YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FORUM LAB

The professions of cultural heritage towards the future. Scenarios, futures, opportunities for post-pandemic conservation professions

Questions and perspectives of tomorrow's professionals

The impact of the current pandemic and its effects on the social, economic and cultural spheres are debated on a global scale: The survival of cultural heritage and the vital link between conservation and enjoyment, cultural heritage and community, are being measured today in new contexts.

We are witnessing a paradigm shift that will affect our future and that of our professions. For these reasons, the second edition of the Young Professionals Forum intends to offer its participants a section dedicated to ‘Cultural heritage professions towards the future’, a moment to grasp this transition, understanding the difficulties involved in overcoming it and the opportunities for redefining practices and methodologies.

Focusing on future generations is at the heart of the G20 Culture, which will take place in Rome on 29-30 July 2021. On the occasion of this event, the Forum wants to contribute with a reflection on the same issues.

International consultations Y20
On 3 July, for the first time ever, youth associations around the world had the opportunity to make their voices heard at the Official International Consultations of the Y20, the official G20 engagement group chaired by the Young Ambassadors Society.

We were there to share the results of our Young Professionals Forum Lab “CULTURAL HERITAGE PROFESSIONS TOWARD THE FUTURE” and help bring young people’s ideas to the G20.

More information about Y20 HERE

Topics

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the system of protection, management and enhancement of cultural heritage has been put to the test and some of its inherent fragilities have been amplified. At the same time, in this emergency, we can recalibrate priorities, introduce new organizational tools and methods, develop more effective strategies and consciously plan the next goals.

The Forum workshop aims to encourage participation in this extraordinary moment of elaboration by young professionals of cultural heritage.

What elements are inexorably changing and what is the impact of this change on the future of our actions, objectives and work?
How to ensure the protection of cultural testimonies in contexts of crisis (historical, political, environmental, cultural)?
What impact will technologies, the digital universe and artificial intelligence have on systems for the preservation, enjoyment and transmission of cultural heritage?
And what professional skills will be needed to best express these new scenarios?

The criterion of sustainability remains crucial in all its different forms, from economic ones, aimed at identifying the most appropriate management models, to the orientations of scientific research: how to promote initiatives and solutions compatible with people’s well-being, the integrity of the environment and social balance?
Many of these issues are already part of the G20 Culture agenda, which focuses on People, Planet and Prosperity, and which has also identified as one of its priorities a reflection on the interaction between culture, training and education. Digital acceleration and distance reduction, both physical and cultural, have become part of this last year of our closest horizon.

From the point of view of exercising our professions, do we think we have the necessary tools or do we think we need to strengthen our skills and knowledge?
What is the relationship between specialist and transversal skills and how do we think it would be useful to encourage continuous updating?
What importance do we attach to international experience in terms of professional mobility, co-design opportunities and training opportunities for the exchange of skills?

Partners

The Young Professionals Forum Lab

“Cultural heritage professions towards the future” provides for parallel working tables, for reflection on the proposed themes, coordinated by the tutors and institutions involved.

• CCR
• the Santagata Foundation
• ICCROM
• ICOM
• ICOMOS

Working groups

• ICCROM - Community and Heritage Conservation;
• ICOM – Accelerating technological change and hyperconnectivity with regard to the conservation, management, use and transmission of cultural heritage;
• ICOMOS – Competence, cooperation and capacity for cultural heritage education: knowledge, skills and opportunities;
• Fondazione Santagata and JRC – Integrating the management and conservation of cultural heritage.

Working Group 1
ICCROM mentors:
Valerie Magar, Unit Manager, Programs; Aparna Tandon, Senior Programme Leader, First Aid and Resilience for Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis, Digital Heritage

Topic: Community and heritage conservation

This working group focused its reflection on the topic of communities and heritage, presenting an overview of methodologies for community engagement, followed by case studies where communities have an important role to play in heritage conservation, and cases where heritage sites have also provided opportunities for communities to deal with disaster situations, or the current COVID-19 pandemic. The working group will identify a set of good practice guidelines to strengthen the capacities of young professionals to improve the integration of heritage conservation with the involvement of communities.

The session included:
– An introductory overview of the importance of community participation and the potential role of young people in conservation and management;
– Brief case studies/examples on how young people can help in disaster risk response, emergency response and post-COVID recovery;
– Presentation and participatory play (with participants involved in the mentoring session) on the assessment of capacities and vulnerabilities associated with cultural heritage;
– IDEE workshop, where participants will be divided into groups to propose simple ideas on how to work with communities in a given place;
– Questions and comments;
– Closure.

Working Group 2
ICOM mentors:
Federica Manoli, Member of the National Council – ICOM Italy; Maddalena d’Alfonso, member of the ICAMT Council

Topic: Accelerating technological change and hyperconnectivity to the conservation, management, use and transmission of cultural heritage

One of the most relevant megatrends (processes capable of producing long-term global change) identified by the EU concerns the development and acceleration of scientific discoveries, new technologies, robotics and artificial intelligence, hyperconnectivity and augmented reality. This leads to the inevitable transformation of management and governance systems in all areas. The working group will discuss, including through case studies presented by participants, the impact of this on the conservation, management, use and transmission of cultural heritage and identify opportunities and new paradigms for the future.

Six issues were discussed:
– What kind of technological acceleration are museums experiencing at the moment?
– What technological acceleration would be desirable?
– Are museums hyper-connected?
– Does technology make museum management more sustainable?
– Does technology make museum conservation processes more sustainable?

Working Group 3
ICOMOS mentors:
Maria Teresa Jaquinta, Coordinator of the Scientific Committee for Education and Training (CIF) – ICOMOS Italy; Sabatino Cecchini, Member of the Scientific, Educational and Training Committee (CIF) – ICOMOS Italy; Christian Biggi, Member of the Scientific Committee for Education and Training (CIF) – ICOMOS Italy

Topic: Competence, cooperation and capacity for cultural heritage education: knowledge, skills and opportunities

Today more than ever, cultural heritage professionals need to develop/adapt multidisciplinary approaches in areas such as heritage documentation, disaster risk reduction, vulnerability assessment, conservation, education and training, and how heritage sites are presented to visitors. This working group will focus on current challenges affecting cultural heritage, identifying complementary skills and competences to be integrated into existing curricula to improve heritage resource management and respond to the challenges of the current historical moment. To this end, the session will be organised as a simulation of a session of a G20 meeting. Participants will be asked to speak and to propose elements to be included in a final declaration to be presented at the G20 Culture.

The session included:
– An introductory overview of cultural heritage education skills, cooperation and capacity: knowledge, skills and opportunities, and the potential role of young people in conservation and management;
– Statements by participants on the proposed topic;
– Working group for the definition of the declaration;
– Questions and comments;
– Closure.

Working Group 4
Mentors :
Fondazione Santagata, Alessio Re, Secretary General; JRC, Sara Abram, Secretary-General.

Topic: Integrating heritage management and conservation into sustainable development processes

This working group will focus its reflection on the capacities that young professionals should strengthen to ensure that heritage management and conservation are integrated into sustainable development processes. This may include, on the one hand, a thorough understanding of the interrelationships between cultural conservation, climate action and socio-economic well-being and, on the other hand, promoting the creation of an enabling and cooperative environment in the institutional and political context. Gathering lessons and inspiration from concrete experiences at international level, the working group will also identify a set of best practice guidelines to improve the positive impacts of integrating heritage management and conservation into sustainable development processes.