PROGRAMME
All sessions can be freely accessed via the UKNC for UNESCO YouTube channel. You can also find the link to our conference playlist on the homepage.
Useful downloads:
- 14:00-16:00 OPENING SESSION: Heritage for Our Sustainable Future: Research, Practice, Policy and Impact
Agreed in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly, the 17 Sustainable
Development
Goals (SDGs) unite 193 Governments with the shared aim of leaving both our
planet
and societies on a sustainable footing for future generations. No poverty, clean
energy, sustainable cities and quality education are among the challenging
targets
that must be met no later than 2030. How do we ensure that heritage is central
to
the future development agenda? What kind of research and practical actions are
needed now? And how can researchers work with practitioners and policymakers to
maximise the ways heritage can contribute to multiple SDGs?This session introduces key themes on how to utilise heritage in a wide range of contexts to meet the SDGs and raises questions to be discussed/answered during a further twelve outstanding sessions over ten days. We will draw on key findings from relevant studies and reports in the field as well as current challenges and gaps in heritage research, policy and practices for the SDGs to stimulate the discussion.
-
CHAIRS
Mr James Ömer Bridge,
Secretary-General and CEO UK National Commission for UNESCO (The United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
Biography
Prof Stuart Taberner, Dean for Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Leeds, UK. Biography
Mr James Bridge runs the UK's National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) and
represents it as Secretary-General at UNESCO headquarters. He works with the
UK's UNESCO sites and designations and the global network of 199 National
Commissions for UNESCO. Prior to joining the UKNC, James worked in the UK
and
Brussels at a variety of national and international NGOs, international
organisations and regulatory bodies. He spoke at Praxis's Heritage for
Global
Challenges event in West Bekaa, Lebanon in 2020, highlighting UKNC's
research
and policy work on heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals and
innovation
in cultural heritage.
Ms Helen Maclagan, Vice-Chair and Non-Executive Director, Culture Portfolio / UK National Commission for UNESCO / Archaeology, Culture and Heritage Biography
Professor Stuart Taberner is currently Dean for Interdisciplinary Research,
where he works across all faculties to promote and shape interdisciplinary
and
collaborative research to address global challenges. From 2016-2018, he was
Director for International and Interdisciplinary Research at UK Research and
Innovation, leading on the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). He is
currently Principal Investigator on PRAXIS which works with major
international
bodies such as UNESCO and UNDP across four main areas—heritage, conflict,
global
health, and resilience—to maximise the impact of GCRF research for the SDGs.
They also work with government departments such as DCMS, with the British
Council, and many overseas partners.
Ms Helen Maclagan is an independent heritage and cultural specialist. She
previously led Warwickshire County Council’s Archaeology and Heritage and
Cultural Services, also serving on related national advisory bodies. After a
year in West Africa using culture in health education, she returned in 2011
to
the UK and self-employment. At the UK National Commission for UNESCO she has
been involved with World Heritage Sites (particularly the UK Tentative List)
and
with issues around Underwater Cultural Heritage, the UNESCO Creative Cities
Network, Cultural Protection and most recently the role of, and
opportunities
for, Cultural Heritage – tangible and intangible - in International
Development.
-
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Mr Ernesto Renato Ottone Ramirez, Assistant Director-General for
Culture of UNESCO
Biography
Lord Mendoza of King's Reach Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal and Provost of Oriel College at the Oxford University. Biography
Mr Ernesto Ottone R. is the Assistant Director-General for Culture of
UNESCO.
Prior to this position, he served as Chile’s first Minister of Culture, Arts
and
Heritage from 2015 to 2018, where he created a Department of First Peoples,
a
Migrants Unit and strengthened copyright laws and heritage protections.
During
this time he also chaired the Regional Centre for the Promotion of Books in
Latin America and the Caribbean (2016 – 2017). From 2011 to 2015, Mr Ottone
R.
served as Director-General of the Artistic and Cultural Extension Center of
the
University of Chile. From 2001 to 2010, he held the position of Executive
Director at the Matucana 100 Cultural Center in Santiago.
Ms Basma El Husseiny Director, Action for Hope Biography
Lord Neil Mendoza of King's Reach is Provost of Oriel College, Oxford. He is
also Commissioner of Cultural Recovery and Renewal at the Department for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport following four years as a non-executive
director at DCMS. He led the Mendoza Review of Museums in England (2017) and
is
Chair of The Landmark Trust and the Illuminated River Foundation.
Basma El Husseiny is a cultural manager, an activist for social change and a UNESCO expert in cultural governance. For the past 30 years she has been involved in supporting independent cultural projects and organizations in the Arab region. The two main organizations she founded; Al Mawred Al Thaqafy (Culture Resource) and Action for Hope, are proof of her commitment to culture and artistic creation as resources that enable people to attain social justice and freedom, and endorse positive social change.
Basma El Husseiny is currently leading the organisation Action for Hope, that was established in 2015 with the objective of addressing the cultural and social needs of distressed and displaced communities in the Arab region. Action for Hope has pioneered cultural relief programs and designed new and alternative models in arts education and production for refugee and marginalized communities. In October 2018, Basma won the UCLG Agenda21 for Culture International Award in Mexico City for her contribution to the relationship between culture and sustainable development.
-
PANELLISTS
Dr Francesca Giliberto, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at
Praxis/University of
Leeds
Biography
Mr Gabe Caballero ICOMOS Focal Point on the Sustainable Development Goals Biography
Dr Francesca Giliberto is Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Praxis/University
of
Leeds, where she focuses on heritage for global challenges. In parallel, she
is
working at the University of Kent on a research project exploring the
impacts of
Covid-19 on heritage-based tourism in Sub-Saharan Africa and how to rethink
more
sustainable tourism strategies. In the last nine years she has conducted
interdisciplinary research inside and outside academia, particularly on
urban
heritage management, policy and impact evaluation, and heritage for
sustainable
development. She also actively contributes to the work of the ICOMOS
Sustainable
Development Working Group and to Our World Heritage Initiative.
