The International Arts and Antiquities Security Forum (IAASF) is hosting a two-day conference on June 23 and 24, titled “Protecting Cultural Heritage in a Global Pandemic”. The conference is due to at the Mercure Darlington Kings Hotel in Darlington.
As the organisers say, over the last year, covid-19 has significantly impacted the arts and cultural heritage sectors. In an attempt to limit the spread of the virus and protect people’s lives, governments mandated the closure of cultural venues such as museums, galleries, libraries, and theatres. This resulted in an unprecedented financial hit for the arts and heritage sectors, which revenues dramatically dropped forcing the management to take the often-debated decision of staff redundancies. In some countries covid compounded pre-existing conditions such as environmental threats (such as storms, tsunamis and heavy rain) making the protection of collections, buildings, and staff harder.
These conditions have potentially also exposed cultural assets to an increased risk of being targeted by criminals, or suffering degrees of damage. Hence to support the cultural heritage sector, this two-day conference has been designed to provide those who have responsibilities for the protection, custody and management of arts and antiques, with an opportunity to learn about the threats, how the threats can impact venues, and security best practices from renowned professionals. Collectively increasing the resilience of cultural venues and reducing the risks faced.
To ensure that those working in the sectors benefit from the conference their tickets will be free, while others will be asked to make a small contribution (£30). The conference programme:
Wednesday, June 23 (afternoon) – Understanding the Threats to Cultural Heritage
-War and Conflict;
-Organised Crime;
-Fire; and
-Environmental Threats.
Thursday, June 24 (all day) – Operational Practices and Security Measures
-Risk Assessing and Insurance in the Cultural and Heritage Settings;
-Principles of Security in Depth;
-Physical Security Measures in Cultural and Heritage Settings;
-Technical Security Applications in Cultural and Heritage Settings;
-Operational Security Practices in Cultural and Heritage Settings;
-Training & Education as a Proactive tool in Protecting Cultural and Heritage Venues; and
-Logistics and Protecting the Supply Chain.
Some of the speakers confirmed so far, including some return speakers from previous IAASF events: Dr Emma Cunliffe (Secretariat of Blue Shield International); William Brown (National Security Adviser, Arts Council England); Riyaz Somani (Head of Security for IWM, Imperial War Museums; pictured, Imperial War Museum North, Salford) and Pandora Mather-Lees (founder of Art on Superyachts).
IAASF adds that it’s deeply thankful to its sponsors Selectaglaze, the security and risk management firm Trident Manor limited, the venue the Mercure Darlington Kings Hotel, and Cairn Group for their continuous support to the event.
To secure a place at the conference, tickets can be booked (registration compulsory) via Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/IAASFConference2021.
Other notes:
-The event has been accredited by the Security Institute, and offers 24 CPD points to attendees.
-Delegates attending the conference who wish to stay overnight will be able to benefit from discounted rates agreed with the hosting venue, the Mercure Darlington Kings Hotel. Instructions will be sent via email after registration.
-Due to covid restrictions, tickets are limited.
For more details, contact: Valentina Sabucco, IASSF coordinator at [email protected].
