical instruments and associated objects from the Community Groups involved and other donors (potentially the Horniman Museum), photographs and videos showing musical performances and dances from the Indian Sub-Continent as performed in the UK, costumes and associated musical instruments of all eight classical Indian dances and three folk dance genres from western India. Within the musical instruments display the emphasis was on string instruments like the sitar, sarangi, violin, veena, sarod, santoor and the supporting instruments like drums and cymbals.

Two photo exhibitions complemented the exhibition and were displayed in other public areas of the Clocktower: one showing Croydon-based dancers and musicians; and the other about a music instruments collection project in India. The exhibition was embedded in a string of events like workshops, rehearsals, oral tradition interviews and concerts. Taking and using a wealth of digital video, still photography and audio recordings constituted a major part of the activities and display.

Indian music and dance is one of the finest traditions in the world. Tracing its roots back to times immemorial, these art forms have an interesting pattern of evolutionary changes. Many changes, transformation and evolution have taken place, enriched by the contribution of the musicians and dancers, great and small, famous and unknown. The India – Britain story is a 400 year long tale of travel, migration and cultural exchange. This journey has made a significant influence on the cultural scene of British Arts. The ‘Indian Strings and Dances’ project, undertaken by London Sitar Ensemble and Croydon Museum and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, aims to explore the evolution and contribution made by the musicians and dancers in Britain.

The exhibition was curated by Lata Desai and Rolf Killius in close collaboration with Rob Shakespeare, Acting Museum Service Manager.

CALL FOR PAPERS

The 11th Cambridge Heritage conference seeks to examine the Olympics as a global and a local phenomenon affecting heritage by addressing two themes:  (1) the Olympics as heritage and (2) the impact of the Olympics on cultural heritage. Every four years the Olympics goes beyond just being a sporting event, offering a local and a global stage where countries can promote and showcase themselves to the world.  Cultural heritage is intimately entangled in the games, both in terms of the Olympics as historic, but also in how the event impacts the cultural heritage of the host country.

The 11th Cambridge Heritage Seminar is using the Olympic games as a forum for thinking about how one event can impact and transform local and global cultural heritage.  It will be divided into two sessions.  The first session will explore how the games are themselves heritage, and the second will examine the ‘heritage-impact’ of the games in the nations that host them.  The conference particularly welcomes theoretical contributions and case studies from Athens, Beijing and London.

Some indicative themes and questions of the type we intend to address are:

• The symbolism and performance behind the Olympic games.  
• How does one sporting event manifest as both global and local heritage? 
• How has the Olympics become a commodified event?  How does Olympic tourism impact cultural heritage?
• How do the games affect and transform the existing built environment of a city?
• How does new built architecture become cultural heritage in its own right?

Please send 500-word paper abstract or poster proposals to Shadia Taha at st446@cam.ac.uk. Proposals should be sent as PDF or Word documents and should include full contact information and a brief CV. Deadline for proposals is February 28th 2010.   General Information and Registration will be available soon at: http://www.arch.cam.ac.uk/heritage-seminar

A 1-day event aimed at people involved in the planning system within World Heritage Sites, including Planners, Conservation Officers, WHS Co-ordinators and Councillors.

The event, which is being held at two alternative venues, has been organised jointly by the Local Authority World Heritage Forum (LAWHF), English Heritage and ICOMOS-UK.

The Telford event will be chaired by Gillian Clarke, Secretary of LAWHF and the Newcastle upon Tyne event by Susan Denyer, Secretary of ICOMOS-UK.

For more information please e-mail jbl.telshrops@blueyonder.co.uk or telephone Jonathan Lloyd on 01952 587615

Download the programme and booking form

A three day conference jointly organised by the Centre for Conservation Studies, University of York and ICOMOS-UK
3-5 June 2010, King’s Manor, York, UK

 Is there such a thing as a global conservation philosophy for cultural heritage? Should there be? Or should cultural heritage conservation reflect cultural diversity? The Conference will consider these thoughts through exploring conjunctions and differences between conservation philosophies and principles in UK, India and China. 

Agra Fort, India, photo: M & G Therin-Weise

These aspirations were translated into an Australian national framework by the Burra Charter, the Australian National Charter, 1979. The idea of universality was strengthened by the 1972 World Heritage Convention with its concept of outstanding universal value for properties that might be seen part of the ‘world heritage of mankind as a whole’, which thus translated universal ideas to places perceived to be of universal value. 

