CRICULT: Cultural Heritage in Crisis. Transdisciplinary Assessment of Legal and Regulatory Frameworks (COST Action CA24125)

Project Description

CRICULT: Cultural Heritage in Crisis. Transdisciplinary Assessment of Legal and Regulatory Frameworks (COST Action CA24125)

Start Date

29 September 2025

Duration

4 Years

Contribution

Management Committee Member

Member of WG1, WG2, WG3

CRICULT is an initiative aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage during times of crisis. Cultural heritage often bears the brunt of various crises, be they human-made or caused by natural disasters.

CRICULT seeks to create transdisciplinary research networks to enhance our understanding of how crises impact the cultural heritage sector and, most importantly, to develop sound policy proposals for its protection. In the past, research and teaching on cultural heritage security during crises have been fragmented and sparse.

CRICULT aims to change this by uniting experts from diverse backgrounds, each offering unique perspectives on the subject. Disciplinary and cultural viewpoints significantly shape how we perceive and address crises. The examination of a wide range of crises affecting cultural heritage will be conducted through six dedicated Working Groups.

These crises encompass trafficking of artifacts, climate change and natural disasters, threats to intangible heritage, crises arising from warfare, historical injustices, forced migration, and issues related to overtourism and heritage neglect.

CRICULT’s core objective is to create comprehensive crisis and solution matrices. They will encompass a wide range of potential factors that can lead to crises and the methods to identify them. Subsequently, we’ll identify potential solutions for crises and compile them into a solutions matrix to be used for research and policy formulation.

The success of CRICULT hinges on the collective efforts of an international, interdisciplinary team comprising both young and experienced researchers. Its impact will extend beyond academia; external stakeholders, from non-academic circles, will also be engaged.

Action Keywords:

Cultural heritage law

Comparative law

Cultural security

Heritage and emergency management

Cultural heritage policy