Mr Jordi Pascual Coordinator, UCLG Culture Committee Biography
Gabriel Caballero is the Focal Point for the Sustainable Development Goals
for
ICOMOS and acts as facilitator and coordinator for ICOMOS’ work in relation
to
the global sustainable development policy arena. He coordinates the
activities
of the SDGs Working Group, develops ideas and monitors progress to support
the
implementation of the ICOMOS Action Plan for Cultural Heritage and
Localizing
the Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. Caballero is also an expert member of
the
International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and specialises on
sensitive landscape design interventions, cultural landscape research,
culture-nature linkages and world heritage evaluations in rapidly urbanizing
areas in Asia.
Mr Henry McGhie Founder of Curating Tomorrow Biography
The work of UCLG Culture Committee is based on Culture 21 Actions, the most
complete toolkit on culture in sustainable cities. Amongst his many
projects,
Jordi is involved in the global campaign #culture2030goal that advocates for
the
role of cultural factors and actors in the UN Agenda 2030 and the
Sustainable
Development Goals. Jordi has published books, articles and reports on
cultural
rights, international cultural relations, culture and sustainability and the
governance of culture. He has been a member of the jury of the European
Capital
of Culture and teaches cultural policies and management at the Open
University
of Catalonia.
Mr Ian Thomas Head of Evidence, Arts, British Council Biography
Henry McGhie has a background as a bird
ecologist, museums curator and senior manager. He set up Curating Tomorrow
in
2019 as a consultancy to help museums and their partners to enhance their
contributions to sustainable development, the SDGs, climate action and
biodiversity conservation. He is the author of Museums and the Sustainable
Development Goals, and is a member of the ICOM Sustainability Working Group
and
IUCN Commission on Education and Communication.
Ian Thomas leads on the learning, evaluation and research across the British
Council arts programmes such as the Cultural Protection Fund, the British
Council’s Inclusive Growth programmes and the British Council’s Festivals
and
Seasons together with developing the British Council’s Arts Evidence
Strategy
and Evidence Framework. Ian was an International Visiting Research Fellow at
the
Centre for Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California between
2018 and 2020, exploring evaluation approaches to soft power. Ian has led
the
development of several award-winning music education programmes, is Chair of
the
Merseyside Music Education Alliance and has sat on several arts
organisations
boards.
There is an urgent need to bridge the nature/culture divide and to strengthen
human/nature relationships to fully reflect the diverse and nuanced
relationships
between communities and their local environments, as well as to promote more
effective environmental conservation and management strategies. This session
reflects on the role that heritage—and more holistic and integrated concepts
exemplifying the interdependency between humanity and nature, like biocultural
heritage and cultural landscapes—can play in promoting a more sustainable
development and addressing a variety of SDGs, including SDG 2, 6, 11, 12, 14,
and
15. How can we better connect social and cultural issues to environmental
concerns?
How can heritage contribute to the sustainable management of terrestrial and
marine
environmental resources? How can traditional and Indigenous knowledge and
practices
be valued, acknowledged and embedded into environmental strategies and applied
to
future management? What kind of future research, practical actions, and
partnerships
are needed? 
Tim Badman is Director of IUCN's World Heritage Programme. He has been
senior
IUCN spokesperson on World Heritage, chair of the IUCN World Heritage Panel
and
Head of IUCN’s delegation at World Heritage Committee meetings since 2007.
From
April 2019, Tim leads IUCN's Nature Culture Initiative, developing closer
links
between the Nature and Culture sectors, including through the World Heritage
Leadership Programme jointly run by ICCROM and IUCN with support from
Norway.
Tim joined IUCN having worked as team leader of the Dorset and East Devon
Coast
World Heritage Site, UK.
Krystyna Swiderska leads IIED’s work on Biocultural Heritage, as part of the
Agroecology Team, Natural Resources Group. She works closely with Indigenous
organisations and communities in the South (Peru, Kenya, India and China) to
support decolonising action-research on biocultural heritage and
community-led
processes to establish Biocultural Heritage Territories. She is currently PI
on
the AHRC project ‘Indigenous food systems, biocultural heritage and
agricultural
resilience’ and the British Academy project ‘Indigenous biocultural heritage
for
sustainable development’. She has conducted research on traditional
knowledge,
genetic resources and Indigenous Peoples’ rights for 23 years, to inform
policies on biodiversity.
Rosalind Bryce is an interdisciplinary research scientists with interests
than
span the natural and social sciences. She has an ecological background and
has
experience working on research projects on integrated land use, conservation
management, cultural ecosystem services, tourism and environmental
conflicts.
Rosalind is interesting in designing processes that engage stakeholders,
communities and the wider public in decision making related to natural
resources. Rosalind recently led the SHAPE project (Sustainable Heritage
Areas:
Partnerships for Ecotourism) which developed community based tourism
initiatives
integrating cultural and natural heritage in UNESCO Biosphere reserves and
Regional Parks.
Maya Ishizawa works with the ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership Programme
in
the implementation of PANORAMA Nature-Culture and World Heritage Leadership
Research Networks. Her research focuses on the management of cultural
landscapes
and the study of nature-culture interactions in heritage places. Trained as
an
architect in Lima, Peru, she received a Master of Media and Governance from
Keio
University, Japan, and a Ph.D. in Heritage Studies at BTU
Cottbus-Senftenberg,
Germany. As a researcher at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, she
coordinated
the capacity building programme of the UNESCO Chair on Nature-Culture
Linkages
in Heritage Conservation.
Alejandro Argumedo is Director of Programs and Andes Amazon Lead with Swift
Foundation. He is a recognized indigenous Quechua leader and current member
of
the Board of Directors of Asociación ANDES of Cusco, Peru and SeedChange of
Ottawa, Canada. He is also Advisor to the Potato Park, of Cusco, Peru,
current
International Coordinator of the International Network of Mountain
Indigenous
Peoples and “Champion” of the global initiative “Food for Ever”. Alejandro
is an
agronomist by training, has written extensible on issues of food,
biocultural
heritage and indigenous peoples, served on various expert panels for the UN
and
other relevant bodies and consulted for national and international
organizations.