In recent years the China Principles, 2002, and the INTACH Charter for the Conservation of Unprotected Architectural Heritage and Sites in India, 2004, have developed conservation guidance related to specific cultural traditions. Do these still somehow reflect the idea of an over-arching conservation philosophy that can be seen to be global? Or are they stand alone documents whose similarities merely reflect the interchange of ideas between east and west? 

The Conference will consider these thoughts through exploring conjunctions and differences between conservation philosophies and principles in UK, India and China. Contributions on the following themes are welcomed:

• Are coincidences in conservation ideas between east and west the result of direct contact and exchange of ideas between conservation professionals in the 19th and 20th centuries?

• Are coincidences of outcome influenced more by changing overarching philosophies – the westernisation of the east (colonialism) and the easternisation of the west?

• Is there an over-arching conservation philosophy which brings east and west together at a global level and within which regional and national principles, policies and practice can be developed, or are there fundamental dichotomies and irreconcilable differences?

• At a practical level, is there potential for international agreement on methods of, and standards for,conservation interventions at cultural heritage sites? 

Abstracts for proposed papers (15 minutes) on these themes will be accepted until Friday 5th March 2010. 

York Minster, UK

Instructions for Submitting an Abstract (please read carefully) 

• Abstracts must be received in ICOMOS-UK by 5th March 2010

• Text of 300-500 words in English

• The page with the abstracts must contain AT THE TOP the title of the proposed paper, the name of the author(s), and contact information (institutional affiliation, mailing address, phone number and email address)

• A committee from ICOMOS-UK and the University of York will evaluate all abstracts. Authors selected for paper presentations will be notified by 22th March 2010. Final written and electronic papers must be received by ICOMOS-UK by 3rd May.

• ICOMOS-UK will accept electronic (Microsoft Word or Adobe pdf files only) abstracts sent by email to camillamassara@icomos-uk.org

• For specific queries on the themes please contact:

Navin Piplani, Director, Centre for Conservation Studies, University of York: np515@york.ac.uk

Camilla Massara, Events Co-ordinator, ICOMOS-UK: camillamassara@icomos-uk.org

The aim of the conference is to consider the threat to the UK’s unique heritage from fire and other such incidents and is a must attend for anyone who is involved with Fire Protection or the restoration and preservation of heritage buildings.

The conference will involve key players from across the cultural and heritage sectors as well as representatives from the world of fire engineering, architecture, tourism and planning.

For more information and to book please contact Mandy Eeles on 07919 175310 or Richard Daly on 01606 868290.   

Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service
The Institution of Fire Engineers

Painshill Park, Surrey

Painshill Park is bringing together key players in the debate to a major conference, using Painshill’s award winning restoration as a model for past and present approaches, and discussing new ways of looking at landscapes in the future.

The two-day conference will be chaired by Dr Patrick Eyres. Speakers will include:

Mavis Batey (Garden History Society)
Mike Calnan (National Trust)
Mark Laird (Harvard University and Painshill Park Consultant)
John Phibbs (Dubois)
Michael Symes (Garden Historian, Author and Lecturer)
Janie Burford (Council Member, Painshill Park Trust)
Kate Felus (Historic Landscapes)
Brent Elliott (Royal Horticultural Society)

Tours of Painshill will be included on the first day.

Cost to delegates:  £100 for the two days including refreshments and lunches (there will be a limited number of places at a reduced fee for students)

To obtain a booking form, or for further information, please contact:

Rachael James (PA and Park Administrator)
Painshill Park, Portsmouth Road, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 1JE
e-mail: rachaeljames@painshill.co.uk
Tel: 01932 868113

This is a fundraising event and proceeds will go towards the on-going restoration of Painshill Park.
Reg. Charity No. 284944

                                        17 December 2009

          Vacancy Notice: Head of the ICOMOS Documentation Centre

Announcement available as PDF download:

http://international.icomos.org/pdf/DOC_Announce_Poste_EN_20091217.pdf

ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites) is an association of over 9000 cultural heritage professionals present in over 100 countries throughout the world, working for the conservation and protection of monuments and sites – the only global non-government organisation of its kind. It benefits from the cross-disciplinary exchange of its members – architects, archaeologists, art historians, engineers, historians, planners, who foster improved heritage conservation standards and techniques for all forms of cultural properties: buildings, historic towns, cultural landscapes, archaeological sites, etc. ICOMOS is officially recognized as an advisory body to UNESCO, actively contributing to the World Heritage Committee and taking part in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

The ICOMOS International Secretariat and its specialized Documentation Centre are located in Paris (France). The Documentation Centre specializes in the conservation of architectural and archaeological heritage; and the restoration and management of historic monuments and sites. Its collections include approximately 30,000 monographs and 600 periodicals (200 current). It also holds all the original nomination files for cultural properties proposed for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is open to ICOMOS members and the general public. In 2012, ICOMOS will move to new premises in Charenton (Paris) together with the Mediathèque de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine of France.

