Upcoming Events and Activities

Posted here are upcoming events, activities and research opportunities relating to Cultural Policy development, both here at the Center and among government and civil society organizations worldwide.

Association for Critical Heritage Studies – US Chapter Launch Event

Date: February 20, 2013
Time: 6-7:30pm
Location: Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, 600 Maryland Avenue SW, Suite 2001, Washington, D.C.
RSVP To: Michelle Stefano (mstefano@msac.org; 631 921 0248) and/or James Early (Earlyj@si.edu; 202-633-6464)
RSVP Deadline: February 18

 Download Invitation

Description:
The Association for Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS) will be launching its US Chapter at Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.

ACHS aims to “promote heritage as an area of critical enquiry” by encouraging “dialogue and networking between researchers from different fields and disciplinary backgrounds and between researchers, practitioners and activists” (ACHS website). The international founding document of ACHS, articulated as an ever-evolving manifesto of guiding ideas, can be read in its entirety here.

While we find the international goals of the ACHS to be compelling, we think that a US Chapter would provide a vital complementary forum for actors to engage in intra-national heritage discussions, and facilitate dialogue with the international community. At the ACHS-US launch event, we hope to learn more about the diversity of approaches, perceptions, definitions, and practices currently undertaken by US-based actors who engage heritage as a critical subject of enquiry.

In the spirit of inclusive collaboration, we invite any and all interested parties to participate in the founding vision of this US Chapter. Please circulate this invitation among professional colleagues, students, community organizations, and government agencies that may be interested in this event. Due to venue capacity, we are limiting this initial meeting to approximately 40 attendees, so please RSVP in a timely manner. If interest in this event substantially outnumbers the capacity of our venue, then we expect the venue location to change. We will notify all participants in due time should changes to location occur. Light refreshments will be served during the event.

Cordially,
The ACHS-US Initiation Committee:

Michelle L. Stefano, PhD; Program Coordinator, Maryland Traditions Maryland State Arts Council; Folklorist-in-Residence, Department of American Studies, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)

James Counts Early; Director of Cultural Heritage Policy, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Atesh Sonneborn; Associate Director, Smithsonian Folkways

Meredith Holmgren; Education Specialist, Smithsonian Folkways, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage