Heritage Alerts Initiative
The aim of this initiative is to use the expertise of the members of the ICOMOS-ISC 20C to assess the significance of and threats to a property indicated to be at risk; confirm the facts of the threat and the heritage significance of the property; alert the public to the significance and threat to the property at risk using ICOMOS networks to publicize the situation; selectively act to support the conservation of the property at risk; maintain a list of properties at risk and follow the results of any conservation action for future analysis; and provide input to the ICOMOS Heritage at Risk Report.
Opportunities for Member engagement with the Initiative:
Be part of the Advocacy sub-committee for one or more Heritage Alerts: as specified in the scope/mission, the expertise of the ICOMOS-ISC 20C members will be used to assess the significance of and threats to a property indicated to be at risk, supporting the ISC 20C Advocacy sub-committee throughout all the Heritage Alert Process.
Working Group: Dumitru Rusu, Vaidas Petrulis, Silvio Oksman
EPs: Alberte Klysner Steffensen and Giacomo Martinis
BACKGROUND
The ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Twentieth Century Heritage (ISC20C) was established in 2005 to lead and sustain this area of ICOMOS activity and conservation practice. The ISC20C deals with issues impacting Twentieth Century Heritage places arising from: lack of recognition of their significance, promotion and celebration; specific construction technology and materials; particularity of original design ideas and social context; management and development pressures; and neglect. It aims to encourage the sustainability and survival of Twentieth Century heritage places, including buildings, structures, urban ensembles and plans, cultural landscapes, industrial and historic archaeology, and tangible and intangible values. The Heritage Alert process uses the ISC20C's professional and public networks to promote the conservation of Twentieth Century Heritage and to draw attention to the threats it confronts. The Committee recognizes that publicizing and defining such matters requires a high degree of responsibility, so the assessment of situations leading to a Heritage Alert will be pursued with ethical rigor and accuracy. The Committee is by its nature multi-disciplinary, with expert members worldwide.
OBJECTIVES
The Committee regularly receives requests from affinity groups and the public for letters supporting efforts to conserve or protect Twentieth Century Heritage properties which are under threat. To ensure the reputation and international credibility of the ISC20C Heritage Alert response, a formal process confirms that the heritage significance and threat are well understood before an ISC20C Heritage Alert is issued. A template outlining the information needed to prepare a Heritage Alert is available for download below. The ISC20C Heritage Alert project aims to: use the expertise of the members of the ISC20C and the relevant national ICOMOS committee to assess the significance of and threats to a property indicated to be at risk; confirm the facts of the threat and the heritage significance of the property; alert the public to the significance and threat using ICOMOS networks; selectively act to support the conservation of the property at risk; maintain a list of properties at risk and follow the results of any conservation action for future analysis; and provide input to the ICOMOS Heritage at Risk Report. The ICOMOS Heritage Alert system will be compatible with similar programs promoted by other conservation non-profit organizations and NGOs. Disseminating information through the networks of partner organizations such as UIA, Docomomo and TICCIH gives further scope for publicity and adds mutual responsibility for the accuracy of the Heritage Alert assessment.
PROCESS
A five-step process includes broad but fast consultation by the Advocacy sub-committee:
1. Preliminary Assessment: When a proposal for an alert is received, it is distributed to all sub-committee members for an initial confirmation that the case is of international or national significance. If so, the Advocacy sub-committee chair (or acting chair) forwards the Heritage Alert template to the proposer and immediately invites comment and advice from the relevant national committee of ICOMOS. The ICOMOS Secretary General is advised of the issuing of a Heritage Alert template. Affiliated organizations such as Docomomo, TICCIH or UIA may also be advised and invited to investigate or take action, such as joint support letters.
2. Advocacy sub-committee recommendation: The sub-committee Chair receives the final template and associated documentation from the proposer. Additional or comparative material may be requested. The sub-committee aims to assess and recommend on the Alert request by email within five business days whenever possible, and recommends action to the ISC20C President, whose decisions are final. The ICOMOS Secretary General and the relevant ICOMOS National Committee are consulted regarding the proposed actions by the ISC20C President.