Environmental and human-made disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes,
conflicts, violent extremism, and pandemics have tremendous physical,
environmental,
economic, and social impacts, including the loss of lives and livelihoods,
displacement, social fragmentation and increase in inequalities, as well as the
destruction of the built environment and destroyed, damaged, and fragmented
(tangible and intangible) heritage. This session explores heritage’s
contribution to
risk preparedness, disaster response and recovery, but also to long-term
planning
for disaster risk management. It also focuses on how to better strengthen
communities’ resilience, which is an integral part of sustainable development.
What
kind of future research, practical actions, and partnerships are needed? How can
researchers work with practitioners, policymakers and developers to maximise the
ways heritage can contribute to SDG 11 and 13, among others? 
Rohit Jigyasu is a conservation architect and risk management professional
from
India, currently working at ICCROM as Project Manager on Urban Heritage,
Climate
Change and Disaster Risk Management. Rohit served as UNESCO Chair holder at
the
Institute for Disaster Mitigation of Urban Cultural Heritage at Ritsumeikan
University, Kyoto, Japan, where he was instrumental in developing and
teaching
an International Training Course on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural
Heritage. He was the elected President of ICOMOS-India from 2014-2018 and
president of ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness
(ICORP) from 2010-2019. Rohit served as the Elected Member of the Executive
Committee of ICOMOS since 2011 and was its Vice President from 2017-2020.
Ali Raza Rizvi has been involved with the conservation & development sector
for
over two decades and has managed programmes and projects worldwide. In his
current position, he is responsible for IUCN’s global climate adaptation and
disaster risk reduction work, based at its Washington DC Office. He provides
strategic direction and operational guidance for the development and
implementation of IUCN’s portfolio on Ecosystem based Adaptation. Ali also
serves as technical and policy focal point and represents IUCN at
international
policy fora including the UNFCCC on adaptation and Loss & Damage.
Robin Coningham holds Durham University’s UNESCO Chair on Archaeological
Ethics
and Practice in Cultural Heritage. He works extensively across South Asia
and
has co-directed UNESCO’s archaeological fieldwork in the Natal landscape of
the
Buddha in Nepal since 2010, as well as post-earthquake rescue excavations in
Kathmandu and post-disaster fieldwork in Jaffna. He published ‘Appropriating
the
Past’ with philosopher Geoffrey Scarre in 2013 (Cambridge University Press);
‘The Archaeology of South Asia’ with Ruth Young in 2015 (Cambridge
University
Press); and ‘Archaeology, Cultural Heritage Protection and Community
Engagement
in South Asia’ (Palgrave Macmillan) with conflict resolution specialist Nick
Lewer in 2019.
Jennifer (Jenni) Barclay is Professor of Volcanology in the School of
Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia.
She is a volcanologist interested in all aspects of disaster risk reduction
in
volcanic settings. This includes research on the following topics: (1)
equitable
access to and sharing of hazard knowledge, (2) volcanic processes and their
monitoring (3) cultural and social responses to volcanic activity and their
role
in growing resilience (3) citizen science and (4) volcanoes and their
multihazard environment. She is also currently working on an APEX Award,
focussed on how we make sense of uncertain situations during volcanic
eruptions.
Based at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), Karen is a volcanologist
interested in volcanic risks reduction. Specialized in ground-deformation,
she
contributes with her MVO colleagues to the monitoring of the Soufriere Hills
volcano, to the evaluation of the hazards and risks associated to the
volcano
activity, and their communication to the Montserrat and UK governments.
Karen
also explores alternative, interdisciplinary ways to mitigate volcanic
risks, eg
through the GCRF-funded 'Disaster passed?' collaborative project, which
mobilises Montserratians' memories and cultural heritage to promote volcanic
risk awareness.
Peter is the UNESCO Chair in Cultural Property Protection (CPP) and Peace at
Newcastle University (UK) and President of the Blue Shield, advisory body to
UNESCO on CPP (
This cross-cutting session reflects on harnessing the potential of heritage to
rethink current approaches for local capacity strengthening for sustainable
development, from formal and informal education, to training and other learning
activities. How can we develop and implement long-term-oriented educational and
training approaches supporting inclusivity, accessibility and a greater cultural
and
place sensitivity? Which barriers still need to be overcome? What role can
museums
and other heritage institutions play in this context, and how can intangible
heritage be effectively mobilised for intergenerational transmission? What kind
of
future research, practical actions, and partnerships are needed? How can
researchers
work with practitioners, policymakers and developers to maximise the ways
heritage
can contribute to SDG 4, 5, 10, 11 and 16? 
Dr Gamini Wijesuriya, an architect/archaeologist from Sri Lanka with over 40
years of experience, known internationally for his work on World Heritage
and on
People-centred Approaches to conservation of nature and culture. He held
positions as Director, Conservation of Sri Lanka, Principal Regional
Scientist
of the Department of Conservation, New Zealand, and project manager of
ICCROM,
Rome, Italy. He holds PhD (Leiden University), MA (York), MA (Carnegie-
Mellon),
MSc, and BSc (Sri Lanka) degrees on a variety of heritage-related subjects
and
is currently a Special Advisor to the Director-General of ICCROM and the
Director of WHITRAP, Shanghai, China.
Eugene holds a BA in Korean History, an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies, and
is
completing her PhD in World Heritage Studies. She has been the Programme
Manager
of the IUCN-ICCROM World Heritage Leadership Programme since 2017, based in
Rome, Italy. She was the World Heritage Focal Point for nine years at the
Korean
Cultural Heritage Administration, and held consultancy positions to various
entities including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She coordinated the
inscription and management of numerous Korean World Heritage properties both
cultural and natural. She served as Rapporteur of the 18th session World
Heritage Convention General Assembly in 2011, and the 40th session of the
World
Heritage Committee in 2016.
