News and Events
Events
- MayDay 2013
- Museums Australia Victoria Conference 2012
Audio recording from the Museums Australia state conference held in Ballarat on 29-30 March 2012. The theme of the conference was 'Connect, Conserve and Collect'. Laura Miles from Museum Australia discussed how this theme relates directly to the works done in the aftermath of the 2011 and 2012 floods to protect and save Victoria's rich heritage. (7 minutes, 18 seconds)
- Symposium 6 May 2010
The Blue Shield Australia DISACT symposium 2010 was sponsored by Steamatic
News
- INVITATION TO ATTEND DISASTER RECOVERY WORKSHOPS
In the last three years Australia has witnessed unprecedented floods, cyclones and bushfires and destruction from the forces of nature is becoming more frequent and with greater consequences.
Our cultural heritage is precious to us as individuals, as local communities, as regions and as a nation. Cultural heritage is very much about those things which have meaning for people and communities - those things which demonstrate their past, whether they be books and documents, buildings, cultural landscapes, archaeological sites or museum objects. A community's cultural heritage is a fundamental part of its way of life, history, traditions, civilization and identity. It contributes substantially to a community's long-term economic sustainability, stability and welfare and provides the strength of will for people to live, recover and grow after trauma. There are many tales of appreciation and joy when affected people have recovered even small, but precious, objects often holding sole memories and important associations.
While understanding that the highest priorities must be accorded to humanitarian activities following a disaster, of significant concern also is the fate of cultural heritage. A delay in an appropriate emergency response inevitably leads to irreparable damage, diminished or complete loss of recovery capacity of cultural items, ongoing physical degradation and potential looting. Where regional networks of cultural institutions exist they have been be very effective in providing timely and effective aid to assist local and remote communities to repatriate and rehabilitate cultural items affected in a disaster.
For its MayDay 2012 campaign, Blue Shield Australia is organising a series of free regional workshops around Australia, to promote local co-operative agreements around disaster preparedness, planning, response and recovery. The aim of these workshops is to build networks, including emergency response personnel, where they do not exist presently and to examine existing network models so that they may be adapted for adoption in other regions.
The workshops are free but places are limited, so early registration is advised. We hope to see you on the day. Please see the flyer for more information or contact Donna McDowell by phone 1300 313 443 or email donna@thelibraryagency.org.au
[ More Details | Media Release ]
- Disaster relief for cultural heritage
The Prince Claus Fund welcomes project proposals that focus on providing first aid to heritage or cultural goods that have been damaged by natural disaster or conflict in the year 2012. Also eligible for funding under this call are measures to protect cultural heritage that is under imminent threat of destruction.
Through its Cultural Emergency Response (CER) programme, the Prince Claus Fund provides first aid to stabilise a situation until a longer term solution can be found. CER supports quick actions to rescue cultural heritage, aims to prevent further damage and carries out basic repairs. CER implements its cultural emergency relief actions in direct cooperation with local partners in the affected communities.
The deadline for the submission of projects is the 1st of October 2012.
Proposals received after this date shall be processed in 2013. Given the emergency character of the work we would like to ask you to send in proposals as soon as possible. The form that needs to be filled out to submit a proposal can be found here: http://www.princeclausfund.org/en/programmes/about-cultural-emergency-response
- May 2012
For its MayDay 2012 campaign, Blue Shield Australia is organising a series of free regional workshops around Australia, to promote local co-operative agreements around disaster preparedness, planning, response and recovery. The aim of these workshops is to build networks, including emergency response personnel, where they do not exist presently and to examine existing network models so that they may be adapted for adoption in other regions.