3. ISC20C Action: The ISC20C Secretary General prepares the necessary public documentation, ISC20C letters and media briefing material in consultation with the ICOMOS National Committee and the ISC20C President.
4. ICOMOS Action: The ICOMOS Secretariat in Paris facilitates the Heritage Alert being electronically forwarded to all ICOMOS members. ISC20C prepares any letters required, including the addresses, and they are disseminated on ICOMOS letterhead by the ICOMOS Secretary General.
5. Website Action: The Heritage Alert template and associated documentation are uploaded to the ISC20C website by the ISC20C Secretary General.
ASSESSING PROPOSALS FOR HERITAGE ALERTS
Assessment Criteria: The ISC20C Advocacy sub-committee respects established national and international guidelines for the significance assessment of heritage through analysis of history, fabric, form, function, use and design intent. The committee recognizes that it is important to conserve not just building fabric, form and function, but the ideas and philosophies behind a building, structure or landscape and its use. The committee may need to request and assess additional materials that rely on original research, and comparative knowledge of other similar or associated places.
Scale of Involvement: ICOMOS, as an international organization, will generally respond only to requests of international or national urgency and forward other requests to national and local heritage organizations for action. Decisions as to when a Heritage Alert will be accompanied by official correspondence from ICOMOS to relevant national authorities, or an ICOMOS conservation campaign, are resolved between the ISC20C President, the national committee ICOMOS President and the ICOMOS Secretary General.
Template: The Heritage Alert assessment template is regularly updated, kept simple and the response methodology streamlined to ensure active and timely participation from the Advocacy sub-committee, since most members work on a voluntary basis with limited capacity to respond to requests.
ICOMOS Wide Scope: The Heritage Alert system may be useful to other ICOMOS national or scientific committees and to ICOMOS generally.
Organizational Relations: Ongoing relationships with cooperating international organizations running similar heritage at risk programs are carefully considered to ensure that ICOMOS Heritage Alerts are both timely and effective. Cooperating organizations include DOCOMOMO, TICCIH and the UIA.
Sheridan Burke, former President, ICOMOS ISC20C (August 2015)
Opportunities for Member engagement with the Initiative:
Be part of the Advocacy sub-committee for one or more Heritage Alerts: as specified in the scope/mission, the expertise of the ICOMOS-ISC 20C members will be used to assess the significance of and threats to a property indicated to be at risk, supporting the ISC 20C Advocacy sub-committee throughout all the Heritage Alert Process.
Working Group: Dumitru Rusu, Vaidas Petrulis, Silvio Oksman
EPs: Alberte Klysner Steffensen and Giacomo Martinis
BACKGROUND
The ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Twentieth Century Heritage (ISC20C) was established in 2005 to lead and sustain this area of ICOMOS activity and conservation practice. The ISC20C deals with issues impacting Twentieth Century Heritage places arising from: lack of recognition of their significance, promotion and celebration; specific construction technology and materials; particularity of original design ideas and social context; management and development pressures; and neglect. It aims to encourage the sustainability and survival of Twentieth Century heritage places, including buildings, structures, urban ensembles and plans, cultural landscapes, industrial and historic archaeology, and tangible and intangible values. The Heritage Alert process uses the ISC20C's professional and public networks to promote the conservation of Twentieth Century Heritage and to draw attention to the threats it confronts. The Committee recognizes that publicizing and defining such matters requires a high degree of responsibility, so the assessment of situations leading to a Heritage Alert will be pursued with ethical rigor and accuracy. The Committee is by its nature multi-disciplinary, with expert members worldwide.
