Gaza has long been celebrated for its vibrant cultural institutions which form an integral part of its creative landscape; expressed through exhibitions and events across theatre, music, art and film.

of youth) is one continuous, long form poem exploring contemporary working-class upbringings, queer culture…

This Culture in Crisis event, programmed in collaboration with London Festival of Architecture, will explore different case studies and approaches to the (re)construction of architecture, within post-crisis environments.

Find out more about the V&A’s longstanding support for communities suffering from cultural heritage loss, led by our dedicated Culture in Crisis leaders in this Members-only talk.

Learn about the unique methodologies used to evidence cultural property destruction within conflict zones today.

From contemporary music to culinary traditions, fashion design to the urban environment, this talk explores the ways in which Syrian culture and heritage continues to develop today.

Part of Refugee Week 2019

Join us for a lecture with artist Michael Rakowitz to discuss his recent work.

Get a first-hand insight into how people save and protect cultural heritage sites within war-zone areas today.

Join our discussion to explore the innovations and limits of digital technologies in preservation and reproduction practices.

Join us to find out how communities across the globe are using cultural heritage as a tool for sustainable development.

Three organisations, each funded by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund, discuss the challenges and breakthroughs of their work with young people across the Middle East to protect and preserve their threatened cultural heritage

Across the globe, cultural heritage faces a myriad of changing risks and threats, from the destructive power of conflict to the impact of rapid urbanisation and the growing peril of the climate crisis.

Art, Architecture, Design and Heritage. Internationally renowned artist, Ahmad Angawi presents on his recent projects and discusses the symbioses between traditional arts and contemporary design in Saudi Arabia. Angawi will discuss how being of Meccan roots and inspired by the rich diversity of the culture of Hejaz has affected his work, revolving around the human condition while also paying homage to culture, heritage and the environment. During Angawi’s travels across the Middle East, He has focused on local traditional artisans and craftsmen, and studied their time-honored roles and their relationship to today’s mass-market productions. He strongly believes that industrial designers are the craftsmen of today and has developed multiple programs as well as creative and artistic practices to revive the traditional crafts across art and design, regenerating a living tradition. Ahmad Angawi, a multidisciplinary creative from Makkah born in 1981, holds a bachelors of Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York and Masters degree in Traditional Arts from The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. Angawi is currently the Associate Director of Al Makmad Foundation, a cultural institution that aims to conserve and revive the Hijazi heritage. Angawi is also the Program Director of the Jameel House of Traditional Arts, the historical district of Jeddah. The school is an initiative by the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts in London, and Art Jameel. This event is part of the V&A’s Culture in Crisis Series

Join us for an event with celebrated Pakistani architect and co-founder of the Heritage Foundation of Pakistan, Yasmeen Lari, highlighting innovative methods and alternative community-based strategies for preserving cultural heritage.

A Critique of the ‘Universal’ Heritage Model

Cultural Heritage advocate and development professional, Pema Abrahams, will discuss the consequences for culture when a community is disenfranchised from its heritage, and the impact this has on the notion of identity within society. Using as a case study her work in Sikkim - a previously independent state which was subsumed by India in 1975 - for which she was a recipient of a British Library Endangered Archives Programme grant (funded by Arcadia); she will discuss her efforts to digitise 100,000 documents from the Sikkim Palace Archive (1875-1975), which upon completion will create the first universally accessible archival collection of local origin. This ‘in conversation’ event, hosted by Jody Butterworth, Curator of the British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme, will explore the value of the archive in restoring a sense of collective ownership in heritage preservation, and the role of an individual in spurring community engagement Pema Abrahams, of British-Sikkimese parentage, raised in New York and the UK, has spent the past eight years living and working on the Indian sub-continent: in New Delhi, Kathmandu, and Gangtok (Sikkim). She has recently founded a non-profit collection of initiatives that facilitate scholarship and encourage creativity to strengthen Sikkim’s cultural heritage preservation. Its next project is the digitization and documentation of more than 100 ‘thangkas’ (Tibetan Buddhist scroll paintings) from the Royal Chapel in Sikkim. Please note that for security reasons bags are not permitted in the National Art Library and as such we invite our guests to deposit their belongings in the cloakroom at the main entrance before attending the talk. This event is part of the V&A’s Culture in Crisis Series, and programmed in conjunction with The British Library’s Endangered Archives Programme

Examine the history of looting, key repatriation cases, and due diligence methods used to ensure proper acquisition practices

Explore the practical applications of digital reproduction in heritage preservation

Join us for an evening exploring the inspiring achievements of the World Monuments Fund’s Syrian Stonemasonry Training Programme.