[ More Details | Media Release ]
- April 2012
Australian & New Zealand Disaster and Emergency Management Conference
The Australian & New Zealand Disaster and Emergency Management Conference will provide a forum to examine the issues surrounding natural and man-made hazards. The conference will be held in Brisbane, 16 - 18 April 2012. More information is available at http://anzdmc.com.au/
- December 2011
International Conference of International Committee of the Blue Shield
The first International Conference of International Committee of the Blue Shield was held at the National Museum of Korea on 8-10 December 2011. More information is available at http://www.icbs2011seoul.org/index.html
- January 2012
The need for a New Zealand branch of Blue Shield has been highlighted by the Christchurch earthquakes. A group of 14 organisations across the culture and heritage sector as well as the Archives and Records Association of New Zealand (ARANZ) and the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management met for an initial meeting in November 2011 and discussed the benefits of setting up Blue Shield in New Zealand.
For more information visit http://archives.govt.nz/about/publications-media/nga-tapuwae-december-2011/blue-shield-comes-nz
- June 2011
The articles on pages 3 and 4 of Museum and Gallery Services Queensland's (M&GSQ) quarterly publication Source, feature recognition of Christine Ianna and Lydia Egunnike's work during Queensland's natural disasters at the the recent Queensland Disaster Heroes ceremonies held across the State as a part of Queensland Week.
[ PDF ]
- 8 June 2011
Blue Shield Australia has been awarded a grant by the Office of the Arts, though the Distributed National Collections program.
Blue Shield Australia has been active in promoting cultural heritage risk preparedness in Australia since its inception in 2005.
In awarding the funding the Hon Simon Crean MP, Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government in Australia's Federal Government, stated that given the recent spate of natural disasters in Australia the project is both timely and important. The project BSA: Building cultural heritage resilience in regional Australia. Please see the media release for more information.
- 15 March 2011
The BSA committee is following the tragic events in Japan with great concern. We express our deepest sympathy for those people who have lost family members and for everyone who has been touched by this monumental disaster. In due course BSA will welcome contributions to our Facebook page from those who can provide helpful information for understanding the effects of the earthquake on particular examples of cultural heritage.
- Our thoughts are with our colleagues in the devastating flood affected areas across Australia. In response to the flood disaster the BSA Committee convened a special meeting in Melbourne on Tuesday 17 January 2011. The meeting gathered available information at the time as to how the floods have affected the different cultural heritage sectors. It also canvassed possible recovery efforts, which could be implemented immediately as well as what activities should be undertaken in the short, medium and long-term. As the flood disaster continues to unfold and detailed information was not available for the whole cultural heritage sector BSA agreed to establish a central register of cultural heritage affected by the floods. This register will be used to better understand how, where and when the cultural heritage sector could best respond to the flood disaster. For more details about the register please see: The BSA committee has agreed to meet regularly regarding the flood disaster with not just the BSA pillar and associate members but also other cultural heritage organisations wanting to assist. BSA news and how you might be able to assist the recovery will be posted on the BSA website and facebook page as well as well as BSA member organisations websites and discussion lists etc.
- FLOOD DISASTERS ACROSS AUSTRALIA
Our thoughts are with our colleagues in the devastating flood affected areas across Australia. In response to the flood disaster the BSA Committee convened two special meetings in Melbourne on 17th & 27th January 2011. The meetings gathered available information at the time as to how the floods have affected the cultural heritage sector. It also canvassed possible recovery efforts, which could be implemented immediately as well as what activities should be undertaken in the short, medium and long-term.
To assist with these activities BSA agreed to establish a central register of cultural heritage affected by the floods. The register will collate a list of all affected archives, historical societies, libraries, museums and galleries and monuments and sites and be posted on the BSA website. This register will be used to prioritise and better understand how, where and when best to respond and assist cultural heritage custodians affected by the floods.
The BSA committee has also agreed to meet more regularly with not just BSA pillars and associate members but any other cultural heritage organisations wanting to assist. In the coming weeks and months updates on BSA actions to the flood disaster will be posted on the BSA website and facebook page as well as BSA member organisations websites and discussion lists.
To contribute to the BSA flood disaster register please email the Blue Shield Secretariat at: info@blueshieldaustralia.org.au
- The best way to keep up-to-date with Blue Shield Australia.
For media enquiries please contact the BSA secretariat
Email: info@blueshieldaustralia.org.au
Media Releases
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