The Head of the Documentation Centre reports to the Director of the ICOMOS International Secretariat, and the Executive Committee of ICOMOS.

The Head of the Documentation Centre is responsible, among other, for:

• Contributing to and implementing the strategy established for the Documentation Centre by the Executive Committee and its Documentation and Publications working group
• Cataloguing and indexing of books and journal articles
• Updating the bibliographic database and the website of the Documentation Centre
• Managing the periodicals collection
• Welcoming and assisting visitors in the reading room
• Responding to information requests (by email, telephone, fax)  
• Establishing and monitoring the Centre’s budget (in cooperation with the ICOMOS accountant)
• Reporting to the ICOMOS bodies and funders on the Centre’s activities
• Managing the sale of ICOMOS publications and ensuring their legal deposit
• Managing the publications exchange programme with other organizations
• Managing the ICOMOS Open Access Repository
• Communicating the Centre’s news and work, in particular through the ICOMOS newsletters
• Recruit and supervise interns and volunteers for the Centre
• Liaising with the other Secretariat units, in particular the World Heritage Unit – and provide support when needed.
• Collaborating with other libraries and Documentation Centre’s at the international level

The candidate must have the following knowledge and skills:

• A University degree in librarianship and/or documentation, or an equivalent qualification in information management
• Computer literacy, excellent command of bibliographic database software, knowledge of Open Access Repositories
• Ability to create and maintain web pages (knowledge of HTML, Dreamweaver)
• Excellent knowledge of ICOMOS’ working languages: English and French. Knowledge of another ICOMOS official language (Spanish, Russian) or other languages will be considered an advantage
• Interpersonal/Communication skills and ability to deal with the public, team spirit, initiative, ability to work independently and to deadlines.
• 2 or 3 years work experience is considered an advantage     
• Knowledge of cultural heritage conservation, art history and related fields is considered an advantage

1-year-renewable contract, with starting date 1 March 2010

French work permit required

 A letter of application, detailed curriculum vitae and two references (if available) should be sent by email to gaia.jungeblodt@icomos.org, by 20 January 2010.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in Paris.

Contact for queries and applications: Gaia Jungeblodt, Director of the ICOMOS International Secretariat – gaia.jungeblodt@icomos.org

Tel. + 33 (0)1 45 67 67 70.

For further information on ICOMOS, please consult www.icomos.org

On Thursday 10th December 2009 at 6.30pm in The Gallery, 77 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EL

We would like to invite you to this year’s ICOMOS-UK Christmas Lecture and Wine Reception, in association with The Royal Institution of Great Britain:

The lecture will be given by Professor Clive Ruggles, Chair of the International Astronomical Union ’s Working Group on Astronomy and World Heritage.

In today’s brightly lit world it is all too easy to forget just how overwhelming the dark night sky would have been to human societies in the past—a prominent part of the observed world that was impossible to ignore.

The objects and cycles seen there were vital to people striving to make sense of the world within which they dwelt and to keep their actions in harmony with the cosmos as they perceived it.

The Thirteen Towers, Peru

For the archaeoastronomer, certain ancient monuments provide tantalising glimpses of long lost beliefs and practices relating to the sky, although they have to be interpreted with considerable caution.

In this lecture Clive Ruggles, Emeritus Professor of Archaeoastronomy at the University of Leicester, will describe some major new discoveries made in recent years, focusing on his own ongoing work in Peru, Polynesia, and prehistoric Europe.

Clive is Chair of the International Astronomical Union’s Working Group on Astronomy and World Heritage, which is working with UNESCO and ICOMOS to help identify, protect and preserve the most outstanding manifestations of global cultural heritage relating to the sky. Clive is also President of the Prehistoric Society, and President of IAU Commission 41 (History of Astronomy).  His books include Skywatching in the Ancient World: New Perspectives in Cultural Astronomy, edited with Gary Urton (Colorado, 2007), Ancient Astronomy: An Encyclopedia of Cosmologies and Myth (ABC-CLIO, 2005), and Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland (Yale UP, 1999).

