ICOMOS GA23 Youth Forum
Architectural Assistant Hugh Jones was sponsored to attend the ICOMOS GA23 Youth Forum, held over three days on Wareamah (Cockatoo Island).
This year’s forum centred on knowledge sharing to better equip the next generation of heritage professionals for the challenges of safeguarding built and landscape heritage in an uncertain future.
The forum’s ‘REFRAME’ sessions sought to answer the question:
How can young and emerging professionals ‘reframe’ heritage? And in ‘reframing’ ideas, values, and conservation practice, how do we lay the groundwork for an uncertain future?
The sessions provided fresh thinking and aimed to deepen understanding of the multifaceted nature of working as a heritage practitioner.
Sessions such as “Designing with Country” highlighted the significance of integrating Indigenous knowledge systems into heritage practices, emphasizing a unique “cultural dimension” to better understand the modern responsibilities of safeguarding our collective heritage and neutralizing pre-existing bias.
“Adapt or Perish” underscored the urgent need to address the sustainability crisis in the construction industry, with a focus on adaptive re-use projects. This session reinforced the idea that heritage conservation is not just about preserving the past but also about creating a sustainable future for our heritage and responsibly managing change.
“Reframing Digital Heritage” showcased the transformative potential of technology in heritage management, specifically how user-generated content on social media can enhance visitor experiences and serve as a tool for monitoring sites. The innovative methods being employed in data harvesting from online platforms can be used to better support efforts in managing and safeguarding our heritage.
– Hugh Jones, Architectural Assistant
