My latest column piece on NOMOS journal is up and available. I wanted to explore the idea of 'terror heritage', questioning the way in which value becomes attributed to heritage sites and museum collections. Is a sense of value born from an intrinsic quality held by each site and artefact, or is value created by circumstance, the threat of destruction perhaps? I've included the opening paragraph below, with the rest of the article following at this link. Heritage is always being created. While forms of heritage, such as castles and cathedrals, must first be built, it is later generations who decide that these structures are of value – who decide to preserve, conserve, and present buildings, and in doing so, turn the historic into their heritage. Within the terminology of heritage, there is vast variety, but it is always people who decide what will become heritage. There are, however, forms of heritage that are defined by circumstance, great disasters, or catastrophes. These events might be natural, such as earthquakes or tsunamis, that mark landscape and society alike, but then there are more direct human actions. Last month, videos circulated of a shocking attack on the Mosul Museum in Iraq, where ancient antiquities were deliberately destroyed. Yet, in those acts of mindless aggression, was the status of the collections and sites being elevated? Was there a form of “terror heritage” being created, where very acts of destruction made the global community more aware of, and more enthusiastic about, ensuring the long-term survival of those cultural artifacts?
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Newport is a city that is not shy of bad press. While there are all sorts of exciting developments, it's still hard to escape the scenes of empty shops and boarded windows, pubs falling to derelict ruins, and a culture scene being squeezed out of existence. While I don't want to be overly downbeat, it is hard reflecting on what Newport had once been, and failing to sigh a little. You see, I'm preparing for a walking tour of Commercial Street and its surrounds, in the heart of the city of Newport. This is one of those strips that is somewhat notorious for all of the empty shops. Yet, a little rummaging online will reveal a Newport that was industrious, expansionist and, most significantly, wealthy. The money that was poured into the architecture of Newport during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was staggering, and created a bustling town with a skyline to rival any of the great towns and cities across the island. Today, the vast majority of what made Newport distinctive is gone, demolished to make way for the instantly forgettable architecture of the 1950s and '60s.
We all want Newport to grow once more, to be reborn as a city in which pride can be found. Who knows, the shopping centre development might go some way to doing that. But when thinking about what Newport could be, take a moment to reflect on what Newport once was. Looking at images like the one below from 1921, reveal a settlement which was on the up, and marked by quite beautiful buildings. We should never be hostages to our past, but sometimes, it helps to look back, while looking forward. A few weeks ago I had the distinct pleasure of filming with The Wales Report, BBC Wales' leading political television programme. It was a great opportunity to express some concerns regarding the forthcoming Heritage Bill for Wales, not that there are huge number of things to be overly concerned about. The Heritage Bill for Wales is actually a very positive development, both for the heritage sector in Wales, and for the development of political initiatives within the Welsh political community. There was a similar bill proposed for the UK by the Government in Westminster several years ago, but it fell by the wayside in the run up to a General Election. So Wales is really in a position to lead on heritage legislation and put in some very positive measures for the protection of the built heritage of the country. However, one of the points I raised in the programme was that the proposed legislation makes no reference at all to the important intangible cultural heritage of Wales. Intangible heritage is notoriously difficult to legislate for, especially given its inevitably impermanent nature, but it's certainly not impossible to put safeguards and structures in place. To not even acknowledge the value and importance of intangible heritage in the language of the Bill seems at the very least an oversight. However, in the broadcast, the current Heritage Minister for Wales, Ken Skates, did make some positive references regarding the importance of intangible cultural heritage. Most significantly, Skates cited that he had been writing to his counterparts across the United Kingdom, regarding the possibility of pursuing ratification of the UNESCO convention on intangible cultural heritage. It's striking whenever a Minister connected to the culture sector talks positively of a UNESCO convention, especially when the intangible heritage convention is one that has courted such derision from many individuals connected to Westminster. At the moment, it's just talk, just Ministers shooting the breeze. However, we can be optimistic, now that Ken Skates has opened the door for communication on this subject, that there may be hope for some real dialogue regarding the possibility of ratification for the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. I'll be writing to the Minister in the coming days, to keep discussions on this subject alive and ongoing. Intangible heritage is an essential part of the Welsh cultural landscape, and many of its most striking examples are in an increasingly precarious position. Wales needs ratification of this convention, and would benefit tremendously for it, so let's see if we can make this happen. |
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