WCLA to hold moot on museums, heritage

LAHORE

Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) has planned to hold 'International Museums and Heritage Conference' in collaboration with the British Council.

Officials said the aim of the conference would be to bring together international sector specialists and government departments to share knowledge, best practices and discuss the challenges faced by Pakistan in the areas of museum and heritage. They said the three-day conference would start on September 1 and end on Sept 3, 2016. Speakers from all over Pakistan and foreign countries will participate in the conference, including Ms Diana Walters, senior research fellow at Exeter University and an international museums and heritage consultant, Exeter University, John David Bull, head of Outreach and Professional Development, UCL, Qatar, Dr Rebecca Bridgman, curator of Islamic and South Asian Art and Curatorial Team Leader, Birmingham Museums Trust Birmingham, Patrick Gibbs, head of Technical Design University of York, Dr Matilda Phoebe Blyth, head of Collections and Principal Curator, Science Museum, London, Ms Marilyn Scrace, director, The Lightbox London, Friederike Cornelia Voigt, senior curator, Department of World Cultures, Scotland, Glasgow, Ms Miranda Stearn, head of learning, The Fitzwilliam Museum, London, Jasdeep Singh Rahal, curator, National Army Museum, London, Ms Joanne Orr, CEO, Museums Galleries of Scotland, Glasgow, Duncan Wilson, chief executive, Historic England, London, Hamish Christopher McGregor, director, The Centre for Digital Documentation and Visualisation LLP Edinburgh, Ms Megan Louise de Silva, objects conservator, Monmouthshire County Council, Birmingham, Ms Laura Jane Dargie Henderson, senior lecturer, Cardiff University, Birmingham, Harvinder Bahra, international speaker, London, Crawford John McGugan, curator, Open Museum, Glasgow, Helen Nerrisa Thomas, head of Museums and Cultural Heritage, British Council, London and Joanne Jolley, communications manager for Arts British Council, London.

Officials said that the conference would be aimed at bringing together heritage and museum professionals from around the world to showcase examples of best practice as a step towards addressing some of the most pressing concerns of the museums and heritage sector in Pakistan. The first two days of the conference will be devoted to the presentation of case studies while the third day would invite workshops within the areas of digital imaging of sites and objects.

Representatives of museums, archeology and culture departments from all over Pakistan will be invited by the WCLA to the conference.

WCLA’s senior official Tania Qureshi said that the authority would be sharing the works of Pakistan as well with the delegates and the participants for image-building of Pakistan in terms of culture, heritage and the development of the museums. WCLA Director General Kamran Lashari said that for the first time, a conference of this scale would be held in Pakistan which would focus on the museums and heritage of Pakistan.