Loredana Polezzi’s research interests combine translation studies,
multilingualism and transnational Italian studies. She previously held
positions
in Italian and in Translation Studies at the Universities of Warwick and
Cardiff. With Rita Wilson, she is co-editor of leading international journal
The
Translator and she is the current President of the International Association
for
Translation and Intercultural Studies (IATIS). She was a co-investigator in
two
research projects funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council
under
the ‘Translating Cultures’ theme and Global Challenges Research Fund:
‘Transnationalizing Modern Languages’ and ‘Transnationalizing Modern
Languages:
Global Challenges’, the latter carried out in collaboration with UNAM and
the
Phoenix Project. She also co-designed the massive open online course
‘Working
with Translation’.
Dr Nelson Mlambo is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Languages and
Literature Studies, University of Namibia (UNAM). Dr Mlambo is passionate
about
intercultural communication, rhetoric and literary studies. He was one of
the
team members of the Transnationalising Modern Languages: Global Challenges
Project and has been involved in tutoring in the Working With Translation
MOOC
(Massive Open Online Course) as well as in The Phoenix Project, a public
engagement collaboration between UNAM and Cardiff University. His latest
publication is entitled Displacement, Elimination and Replacement of
Indigenous
People (With Nhemachena and Kangira).
Ms Helen Jones has worked throughout the museum sector for the past 35
years, in
various fields and in museums of different types and sizes. The Science
Museum
Group is the biggest, with six sites throughout England, and she joined in
2008.
Helen takes the Iead in developing overall corporate strategy and managing
some
of their key stakeholder relationships, but her chief responsibility is for
the
Group’s international strategy and partnerships. The Science Museum Group
works
around the world through a range of activities that includes touring
exhibitions, professional training and development, STEM education,
research,
and curatorial practice.
As the General Manager for George Town World Heritage Incorporated, Ming
Chee
Ang and her team serve as the Site Manager for George Town Heritage City, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ang is also the first accredited facilitator for
UNESCO Global Network of Facilitators on Intangible Cultural Heritage in
Malaysia. Specializing in resource mobilization, project management, policy
making, and risk assessment, Ang has incorporated built conservation with
elements of disaster risk reduction and intangible cultural heritage
safeguarding to create a sustainable heritage city for the people who live
in,
work in and use George Town.
Nicole Franceschini is lecturer and associate at the Heritage Management
Unit of
BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and she is a visiting lecturer at several heritage
programs. She is working on her doctoral degree looking at the role of
values in
heritage management. Besides her academic engagements, Nicole is involved
with
the work of international organisations: she works with the ICCROM-IUCN
World
Heritage Leadership programme in the coordination and development of the
PANORAMA Nature-Culture Thematic Community, and she is currently cooperating
with the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in the development of a guidance
document
looking at wind energy deployment near World Heritage properties.
Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Global
warming is causing the rise of extreme weather events and natural disasters,
declining diversity of life on earth, increased disease and threats to health,
loss
of lives, mass displacement, and major impacts on livelihoods and rights,
particularly in ODA countries. This session explores ways to effectively utilise
heritage to adapt to climate change, which impacts not only on communities’
livelihoods, food security, and well-being, but also on the richness and
diversity
of their heritage and the values associated with it. How can we shift research
investigations from the protection of heritage against climate change to
considering
the potential for heritage in tackling climate change and its impacts, including
supporting a transition to a low-carbon future? How can we use heritage as a
resource to inform climate change mitigation strategies? What kind of future
research, practical actions, and partnerships are needed? And how can
researchers
work with practitioners, and policymakers to maximise the ways heritage can
contribute to SDG 2, 12, and 13, among others? 
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) serves as the
Secretariat for the Climate Heritage Network (CHN - www.climateheritage.org)
and
Andrew coordinates this work for ICOMOS. The CHN is an international network
of
government agencies, universities, civil society, and businesses committed
to
the role of arts, culture and heritage in climate action. Andrew also
coordinates the ICOMOS Climate Change and Heritage Working Group. Andrew
previously served as the ICOMOS Focal Point for the UN SDGs. A lawyer by
training, for 20 years Andrew practiced law in the area of financing for
sustainable development, including for the US National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
Dr Sandip Hazareesingh is a historian with
current research interests in food, environment, climate, and development in
the
contexts of both colonial and contemporary India. His research uses oral
history
as an arts and humanities based participatory approach to support women
small
farmers’ creativity in developing resilience to the challenges of food
security,
biodiversity, and climate adaptation.
As Coordinator, Alice works with local and national partners and
stakeholders to
sustainably manage the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site, to
secure
its transmission to future generations and to ensure that the benefits of
World
Heritage are widely shared and understood. As deputy head of World Heritage,
Alice helps her team advise on and support the management of all six of
Scotland’s WHS and the dissemination and practice of World Heritage
principles
in Scotland and beyond. Her background is in Archaeology and Heritage
Management.
Dr Albino Jopela is the Head of Programmes
at the African World Heritage Fund. He has a Doctoral degree in Archaeology
from
the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa where he is currently a
Research Fellow. He is the co-chair of Climate Heritage Network for Africa
and
Arab States. Dr Jopela was a lecturer of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at
the
University of Eduardo Mondlane (2008-2017) in Mozambique and World Heritage
Advisor to ICOMOS between 20015-2018. His professional interests include
heritage management (custodianship) systems, heritage and development,
climate
and heritage, World Heritage, and liberation struggle heritage in Africa.
