
Sep
102018
2018 Watch – Global Spotlight, Local Action

News by John Darlington posted on 20-08-18
The staff and trustees of World Monuments Fund Britain were deeply saddened to hear the news of Colin Amery’s death after a long illness. Colin was WMFBs founding Director, helping to set up the charity in 1995, where he stayed until 2007. An outstanding architectural historian, Colin was a champion of the highest standards of…
News by John Darlington posted on 06-06-18
It is with great sadness that I report to you the death of John Julius Cooper, Viscount Norwich, who passed away in London on Friday 1st June aged 88. John Julius was deeply connected to both WMF and WMF Britain. He was an Honorary Chairman of the WMF and Chair of WMFB from its inception…
Blackpool is unique amongst seaside resorts in Britain. It wasn’t the earliest resort or even the first resort for working class holidaymakers but it nonetheless grew to dwarf every other seaside resort in the country in size and the range of entertainments on offer. It’s the only seaside resort in the country with three piers…
Film
In recent years the world has witnessed the devastating impacts of human conflict on the Syrian people and their treasured cultural sites. World Monuments Fund has launched a new initiative, a Jordan-based heritage conservation training program for Syrian refugees and Jordanians in Mafraq, Jordan. WMF has been committed to protecting and conserving heritage in conflict zones and strengthening communities around sustainable commitments to heritage for decades. This training programme is made possible thanks to the support of the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund and Petra National Trust in Jordan.
Film
World Monuments Fund’s support of a community-led movement to protect, conserve, and steward Moseley Road Baths, a Grade II* listed Edwardian swimming complex in Birmingham, led to a major milestone in March 2018: the Birmingham City Council, with a coalition of community groups and heritage organisations, agreed on a plan to keep community members swimming at the Baths while beginning an extensive programme of maintenance and repair. Moseley Road Baths embodies Birmingham’s architectural, social, and industrial heritage. It tells the story of the rise of the working class in 20th-century England and the lives of people who lived there. Of equal importance is the role the Baths play in the local community today, as a cherished, safe, and therapeutic space to be among family, friends, and neighbours.
Comment by John Darlington posted on 07-02-18
On 8th November 2017, Louvre Abu Dhabi finally opened its doors. The culmination of over ten years of negotiation, planning and construction, and at a cost exceeding 1 Billion Euros, the new museum explores connections between cultures around the world. It is another statement of global intent from the UAE and a smart move by…
Comment by John Darlington posted on 07-02-18
Damien Hirst’s monumental new show Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable looks and feels utterly gorgeous. An extraordinary assemblage of over 2,000 objects, carefully raised off the seabed from the wreck of the Apistos and convincingly displayed in Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi, two of Venice’s heavyweight museums.
When the British Government set up the Cultural Protection Fund to support people and heritage in war-torn areas of the world, we at World Monuments Fund looked at how our expertise could make the biggest impact. Three issues were at the top of our minds: firstly, the extraordinary monumental heritage of Iraq and Syria, which…