heritage futures Archives - Page 4 of 10

Climate Change and Coastal Erosion

2023-04-06

Cornelius Holtorf was invited to Norwich in the UK to attend a British Academy-funded conference and expert workshop on Measuring Loss and Damage to Heritage from Climate Change for Effective Policy Reporting at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Holtorf argued in favour of replacing the emphasis on ‘loss and damage’ with a stronger appreciation of the potential use of heritage for enhancing people’s well-being in the face of climate change and its implications. But another focus of the 2-day discussions was how to measure the loss of culture and heritage so that it can be included in high-level climate discussions.

Food heritage is partly intangible and selling points are mobile – a good thing when the coast is eroding rapidly.

The days of discussion were followed by an excursion to the coast of Norfolk to witness coastal erosion and get engaged in informal discussions on the mobility of cultural heritage and peoples’ lives under changing conditions.

An Archaeology of Growth and Regeneration

2023-02-23

What can it mean to excavate remains of the past when one is interested in the future?

One part of the excavation report for Gamla Skogsby 2021 describes the main outcomes of the intellectual and empirical work on growth and regeneration, led by Cornelius Holtorf and in collaboration with the other members of the excavation team.

The associated fieldwork was an attempt to find ways of creatively applying futures thinking to an archaeological field project.

Read the report of this experimental excavation project here:

Holtorf, Cornelius (2022) An Archaeology of Growth and Regeneration. In: L. Papmehl-Dufay (ed.) Under storkökets golv. Arkeologisk undersökning i Gamla Skogsby september och oktober 2022, pp. 85-123 (Appendix 1). Kalmar Studies in Archaeology XIV. Kalmar/Växjö: Linnaeus University.

See also the full report here to which my text is an appendix.

Heritage Futures and Museums

2023-01-29

Cornelius Holtorf was interviewed by Mario Giognorio, PhD student at the School of International Studies in Trento, Italy, on “Heritage Futures: Museums, communities, and the future that is already here.“

He had been visiting Trento in November 2022 to give public lectures and seminars for the students participating in the Challenge Hitchhikers’ guides, virtual Charons, and the future of cultural objects, organized by Francesca Odella (Department of Sociology) and promoted by the University of Trento’s School of Innovation and the European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU).

Future consciousness in museums

2023-01-11

Nordisk Museologi published a paper by Anders Högberg, Gustav Wollentz, and Cornelius Holtorf on future consciousness in Swedish county museums.

Abstract

This study investigates how managers and employees at County Museums in Sweden think about, work with, and relate to the future in their daily practice. We examined which tools and routines the museums employ to work concretely with different future perspectives. The study is thus about those forms of future consciousness that exist in the museums. The results show that the future is implicitly present but often remains unarticulated in the work of the museum. The museums work with short future perspectives which are often linked to concrete tasks or development work. The future perspectives at the museums are largely locked in the present or in a near future. Concrete tools, skills and routines to develop future consciousness are lacking. However, the results show that there is great interest and willingness among Swedish County Museums to implement tools, skills, and routines for a more developed engagement with futures.

Available in open access! (Full paper in Swedish only)

Högberg, Anders, Gustav Wollentz, and Cornelius Holtorf (2022) Framtidsmedvetande på museer. Några svenska länsmuseer i fokus. Nordisk Museologi 34 (2), 5–22.

AI on Heritage Futures

2022-12-23

I asked the Open AI Chat what Heritage Futures was. Here is the response:

Heritage futures is a field of study that examines the ways in which cultural heritage is imagined, constructed, and represented in the present, with a view to understanding the possibilities and challenges for heritage in the future. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws on a range of disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, history, and cultural studies, and is concerned with the social, political, and cultural dimensions of heritage.

Heritage futures is interested in the ways in which heritage is shaped by contemporary forces, such as globalization, digitalization, and climate change, and how these forces will impact the future of heritage. It also considers the ways in which heritage can be used to shape the future, for example through the development of heritage-based tourism, the use of heritage in education and public engagement, and the role of heritage in shaping national and global identities.

Heritage futures seeks to explore the diverse and often conflicting visions of the future of heritage, and to examine the role of heritage in shaping and reflecting power relations. It also aims to consider the social and ethical implications of heritage practices, and to identify strategies for the responsible and sustainable management of heritage in the future.

When I asked the same question again, I got this slightly different response:

Heritage futures is a field of study that examines the ways in which cultural heritage is imagined, planned, and managed in the present in order to shape the future. It is concerned with the ways in which heritage is used to shape and influence the future development of a society or community, and with the ways in which future developments may impact the heritage of a place or group.

Heritage futures involves the development of strategies and plans for the preservation, management, and interpretation of cultural heritage in the future, as well as the consideration of the ethical and social implications of these plans. It also involves the examination of the roles that different stakeholders, including governments, community groups, and individual citizens, play in shaping the future of cultural heritage.

Heritage futures is interdisciplinary, drawing on fields such as anthropology, sociology, history, and cultural studies, and is concerned with the social and political dimensions of heritage. It aims to provide a framework for understanding and addressing the complex and dynamic issues surrounding the conservation and interpretation of cultural heritage in the present and in the future.