Ms Sarah Crofts BArch(Hons) MSc IHBC FRSA is trained as an architect after
having studied at Edinburgh College of Art and specialising in historic
building
conservation. She then worked for a number of architectural practices
dealing
with the repair and conservation of historic buildings before taking on
roles at
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) and the Heritage
Lottery
Fund. Sara was responsible for drafting the environmental sustainability
element
of the current National Lottery Heritage Fund strategy. She recently brought
her
climate change concerns into her new role as Chief Executive at ICON where
she
is currently coordinating one of the Climate Heritage Network working
groups.
This session acknowledges that the work of reducing inequalities through people
centred and decolonising approaches takes place on a knife edge of scholarly
comforts and discomforts. It is vertiginous and dizzying in the immensity of the
scope, it brings relief and comfort to some and discomfort and unease to others.
How
do we live in and through the scholarship on this knife edge? What assumptions
do we
bring to working on inequalities in knowledge and heritage practices? What
assumptions underpin the understanding of who is to speak and perform
decolonising
and why? What kinds of pedagogies might sustain new directions? What, if any,
might
be the strengthening work of institutions which have been steeped in colonial
histories? How can researchers work with practitioners, and policymakers to
maximise
the ways heritage can contribute to SDG 4, 10, and 16?
Alison Phipps is a UNESCO Chair and Professor of Languages and Intercultural
Studies at Glasgow University. She was De Carle Fellow at Otago University
2019,
and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Waikato University, Aotearoa New
Zealand 2013-2016, Thinker in Residence at the EU Hawke Centre, University
of
South Australia in 2016, Visiting Professor at Auckland University of
Technology, and Principal Investigator for AHRC Large Grant ‘Researching
Multilingually at the Borders of Language, the body, law and the state’. She
is
now co-Director of the Global Challenge Research Fund South South Migration
Hub,
MIDEQ and for the £2 Million Cultures of Sustainable Peace. She is an
academic,
activist and published poet.
Naa Densua Tordzro is a Ghanaian, a Garment Designer, a Ga music composer
and
singer. She has background in oral tradition, knowledge and research
interest in
ancient West African Adinkra symbols as communicative tool printed on
traditional textiles. She holds a BA in Fashion Technology from the Heriot
Watt
University in Galashiels Scotland, and recently completed her MPhil research
in
Education at the School of Education, University of Glasgow. Her research
focused is on Decolonising African costumes and textiles: Naming, symbols
and
meaning in the Ghanaian contexts. Naa Densua currently works for School of
Education, University of Glasgow as a Creative arts Researcher on a UKRI
GCRF
funded research project on South-South Migration, Inequality and Development
Hub
(MIDEQ), she also an Affiliate Artist for UNESCO RILA.
Dr Gameli Tordzro is an Artist in Residence
of the UNESCO Chair on Refugee Integration Through Languages and The Arts
(UNESCO RILA) and a Research Associate of The MiDEQ Hub, at the University
of
Glasgow. His research and teaching is in creative arts and translating
cultures,
language and education with a focus on African diaspora music, video film
directing and production, story, storying and storytelling. Gameli is the
founder and Creative Director of Ha Orchestraand AdinkraLinks Poetry
Network. He
is a Critics Award for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) Award winner (2015) Music
and
Sound with Kai Fischer's Last Dream (On Earth).
Tesfalem is a PhD researcher at the University of Leeds, School of Sociology
and
Social Policy. Building on Joseph Nye’s concept of ‘soft power’, he examines
the
destination preferences of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers who arrive
in
the UK and their post-arrival experiences. In addition, Tesfalem works as an
Employment and Education Advisor RETAS Leeds. He also worked as the
Operations
Director of Growing Points, a charity that works with migrants across
England
and Wales. His co-authored book chapter, ‘Steps to Settlement for Refugees:
A
Case Study’ (2019) traces the refugee journey towards citizenship in the UK.
For
more information on Tesfalem’s research interests, please visit his
university
profile.
Caroline (Carly) Bagelman grew up on Coast
Salish territories (in British Columbia, Canada). She completed her MA in
Cultural, Social and Political Thought at the University of Victoria, worked
as
a curriculum designer for the Critical Thinking Consortium at the University
of
British Columbia and completed a PhD in Education at the University of
Glasgow.
Her work considers the colonizing role of education in Canada and the UK, as
well as anti-colonial pedagogies and practice.
The first thing to do is to accept
the
story. Accept that it is indeed a colonisation history. Only then, can we begin
decolonisation. And this will have to be done in three stages, which Richard
Kistabish calls the three "R": reparation, restoration and restitution. For each
of
these stages, it will be necessary to go through the sharing of
responsibilities,
obligations and duties. Decolonisation is therefore a two-sided movement. It is,
for
the colonisers, the need to give space and for the colonised, the need to take
the
place. History has made Aboriginal people forget their responsibilities,
obligations
and duties. Today, they have a duty to restore their culture and language in a
holistic way, just as governments and people have a duty to help them.
Richard Kistabish, President An Anicinabe from the Abitibiwinni First
Nation,
Mr Kistabish has worked in the health field at the regional and provincial
levels for many years. He served as Chief of the Abitibiwinni First Nation
and
also as Grand Chief of the Algonquin Council of Quebec for two terms. He has
published booklets on mental health and the environment, and was awarded the
YMCA Peace Medal. Richard has spoken out against residential school abuse
and
social injustice. He continues to fight against the harmful effects of
acculturation by supporting the development of cultural and artistic
projects in
the Anicinabe territory with the Minwashin organization, of which he is
president and co-founder.
The use of digital technologies for heritage diagnosis,
recording, reconstruction,
display, and transmission to future generations is at the forefront of
interdisciplinary innovation. It has proven to be a key ally particularly in
contexts where heritage is particularly at risk of disappearance or has already
been
destroyed or damaged because of war, conflict, climate change, earthquakes,
environmental disasters and other harmful events. The use of new media,
technological platforms and digital software and tools (e.g., digital modelling,
immersive and augmented reality, virtual exhibitions and site tours, mobile
apps,
etc.) can provide museums, heritage site conservators and managers, governmental
bodies, academic institutions and other stakeholders with digital alternatives
to
physical heritage preservation and enjoyment, increasing also heritage awareness
and
accessibility.
