Current Debates in Global Heritage Symposium

Wednesday 30 April 2025, 12:45pm to 8pm

In this symposium, students from our MA History and MA Public History and Heritage will present their research related to current themes and debates in global heritage. Topics will cover a wide range of subjects and geographical areas, from 'dungeons' as sites of dark tourism in Berlin and Singapore, to Austrian food heritage, and the removal of controversial statues in countries such as the United States and Hungary.

Over the course of the day, attendees will discuss important questions facing the heritage sector in the twenty-first century, including what kind of heritage should be preserved, to what extent heritage shapes national identity and individual wellbeing, and how heritage sites should give consideration to the ethics of dark tourism.

The event will consist of four panels, each of which will contain two to three student presentations, followed by Q&A and discussion. The event is open to members of the public and anyone with an interest in heritage and history is warmly encouraged to attend and participate.

It is possible to attend the event in person or online, via Microsoft Teams, and you can attend as much or as little of the event as you like.

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Location

Room N502, 
University of Derby,
Kedleston Road,
Derby,
Derbyshire,
DE22 1GB

Provisional programme (subject to change)

Time/Presenter Event
12:45pm Arrival and welcome
1pm – 2:30pm Panel 1 – Ghosts, Criminals and Facing the Past 
Emily Morton Dark Tourism and 'Spectacular Death' in 'Dungeon' Tourism Sites
Bill Common Dark Tourism and Convict Heritage in Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania)
Abi Waller How Historic Sites in Australia Have Incorporated the Paranormal into Their Heritage
2:45pm – 4:15pm Panel 2 – Statues, Lovelocks and Conflicts: Fighting Heritage
Avery Foligno Fallen Monuments: The Battle Between the Removal and Preservation of Heritage
Leonie Chesworth An 'Epidemic of Ugly Padlocks' or a World Full of Love: Global Debates Surrounding Lovelock Bridges
Dominic White The Hague Convention (1954) and War Crimes Against Cultural Heritage: How Effective is International Law in Protecting Heritage Sites During Conflict?
4:45pm – 6:15pm: Panel 3 – The Multiple Faces of Identity
Mark Gratton The Battle of Mont-Saint-Jean, Belle Alliance or Waterloo: National Identity and the Complication of Contested Heritage
Heloise Craven Controlling Heritage: The Intersection between the Political and the Historic in 21st-Century America
Maia Bodnar Austria after the Mozartkugel: The Impact of Food as a Form of Cultural Heritage
6:30pm – 7:30pm Panel 4 – Valuing Heritage: The Wider Context
Milly Walker Your Next Getaway? An Analysis of Why Certain Parts of a Country's Heritage are Marketed to Tourists
Richard Fluck Wellbeing, Health and Prescribing: A Role for Heritage?

For further information on our postgraduate provision in History and Heritage, please see our History and Heritage MA.

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