OBJECTIVES
The Committee regularly receives requests from affinity groups and the public for letters supporting efforts to conserve or protect Twentieth Century Heritage properties which are under threat. To ensure the reputation and international credibility of the ISC20C Heritage Alert response, a formal process confirms that the heritage significance and threat are well understood before an ISC20C Heritage Alert is issued. A template outlining the information needed to prepare a Heritage Alert is available for download below. The ISC20C Heritage Alert project aims to: use the expertise of the members of the ISC20C and the relevant national ICOMOS committee to assess the significance of and threats to a property indicated to be at risk; confirm the facts of the threat and the heritage significance of the property; alert the public to the significance and threat using ICOMOS networks; selectively act to support the conservation of the property at risk; maintain a list of properties at risk and follow the results of any conservation action for future analysis; and provide input to the ICOMOS Heritage at Risk Report. The ICOMOS Heritage Alert system will be compatible with similar programs promoted by other conservation non-profit organizations and NGOs. Disseminating information through the networks of partner organizations such as UIA, Docomomo and TICCIH gives further scope for publicity and adds mutual responsibility for the accuracy of the Heritage Alert assessment.
PROCESS
A five-step process includes broad but fast consultation by the Advocacy sub-committee:
1. Preliminary Assessment: When a proposal for an alert is received, it is distributed to all sub-committee members for an initial confirmation that the case is of international or national significance. If so, the Advocacy sub-committee chair (or acting chair) forwards the Heritage Alert template to the proposer and immediately invites comment and advice from the relevant national committee of ICOMOS. The ICOMOS Secretary General is advised of the issuing of a Heritage Alert template. Affiliated organizations such as Docomomo, TICCIH or UIA may also be advised and invited to investigate or take action, such as joint support letters.
2. Advocacy sub-committee recommendation: The sub-committee Chair receives the final template and associated documentation from the proposer. Additional or comparative material may be requested. The sub-committee aims to assess and recommend on the Alert request by email within five business days whenever possible, and recommends action to the ISC20C President, whose decisions are final. The ICOMOS Secretary General and the relevant ICOMOS National Committee are consulted regarding the proposed actions by the ISC20C President.
3. ISC20C Action: The ISC20C Secretary General prepares the necessary public documentation, ISC20C letters and media briefing material in consultation with the ICOMOS National Committee and the ISC20C President.
4. ICOMOS Action: The ICOMOS Secretariat in Paris facilitates the Heritage Alert being electronically forwarded to all ICOMOS members. ISC20C prepares any letters required, including the addresses, and they are disseminated on ICOMOS letterhead by the ICOMOS Secretary General.
5. Website Action: The Heritage Alert template and associated documentation are uploaded to the ISC20C website by the ISC20C Secretary General.
ASSESSING PROPOSALS FOR HERITAGE ALERTS
Assessment Criteria: The ISC20C Advocacy sub-committee respects established national and international guidelines for the significance assessment of heritage through analysis of history, fabric, form, function, use and design intent. The committee recognizes that it is important to conserve not just building fabric, form and function, but the ideas and philosophies behind a building, structure or landscape and its use. The committee may need to request and assess additional materials that rely on original research, and comparative knowledge of other similar or associated places.
Scale of Involvement: ICOMOS, as an international organization, will generally respond only to requests of international or national urgency and forward other requests to national and local heritage organizations for action. Decisions as to when a Heritage Alert will be accompanied by official correspondence from ICOMOS to relevant national authorities, or an ICOMOS conservation campaign, are resolved between the ISC20C President, the national committee ICOMOS President and the ICOMOS Secretary General.
Template: The Heritage Alert assessment template is regularly updated, kept simple and the response methodology streamlined to ensure active and timely participation from the Advocacy sub-committee, since most members work on a voluntary basis with limited capacity to respond to requests.
ICOMOS Wide Scope: The Heritage Alert system may be useful to other ICOMOS national or scientific committees and to ICOMOS generally.
Organizational Relations: Ongoing relationships with cooperating international organizations running similar heritage at risk programs are carefully considered to ensure that ICOMOS Heritage Alerts are both timely and effective. Cooperating organizations include DOCOMOMO, TICCIH and the UIA.
Sheridan Burke, former President, ICOMOS ISC20C (August 2015)