Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in a Changing World

Overview

TEFAF is honored to present the inaugural TEFAF Summit an annual event hosted at TEFAF Maastricht in association with the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO. This distinguished event delves into the theme of cultural heritage and its challenges with prominent thought leaders, experts, and influential stakeholders from the fields of cultural heritage, art, academia, government, and more.

The Summit brings together prominent thought leaders, distinguished experts, and influential stakeholders from various fields, including cultural heritage, art and archaeology, academia, governmental, and non-governmental organizations, to engage in constructive conversations on critical issues related to cultural heritage. As a platform for meaningful discourse and collaboration, the TEFAF Summit seeks to raise awareness and promote actionable solutions towards safeguarding our world’s invaluable cultural treasures and heritage.

The TEFAF Summit is graciously supported by TEFAF Maastricht’s Lead Partner, AXA XL.

Various partner organizations delve into relevant topics at the TEFAF Summit: the Netherlands Commission for UNESCO explore the unifying power of culture in fostering peace; Cultural Emergency Response emphasizes intangible heritage and the people-centered nature of cultural heritage in crisis response; the World Monuments Fund hosts a conversation on collaboration among partner organizations; and a final discussion underscored the importance of collaboration and joint efforts between public and private stakeholders for the sustainable safeguarding of cultural heritage.

With increasing conflicts worldwide, UNESCO’s mission is more relevant than ever. “Since war begins in the minds of people, it is in the minds of people that the defences of peace must be constructed.” Art and heritage form the fundamental basis of our society and the path to a peaceful future. Join us for a dynamic discussion on UNESCO’s mandate and the unifying power of culture.

11:00AM – 11:45AM

Bridging Crisis, Culture, and Community

Cultural Emergency Response Panel

The panel aims to inspire a deeper understanding of the people-centered nature of cultural heritage and its impact on individual and community well-being through examples of partners on the ground. It focuses on people as carriers of culture, introducing the role of heritage in individual and collective identities. While illustrating the cultural ambulance work of Cultural Emergency Response (CER), the panelists will elaborate on sustainable, inclusive, and diverse emergency responses to culture in crisis. Join us to learn more about the importance and urgency of heritage protection.

11:45AM – 12:30PM

Restoring the Spirit of Mosul: Heritage, Memory, and Post-Conflict Recovery in Iraq and Beyond

World Monuments Fund Panel

The Mosul Museum Rehabilitation Project aims to rehabilitate the second largest museum in Iraq and one of the few modernist structures still existing in Mosul after it was heavily damaged by Daesh in 2015. Led by a unique international partnership between the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), the Musée du Louvre, the Smithsonian Institution, World Monuments Fund (WMF), and the International alliance for the protection of heritage in conflict areas (ALIPH), the project represents a shared belief in the potential of the site to contribute to the city’s post-conflict recovery. Join us to learn more about this ongoing initiative and the collaborative efforts to bring the Mosul Cultural Museum back to life as a center for culture, education, community, and memory.