285 companies and institutions from 10 countries have taken part in the Ninth AR&PA Biennial

Content:

The AR&PA Biennial is the only specialist cultural heritage forum in Spain, and one of the three leading events in this field in Europe. While retaining its commercial flavour, there has been a new format at AR&PA 2014, with greater focus on the technical side and the conference. It's been held over the course of four days, with over 200 activities, of which around 180 have been business meetings, technical forums, professional meetings and presentations. This ninth edition of the AR&PA Biennial, entitled ‘Society and Heritage’, has run from 13 to 16 November at the Miguel Delibes Cultural Centre. Entrance was free.

The Ninth AR&PA Biennial, a meeting place for professionals and institutions that protect, own, conserve, restore and manage cultural heritage, was opened by the regional government Minister for Culture and Tourism, Alicia García. The event is open to all participants interested in finding out more about the hows and whys of cultural heritage preservation, and is currently Spain’s only fair focusing on this issue, and one of the three most important in this field in Europe.

Alicia García said Castilla y León is spearheading an international move to have cultural heritage recognised as a resource for the present and future of the regions and citizens of Europe, reflected in the ‘Charter of Brussels on the economic value of cultural heritage, which it produced in 2009. The principles of this document are being disseminated by the EVoCH Platform on the economic value of heritage in Europe. This is the strategic background to the Ninth AR&PA Biennial, which is why its slogan and the theme of its conference focus on the relationship between cultural heritage assets and the way in which they affect people and are impacted by them. The theme of the ninth edition of this event is ‘Society and Heritage’. It has been held from 13 to 16 November at the Miguel Delibes Cultural Centre in Valladolid and entry was free. AR&PA 2014 have took up an exhibition space in excess of 20,000 square metres in the Centre, with 121 stands, 285 companies, institutions and entities, and 200 activities including meetings, lectures, talks and round table sessions, with the ninth international conference featuring over 70 presentations and talks,   attended by around 200 participants. There have also been held 14 technical forums and workshops. For the first time, volunteers, university students and young people on training schemes also have had the opportunity at AR&PA to meet companies to discuss possible future job opportunities.

The launch of the AR&PA 2014 Biennial was attended by the Ambassador of India in Spain, Vikram Misri, since India has been the guest country at this edition of the event. A further nine countries have also been participating, these being France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina and Uruguay, as well as Spain, with 10 autonomous regions taking part –Andalusia, Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Catalonia, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre, the Basque Country and Valencia.

Castilla y León have made the most of the conference and the social aspect of the event to launch its new Castilla y León Cultural Heritage Action Plan, called ‘PAHIS 20/20’.