Dr Gehan Selim is an Architect and Associate Professor at the University of
Leeds. She was Fellow of The Senator George Mitchell Institute for Global
Peace,
Security and Justice (2017/18). Her interdisciplinary research bridges
between
Architecture, Urban Politics and Digital Heritage. Dr Selim is leading
several
AHRC/GCRF funded research projects with extensive fieldwork experience in
the
Middle East and conflict zones (Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan & Northern
Ireland). She is the author of ‘Unfinished Places’ (Routledge, 2017) and
‘Architecture, Space and Memory of Resurrection in Northern Ireland’
(Routledge,
2019).
Tim Unwin has been a thought leader in Information and Communication
Technologies for Development (ICT4D) since the field was established 20
years
ago. He is Co-Founder of TEQtogether, an initiative designed to help change
men’s attitudes and behaviours to women and technology, and his latest book
is
Reclaiming ICT4D (OUP 2017). Last year, he conceived and led the UK FCDO and
World Bank funded Education for the Most Marginalised post-COVID-19 report,
and
in 2021 he launched a coalition of holistic research and practice on the
digital-environment system that addresses the unsustainable design and use
of
digital technologies.
Professor Abdelmonem is Chair in Architecture and the Director of the Centre
for
Architecture, Urbanism and Global Heritage at Nottingham Trent University. A
Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Gamal is the University lead of the
Strategic Research Theme, Global Heritage, and col Lead of its Cultural
Heritage
Research Peak. Gamal is the recipient of NTU 2020 Vice-Chancellor
Outstanding
Researcher Award and the 2014 recipient of the Jeffrey Cook Award of the
International Association of the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE).
Gamal published extensively, including 5 books, on architectural and urban
history, everyday homes, socio-spatial practices of urban communities,
virtual
heritage, medieval culture and post-conflict cities.
Isatu Smith is the Managing Director of the West African Heritage
Consultancy.
She was Project Manager for the World Monuments Fund’s Bunce Island
Preservation
Project and was Chairperson of the Monuments and Relics Commission of Sierra
Leone. She holds a BA with Honors (Geography) from Fourah Bay College, the
University
of Sierra Leone, and a MA with Merit in International Heritage Management
from
the University of Birmingham UK. She is a Trustee of the West Africa Shared
Cultural Heritage Trust and member of
the International Advisory Board of the International African American
Museum,
Charleston, South Carolina.
Paul Basu is Professor of Anthropology at SOAS University of London. For
many
years his regional specialisation has focused on West Africa, including
Sierra
Leone and Nigeria. He works on issues concerning cultural memory, heritage,
museums and archives, with a particular interest in contemporary
decolonisation
debates. He is currently leading the AHRC-funded Museum Affordance /
[Re:]Entanglements project (see 
It is estimated that by 2050 two-thirds of all humanity will be living
in cities. We are living through a time when rapid processes of urbanisation,
migration, and urban development have caused significant physical, economic,
environmental and social transformations. These transformations challenge the
achievement of equality and social justice in urban environments, as
marginalised,
displaced and other vulnerable groups suffer disproportionately from the
consequences. Contemporary changes also threaten the preservation of the urban
heritage, highlighting the need to find and implement sustainable conservation,
management, and development strategies acceptable to a variety of stakeholders.
Robert’s research critically analyses the relationship between graphic form
and
urban context by exploring the way design facilitates the function of
graphic
objects as urban objects. His urban location-based research benefits from
close
collaboration with local actors, bringing to bear insider and outsider
knowledge
about distinct urban units of analysis. He is Principal Investigator on a
£250,000 AHRC–Newton Fund project ‘Repositioning Graphic Heritage.’ For
details
see http://www.urban-graphic-object.org. Other recent projects include a
three-year study into representations of Fascism in new town development in
the
Latina Province, Italy. He holds a PhD in Architecture (Social Sciences)
from
the University of Nottingham.
Chris Whitehead began his career in art history and curatorship, moving on
to
teach and research art museum history and theory. Over the last decade he
has
shifted to the study of migration, memory, commemoration and heritage,
particularly in relation to critical geopolitics, communities and
co-production.
Chris's most recent grants have been the Horizon 2020 CoHERE project
(Critical
Heritages: performing & representing identities in Europe) and Newton Fund
‘Plural Heritages of Istanbul’ project, both of which have produced books
and
public-facing outputs. As Dean of Global Humanities and Social Sciences at
Newcastle, he is interested in universities’ global engagement and
responsibilities.
Grant has spent his whole career working in City based planning roles,
including
leading planning services in Nottingham, Liverpool and most recently
Leicester.
His current role as Head of Planning involves shaping the dynamic growth of
one
of the most diverse cities in the country, reconciling the associated
environmental, social and economic impacts, whilst cherishing Leicester’s
2,000
year heritage’
Dr. Haili Ma, Associate Professor in Performance and Creative Economy at
School
of Performance and Cultural Industries, University of Leeds. Haili’s
research
focuses on the artistic evolution of intangible cultural heritage in the
digital
era, and their contribution to sustainable socio-economic development.
Trained
in traditional Chinese opera from her early teens, Haili was a member of the
Shanghai Luwan All-female Yueju Company, before coming to the UK in 1997
where
she pursued her academic career. She is the author of Urban Politics and
Cultural Capital: The Case of Chinese Opera (Routledge, 2015) and
Understanding
CCI through Chinese ICH (Macmillan, forthcoming).
Jane joined Newcastle University in 2019. As Pro-Vice Chancellor, she leads
the
University’s Engagement & Place Strategy, focussing on building partnerships
to
enhance our contribution socially, economically and culturally. Previously,
Jane
was Durham University’s Chief Operating Officer with strategic oversight of
operations and external engagement. Before taking up her position at Durham,
Jane was Chief Executive of Gateshead Council. She has also held senior
roles in
the cultural sector and is currently co-chair of the North East Cultural
Partnership.
