Press releases

A fire, a flood, a storm surge. A hail of bullets, or an exploding projectile. Collateral and deliberate damage. All these pose an immediate threat to people and heritage, whether monumental building, tangible cultural object or intangible cultural custom. In an emergency, both life and way of life require fast-responding expertise. Enter the Eighth International Course on First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis (FAC), organised by The International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and its partners the Swedish Postcode Foundation (SPF), the Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative (SCRI), and the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development.

October 28th 2019, Rome, Italy - The 31st General Assembly of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), which coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Centre, will be launched at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday the 30th October 2019 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The event will conclude on Thursday the 31st of October 2019.

"Italy will always be by Africa’s side." Those are the words used by Emanuela Del Re, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in the Capitolare Hall of Palazzo Minerva of the Italian Senate, to highlight the presentation of the Conference of African University Rectors scheduled in Teramo next 21 June 2019.

The conference, entitled “Protection of cultural and natural heritage and resources through prevention: current and new professions” will unpack the concept of prevention as a tool for development: how this translates in the academic world and on the ground, and what it means in the African context. With universities on the front line for shaping the next generation of experts, they are in a prime position to advocate for innovation in protecting heritage resources, but also using heritage to create opportunities and provide wellbeing to communities.

Connect and inspire African youth with the possibilities of their rich heritage. Use digital technologies, including social media, to promote heritage awareness and support creative industries. Engage heritage as an economic asset, to address poverty and unemployment among young people. These are just some of the potential directions discussed during ICCROM’s Africa Expert Meeting for Cultural Heritage Conservation, held at the Egyptian Academy in Rome from 9 – 11 January 2019.

On 9 – 11 January 2019, a planning meeting for ICCROM’s new Africa programme will be held at the Egyptian Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. Fifteen professionals from 15 institutions are meeting to discuss how best to design an impactful programme to support youth and its engagement in heritage in the African region.

The three-week course, from 12-30 November, will train 21 professionals from 18 countries. For the first time, the FAC course will be held in English and French. It will include a special module on using cultural heritage first aid and recovery for conflict transformation. The course team includes eight lecturers from Mali.

A fire, an evacuation, a crash – on 22 August, international participants in the course ‘First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis’ (FAC) will be rushed to the scene of a large-scale, simulated disaster; it will be a rigorous test of their skills in rescuing irreplaceable cultural heritage.

IIC in collaboration with ICCROM will be hosting a panel discussion as part of the Point of the Matter Dialogue series, bringing together seven specialists who have worked to conserve heritage through war, earthquakes and disaster. ‘Culture Cannot Wait: Integrating Heritage First Aid with Humanitarian Assistance in Crises’ takes place on Wednesday 12th September as part of IIC’s 27th Biennial Congress in Turin, Italy.

In this European Year for Cultural Heritage, an international course ‘First Aid to Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis’ will be organized to train professionals from all over the world in the protection of cultural heritage. The course, which will take place in Brabant, the Netherlands, from 6 to 24 August 2018, includes modules on prevention, safe evacuation, stabilization and protection of cultural heritage at risk.