Announcement

HERITAGE AND RECOVERY
A DECADE OF LEARNING FROM THE GORKHA EARTHQUAKE
Wednesday 2 – Friday 4 April 2025
Jyapu Pragya Bhavan, Lalitpur, Nepal

Conference Overview
The Victoria & Albert Museum’s Culture in Crisis Programme in partnership with the University of Stirling and Social Science Baha, are preparing for a major international conference to be held from 2 to 4 April 2025, in Lalitpur, Nepal.

2025 marks ten years since the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake(s) struck Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 people, and causing catastrophic damage to lives and livelihoods, as well as physical, social, and cultural infrastructure. The disaster left a deep impact on heritage across the country; from internationally recognised monuments and heritage sites to community and religious heritage buildings and landscapes, objects and museums, and the myriad cultural practices that enrich the lives of Nepal’s inhabitants. In the aftermath of the Gorkha Earthquake, heritage has emerged as a key sector for post-disaster recovery, not only because of its role in Nepal’s economy, but also as a central aspect of collective memory, national and local identity, and social and psychological well-being.

As Nepal commemorates ten years since the Gorkha Earthquake, entering what is officially referred to as ‘long-term recovery’, it is time to reflect on the many forms of recovery and reconstruction processes that have taken place.

This conference and its workshops will bring together Nepalese heritage professionals, activists, academics and community members involved in various forms of heritage recovery. Together they will discuss their efforts across the past decade; their challenges and successes, as well as exploring shared learning opportunities for the future. In particular, this conference seeks to highlight a diversity of voices, bringing together different scales and conceptualisations of heritage

Situating its central narrative around the 2015 earthquake, the conference will also bring together international experts to discuss comparable environmental disasters around the globe, sharing their experience and best practice, and promoting greater disaster resilience in the face of future threats.

Conference Itinerary
Wednesday 2 April: Conference (Jyapu Pragya Bhavan)
Thursday 3 April: Collaborative Workshops (Multiple locations)
Friday 4 April: Organised Heritage Site Visits (Multiple locations) 

For general enquiries please contact cultureincrisis@vam.ac.uk 

To register to attend the conference, please complete this online form: https://forms.gle/NdFGDUuEC2jSMPCT6

 More details to follow along with a detailed agenda.