Then I asked why Heritage Futures was important:

Heritage futures is important because cultural heritage is an important part of our shared history and identity. It helps us understand the past, and it can also shape the future development of a society or community. By examining the ways in which heritage is imagined, planned, and managed in the present, heritage futures helps to ensure that cultural heritage is preserved and protected for future generations.

In addition, heritage futures helps to address the complex and dynamic issues surrounding the conservation and interpretation of cultural heritage. This includes considering the ethical and social implications of heritage management, as well as the roles that different stakeholders play in shaping the future of cultural heritage.

Heritage futures is also important because it helps to promote a sense of shared history and identity within a society or community. By valuing and preserving cultural heritage, we can help to foster a sense of belonging and connection to the past, which can have positive impacts on social cohesion and community well-being.

Overall, heritage futures is important because it helps to protect and preserve our cultural heritage for future generations, and because it plays a key role in shaping the future development of a society or community.

Amazing, with such clever technology!

Is the future a luxury?

2022-12-21

Sarah May writes: I keep hearing people suggest they don’t have time for the future. Or that other people don’t have time for the future. I hear the classist suggestion that people who are struggling in the present, working hard, don’t think of the future. Some of the strongest futures thinking comes from people who are marginalised, because they need it. It’s the wealthy who can afford not to think of the future, or to do so poorly.

World Futures Day 2 December 2022

2022-12-02

Let the future begin today – the importance of futures literacy is highlighted on the new international day “World Futures Day”

Today, December 2, the international day “World Futures Day” is celebrated for the first time. The day has been instituted by UNESCO to draw attention to an area that is growing in importance – futures literacy. Read the interview with Cornelius Holtorf (In Swedish) at the website of the Swedish National Commission of UNESCO here

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UNESCO Chair Symposium

2022-11-24

On 24 November, Anders Högberg, Professor of Archaeology and member of the UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures, represented our Chair in a Global Symposium arranged by Ted Fuller at the UNESCO Chair on Responsible Foresight for Sustainable Development at University of Lincoln. The symposium was arranged ahead of UNESCO World Futures Day 2022.

Presentations were made by researchers from all over the world, dealing with aspects on social entrepreneurship, sustainability and futures literacy. It was interesting to see researchers from various academic disciplines can coming together to discuss future related topics.

Anders Högberg, Professor of Archaeology UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures

COP 27 on loss and damage

2022-11-18

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) held in November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, featured among many other events a session entitled “Losing the Irreplaceable: Loss & Damage, Culture & Heritage” which was arranged as part of the Resilience Hub on 17 November 2022.

This session, which Cornelius Holtorf attended digitally, was about cultural dimensions of loss and damage as a result of climate change. It asked: How does one grieve from the loss of the irreplaceable? What is the price of cultural extinction? Does loss mean the same thing in every culture?

In this perspective, heritage represents something irreplaceable that needs to be saved from loss and protected from damage.

But another way of looking at some of these issues is by asking: can heritage help us to increase resilience and adapt culture and heritage to changing natural conditions? What heritage is being created as a result of climate change? How can we enhance wellbeing of future generations despite major transformations we anticipate?

As Hannah Fluck of the National Trust in the UK explained, one innovative strategy forward is focussing on “adaptive release”.

Review by Sergiu Musteata

2022-11-16

Professor Dr. Sergiu Musteata, History and Geography Faculty, “Ion Creanga” State University, Chișinău, Moldova reviewed our book Cultural Heritage and the Future (Holtorf and Högberg 2021) in the Romanian journal Plural 10 (1), 2022, 177-181. Contact address for the author: sergiu_musteata@yahoo.com

Here are some excerpts machine-translated into English:

“The introductory part, the coordinators of the volume note that the research of the future and its relationship with cultural heritage is quite a field again and started to be addressed only a few years ago. The need for one such research comes from the circumstances to which the world is exposed today – rapid changes in all spheres of life, uncertain future, etc. … The collection of studies is practical the fruit of the effort of an international team for ten years that comes with an authentic, innovative and critical approach to a topic that deserves much attention greater, both from academic and political circles. …

“In conclusion, we highlight the fact that practically all authors noted that inheritance culture and the future are closely linked and that it should be a priority for the academic environment, for young people and for all those who are active in the fields of museography, cultural heritage, archaeology, anthropology, architecture, conservation, restoration, sociology, history, geography, etc. The present volume contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between the future and cultural heritage, which is an under-researched area. Because, cultural heritage and cultural heritage management must occupy a distinct place in the construction of a sustainable future. … Although the volume does not cover all aspects of cultural heritage and its relationship with the future, I am sure that this work will contribute to a better and wider research on the role of cultural heritage in building strategies and processes of the future. That is why I recommend this collection of studies not only to experts in the fields of cultural heritage, but also politicians and other professional categories who are concerned with the future of humanity. Because only through one approach visionary and interdisciplinary we can achieve the expected results, he anticipates certain risks, increase the confidence and security of the citizen, plan and build a sustainable future based on cultural heritage.”

The full review is available here.

UNESCO