Admission (including wine and mince pies after the lecture) is £15 for ICOMOS-UK or The Royal institution of Great Britain members.
Admission for non-members is £18 and for students it is £10.

We do hope you will join us on the 10th December, 

For more information and a booking form please contact:

Camilla Massara
Events Co-ordinator
International Council on Monuments & Sites UK

Tel 020 7566 0031
E-mail: camillamassara@icomos-uk.org

This conference organised by The Federal Trust for Education and Research jointly with Cornish cultural group CERES, will be an opportunity to learn more about one of the historic regions of the United Kingdom and Europe from representatives of Cornish cultural and intellectual life. It will also be an opportunity to understand better the European links and networks in which Cornish representatives and  will bring together speakers from Cornwall and the European Commission to discuss shared interests from the perspective of one of Europe’s smaller historic regions.

The conference – “Cornwall in Europe: an example from minorities” – will be hosted by the Trust at the London Metropolitan University in the City, and be followed by a reception. There will be four Cornish speakers who will describe Cornwall’s cultural and economic experiences in the wider Europe against the backgound of Cornwall’s history and distinctive Celtic tradition.
Cornish participation in the Council of Europe’s Disadvantaged Neighbourhoods Programme will be outlined as a case study.

Please note that registration to this event is essential.

For more information and registration please contact John Fleet at CERES: ceres.sec@freeuk.com

The Emerging New York Architects Committee (ENYA), AIA NY Chapter, is pleased to announce its fourth biennial international ideas competition, High Bridge: Bronx, Building Cultural Infrastructure (HB:BX). This competition is open to all emerging professionals, including, but not limited to, architects, artists, engineers, landscape architects, urban designers, and planners who have completed their education at the undergraduate or graduate level within 10 years of the competition announcement (September 10, 2009).

Registration Begins: Sept 10, 2009
Registration Ends: Nov 18, 2009
Submission Deadline: January 18, 2010 (postmarked)
Open to: Emerging Designers
Entry Fee: $35 Student, $65 Individual, $110 Team (2-4), $300 Group(5+)
Awards: $5,000 (ENYA prize), $2,000 (2nd Place), $1,000 (3rd Place), $1,000 (Student)

HB:BX is an open ideas competition to design an arts center that culturally reinforces the physical connection between the Manhattan and Bronx High Bridge communities of New York City. Working in cooperation with the arts organizations Artists Unite and the Bronx Museum of the Arts, ENYA means to draw awareness to the current efforts to restore and reopen the historic High Bridge. This competition is a forum to explore the urban and community improvement opportunities that may come with the achievement of such a momentous milestone. Thus, ENYA challenges designers to explore how disused structures can be reprogrammed into elements of a vibrant urban cultural center. Entrants are also challenged to rethink the relationship between existing infrastructure (aqueduct, railway, highway) and the contemporary urban context. These issues, universally relevant to any growing city, take on a more site-specific nature when considering the importance of the High Bridge and the topographic challenges posed by the steep riverbanks of the Harlem River. Also defining this competition are the unique clients who ask entrants to reconsider architecture’s role in the creation, display, and experience of viewing art in one of the world’s most culturally vibrant cities.

General information about HB:BX follows:
Type: International Ideas Competition. The competition results are intended to generate ideas for the site and will not result in actual development by ENYA or other parties involved.

About ENYA, AIA New York Chapter
ENYA (Emerging New York Architects) is a forum for the interests and activities of students, interns, associates, and new architects. The committee, which is part of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, establishes networking, mentoring, technical, and public advocacy initiatives to foster the professional development of architecture students and young professionals and to strengthen the quality of the built environment.

About the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter
Founded in 1857 by seven visionary architects, the AIA New York Chapter is the first and largest chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Today, the AIA New York Chapter is a membership-based organization comprised of licensed architects and professional affiliates in real estate, construction, engineering, and facilities management, and currently has 4,300 members. Operating out of the Center for Architecture, a storefront space in Greenwich Village, the Chapter is dedicated to three Primary goals: public outreach, professional development, and design excellence.
The AIA New York Chapter is guided by the work of its dedicated committees. Over two-dozen committees, open to all interested, are continually exploring such vital issues as housing, planning, urban design, community development, historical preservation, and environmental sustainability. The AIA New York Chapter also serves as an advocate in public policy discussions with governmental decision-makers and other civic and professional associations.

More information

Contact: enyacompetitions@gmail.com