Today, billions of people continue to live in poverty and are denied a life of
dignity. The impact of COVID-19 is exacerbating these issues and existing social
and
economic inequalities even further. It is now even more urgent to rethink and
reframe our (unsustainable) models of development, which have often focused
solely
on economic growth and its immediate benefits. This session explores the role of
heritage-based tourism, intangible heritage and creativity in promoting more
inclusive, people-centred and sustainable ways of economic development, welfare,
and
well-being. How can we unlock the potential of heritage to develop more
inclusive
and sustainable economic models, taking into account a wider range of quality of
life elements, such as spiritual fulfilment, happiness, and human solidarity?
What
kind of heritage research, practical actions, and multi-level and multi-sectoral
partnerships are needed now? How can researchers work with practitioners to
maximise
the ways heritage can contribute to SDG 1, 3, 5, 8, and 12? 
Professor Sophia Labadi’s academic background includes degrees in Heritage
Studies (PhD and MA) and Political Sciences (BA). She is currently an AHRC
Leadership Fellow (2019-2020), researching why heritage was marginalised
from
the Sustainable Development Goals. Much of Sophia's research has focused on
how
heritage sites and museums can address some of the most pressing global
challenges, including social justice, gender equality or sustainable
development. Her research is nourished by her previous experiences as
consultant
for international organisations.
After studying at the Universities of Sheffield (BA Hons), York (MSc) and
Cambridge (PhD), Steven joined the Department of Archaeology at the
University
of Reading in 1992. His teaching and research concern human evolution and
early
prehistoric societies up until the emergence of Neolithic farming
communities.
He has long-term survey and excavation projects in Western Scotland and
Southern
Jordan, where he combines his research with community engagement and
sustainable
development. His published books include The Prehistory of the Mind (1996),
The
Singing Neanderthals (2005) and After the Ice (2007). Steven was elected as
a
Fellow of the British academy in 2004.
Dr Jon Henderson is an archaeologist with a focus on the potential of
coastal
and marine heritage to lead research that addresses the 2030 Sustainable
Development Goals. He has directed projects in the UK, Greece, Italy, Egypt,
Jamaica and China. Jon is currently the PI of the GCRF AHRC Network+ Rising
from
the Depths initiative based at Edinburgh that aims to identify how the
coastal
cultural heritage of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar can
stimulate
ethical, inclusive and sustainable economic growth in East Africa.
Mr Caesar Bita is an underwater & marine cultural research scientist and
Head of
the Department of Coastal Archaeology, at National Museums of Kenya. He is
currently pursuing a PhD (Archaeology) at University of Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania,
and holds a master’s degree in Archaeology (University of Dar es Salaam), a
bachelor’s degree in Anthropology (University of Nairobi), Postgraduate
Diploma
in Management of Heritage and Museum Collections (Nairobi University).
Caesar is
a trained underwater archaeologist with a Professional Postgraduate Diploma
in
Underwater Archaeology from the Underwater Archaeology Center (China). With
expertise in archaeology, specializing in underwater archaeology, his work
entails coordinating terrestrial and underwater archaeological research and
underwater cultural heritage management in Kenya. Caesar is published in
several
international journals and books and presented underwater archaeology papers
in
many international conferences. He is holder of the International Trident
D’ORO
2019 Award from the International Academy for Underwater Sciences and
Techniques.
Leila Ben-Gacem is a socio-cultural opportunity designer and
social entrepreneur. Leila is an Ashoka Fellow; founder of Blue Fish, a
consultancy that works on improving the economic dynamics of heritage and
culture to improve its preservation, cultural diversity and social empathy.
Leila also founded Dar el Harka, a creative industry hub; Dar Ben Gacem,
converting historical buildings into Boutique Hotels and cultural catalysts
in
the medina of Tunis. Leila is also an elected city council member at her
native
town of Beni-Khalled. Before switching careers, Leila held various positions
at
multinational corporations and has a BS in Biomedical Engineering.
For over three decades, Paul Heritage has created cultural projects as an
investigation of the power of the arts in social change, including
award-winning
HIV/AIDS, education and human rights work. Paul is noted for his prison
projects
in Britain and Brazil, reaching tens of thousands of prisoners, guards, and
their families with work on arts and human rights; and for his work with
AfroReggae in Brazil and the UK from 2001-2012. In recent years, he has
focused
increasingly on the relationships between arts and wellbeing, Creative
Economy,
preservation and artistic exchange between artists and cultural agents in
Brazil
and the UK and indigenous communities in Central Brazil.
People all around the world are suffering from poor mental health due to
traumatic experiences, but also caused or intensified by unsustainable and
stressful
lifestyles. Promoting mental health and well-being throughout the life course is
essential to sustainable development, but the role that heritage can play in
this
context remains largely unexplored. This session focuses on how heritage
research
and practice can contribute to improving mental health and well-being,
particularly
those of marginalised communities (e.g., refugees, displaced and
conflict-affected
populations) and among those without access to psychotherapeutic services. How
can
researchers work with practitioners to maximise the ways heritage can contribute
to
mental health and well-being? What kind of research, practical actions, and
partnerships are needed? How can heritage be effectively mobilised to address
SDG
3? 
Anna Madill's research is broadly in the field of well-being. She
specializes in
qualitative methods with a particular interest in visual approaches. Her
current
research includes two Global Challenges Research Fund projects. 'The Big
Picture' (www.projectresilience.co.uk) is a photovoice study seeking to
enhance
psychological, social and cultural insights into, and prevention and
treatment
of, youth substance use in Assam. She is also Principle Investigator on a
seed-funded Challenge Cluster on mainstreaming global mental health. Anna is
a
Fellow of the British Psychological Society and a Fellow of the Academy of
Social Sciences.
