The Ironbridge International Institute for Cultural Heritage has announced speakers for it's upcoming Visiting Lecture Series. The series will focus on a range of heritage themes and will feature eminent speakers from the sector.

Photo of the Iron Bridge at Ironbridge

All events are open to all university staff, students and the public, and are free to attend.

To kick things off, IIICH has teamed up with the Birmingham Research Institute for History and Cultures (BRIHC) to deliver the first lecture on Tuesday 4 October 2017. Professor Tim Edensor will explore the changing practices of maintaining built heritage, and how evolving attitudes and values can change our perceptions on what is worth preserving and what can be left to decay. 

On Thursday 20 October we will be joined by Professor Helaine Silverman from the Collaborative for Cultural Heritage Management and Policy at the University of Illinois. In '"Ruination": Conflicting Values at a Potential World Heritage Site in Thailand', Professor Silverman will discuss the impact and conflicts that can arise when a state heritage agency seeks to impose its views on site management and value on communities that live in close proximity to ancient monuments. The lecture will focus in particular on the impending World Heritage List inscription of a Khmer Temple in Thailand.

On Tuesday 25 October we are delighted to host this year's Ironbridge Annual Lecture in partnership with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust. This prestigious annual lecture highlights the longstanding relationship between the University of Birmingham and the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. In this lecture, 'A European Future for our Past?', Benedicte Selfslagh, Chairperson for the European Heritage Label, will explore the ways in which the cultural heritage of Europe reminds us not only of shared pasts, but also the ways in which the peoples and places of Europe continue to be intimately connected. 

Next up, we welcome Dr Lloyd Carpenter from Lincoln University in New Zealand. On Thursday 17 November, Dr Carpenter will be be presenting 'A New Look on Old Heritage: When what you see is not what you get'. With the ever expanding sector of world heritage tourism, many consumers of heritage view their experiences as being deeply rooted in the belonging and identity of a place.  This lecture examines whether heritage engagement is real, or simply a romanticised nostalgia for the past. 

More speakers and lectures will be announced over the course of the year.

To see the lecture series in more detail, and to book your free place, please visit: www.ironbridgeinstitute.eventbrite.com