Research

One of the research projects for the coming years will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with objects, instruments and artefacts in intangible heritage practices. The research will bring together interdisciplinary and international perspectives, cases and expertise, with particular relevance to the global implementation of the Basic Texts of the 2003 Convention. It will pay specific attention to Ethical Principle 5 of the Convention which stresses that communities, groups and individuals should have access to the instruments, objects, artefacts, cultural and natural spaces, and places of memory necessary for expressing their intangible cultural heritage, including in situations of armed conflict, while customary practices governing access should be fully respected.

The research is relevant, among other contexts, to intangible heritage in conflict and other emergency situations, refugee contexts, and climate change scenarios, in which communities, groups and individuals may lose access to spaces or objects essential to their heritage practices.

Grounded Memories: Metal-detecting as mindful heritage in action

Farms as more-than-human contact zones

​​Research projects Marc Jacobs​

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Jiyun (June) Zhang's postdoctoral research bridges critical heritage studies and media archaeology, examining how ICH is represented and mediated through audiovisual media, including a comparative study of ICH nomination videos under the 2003 Convention. She also applies participatory filmmaking and animation to work with heritage communities, including through the Grounded Memories project on metal detecting as a living heritage practice.

Jiyun (June) Zhang is an independent animation filmmaker. She holds a PhD in Cultural Heritage Studies. 

• Staged "ethnicity" in musical films in China between 1949 and 1966; PhD project of Yuxin Yan (China). 
• Preserving a living object – the challenges of puppet conservation and restoration. With case studies from the Brussels Art and History Museum collection and Puppeteer’s workshop. PhD project of Franciszek Szpila (Poland)
• What are the patterns of resistance to making the impacts of culture visible in the context of the sustainable development agenda? PhD project of Joanne Orr (UK)
• Indigenous Voices, Language-based Heritage Interpretation, and the Role of AI in Inclusive Museology in India, PhD project of Sushree Sangita Mohanty (India) 
• How to handle the dirt. New Approaches to Textile Conservation. Material Biographies and Heritage Significance, PhD Project of Griet Kockelkoren (Belgium)
• Crafting collaborative futures: exploring the dissonance between maker communities and municipalities, PhD project of Vic Bervoets (Belgium)
• Vibrant matter, participation, critical heritage studies and practices, PhD project of Sofie De Ruysser (Belgium)
• Federal Heritage Institutions in Belgium in the 21st century, heritage policy and critical heritage Studies, PhD project of Joachim Spyns (Belgium)
• Emotions, objects, museums and heritage work, PhD project of Els Veraverbeke (Belgium)
• Archives, Democratisation and critical heritage studies, PhD project of Geerd Deceulaerde (Belgium)
• Collecting War: Collectors and Collections of the Battle of Malta since 1940, PhD project of Nikolai Debono (Malta) 

Will be added soon.

Will be added soon.