Professor Raghavan holds a chair in mental health at De Montfort University,
Leicester. His background is in health psychology and nursing, and his work
focusses on mental health and disability, cultural diversity and
participatory
research. He is Director of the Mary Seacole Research Centre – an
interdisciplinary research institute focussing on mental health, migration,
ethnicity and culture. He is also co-director of Leicester Centre for Mental
Health Research (LCMHR) and leads UKRI-funded research projects on mental
health, resilience and wellbeing in the UK and in India, with diverse
cultural
and migrant communities using innovative interdisciplinary approaches
(creative
arts-based methodology) for maximising participation and influencing impact
on
policy and practice.
Dr Karina Croucher is a Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of
Bradford. She is a Co-investigator on the interdisciplinary BReaTHe:
Building
Resilience Through Heritage project, which uses heritage for cohesion and
wellbeing in displaced/refugee and host communities, and on the GCRF
Challenge
Cluster on Mental Health which seeks to embed wellbeing and mental health in
GCRF projects. Her research uses the past to explore contemporary issues and
facilitate difficult conversations, and drives forward the use of heritage
and
archaeology for wellbeing and resilience. She is committed to equality,
diversity and inclusion as core values behind her research.
Dr.Beverley Costa, a psychotherapist, set up Mothertongue multi-ethnic
counselling service in 2000 and she founded The Pásalo Project in 2017
www.pasaloproject.org to disseminate the learning from nearly two decades of
Mothertongue’s service. She set up the Bilingual Therapist and Mental Health
Interpreter Forum in 2010. In 2013, Beverley established “Colleagues Across
Borders” offering pro bono peer support to refugee psychosocial workers and
interpreters based in the Middle East. Beverley is a Senior Practitioner
Fellow
at Birkbeck, University of London and she has written a number of papers and
chapters on therapy across languages with and without an interpreter.
Together
with Professor Jean Marc Dewaele, they won the 2013 British Association for
Counselling and Psychotherapy, Equality and Diversity Research Award. She
has
developed and delivers a programme of training for therapists and clinical
supervisors in culturally and linguistically sensitive supervision. Her book
“Other Tongues” - psychological therapies in a multilingual world was
published
by PCCS Books, in 2020.
The potential of harnessing heritage to address global challenges has remained
largely under-represented and underestimated in the most recent international
development agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Among the 17 SDGs and
169
associated targets established by the 2030 Agenda, only target 11.4 explicitly
mentions heritage, stating that efforts should be strengthened “to protect and
safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage” in order to make our cities
safe, resilient, and sustainable. Progress toward the achievement of target 11.4
are
measured through the “total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on
the
preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage,
by
type of heritage, level of government, type of expenditure and type of private
funding”.
Dr. Ege Yildirim is an urban planner and heritage conservation specialist
with
over 20 years' experience working in Turkey and internationally. Her work
focuses on heritage policy and governance; UNESCO World Heritage; and
sustainable development. She has a PhD on social environmental sciences from
Ankara University, and was a Fulbright Scholar at Pratt Institute, New York.
Based in Istanbul since 2013, her previous work includes positions of
conservation planner at KA-BA Architecture Ltd, Ankara; conservation
coordinator
at Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage; consultant and Site Manager
of
the Historic Guild Town of Mudurnu; and Key Expert in the EU-Turkey
Anatolian
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Institute project. Most recently, she has
served as the ICOMOS Focal Point for the UN SDGs (2016-2020), and currently
coordinates the Sustainability Thematic Debate of the OurWorldHeritage
Initiative.
Harman Sagger is Head Economist for Arts, Heritage and Tourism (AHT) for
DCMS
and leads a small team of analysts within the AHT directorate, which
includes
analysts working on Culture and Heritage Capital and the Covid-19 Cultural
Recovery Fund. Harman returned to DCMS in 2017 after 2 years as the British
Film
Institute’s Head of Economics. In his previous role at DCMS, he was at the
heart
of embedding rigorous evidence-based approach within DCMS. He has previously
worked for HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs, working on a range of
areas
including emerging markets, globalisation, productivity, road charging and
environmental taxes.
Jyoti Hosagrahar is Deputy Director for the World Heritage Centre at UNESCO.
Among other responsibilities, she leads the implementation of the Historic
Urban
Landscape Recommendation, the World Heritage Cities Programme, World
Heritage
and Sustainable Development, the Earthen Architecture Programme, as well as
the
Culture|2030 Indicators for measuring Culture in the 2030 Agenda across all
the
Culture Conventions and Recommendations. From May 2016-November 2018, she
served
as Director of the Division for Creativity at UNESCO. Prior to joining
UNESCO,
she was a professor and Director of the SUI Lab at GSAPP, Columbia
University,
New York, 2005-2016; UNESCO Chair in Culture, Habitat, and Sustainable
Development at Srishti Institute of Art, Design, and Technology in
Bangalore,
India where she was also Chair of the Ph.D. program, 2012-2016; and
Founder-Director of Sustainable Urbanism International (SUI), an NGO in
Bangalore, India, 2003-2016. She has a PhD in Architecture and Urbanism from
the
University of California, Berkeley.
Gary Grubb is a human/historical geographer by background, working at the
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) for seventeen years, where he
played
a leading role in developing its environment and education research
portfolios.
Since joining the AHRC he has worked on a wide range of initiatives
including
the Connected Communities Programme, AHRC’s Heritage Priority Area and
themes
such as Care for the Future and Science in Culture. Gary’s current AHRC work
is
focused on developing internationally collaborative and inter-disciplinary
research in the arts and humanities and its contribution to wider UKRI
research
agendas. He leads the development of AHRC's international development
activities
under the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and Newton Fund and on
wider
global sustainable development agendas.
During this session the key findings from the conference will be
presented by sessions’ chairs, facilitators, and/or the PRAXIS and UKNC for
UNESCO
team. Next steps for collaborative work and future conference outcomes will be
also
announced. 
Site
by