AR&PA 2016

The Director General of Cultural Heritage of the Regional Government of Castilla y León and organising body of the AR&PA Biennial, Enrique Saiz explains what AR&PA Biennial is and its meaning: an important meeting point with the Cultural Heritage as a social project and economic resource for both the cultural and territorial development of societies.

In 2016 edition, being Portugal the guest country and as a result of an agreement with our neighbour, the new format of Iberian Biennial of Cultural Heritage was introduced. From now on, our agents and Heritage lovers are invited to AR&PA one year in Portugal, another in Castilla y León.

The Regional Minister of Culture and Tourism in Castilla y León, Mª Josefa García Cirac, explains how AR&PA Biennial is an example of the enormous potential of an efficient, smart and sustainable management of the Cultural Heritage as a driving force in societies and territories. In the same vein, Paula Silva, General Manager of Heritage in Portuguese Ministry, José de León, Artistic Heritage Inspector from Regional Authority on Gran Canaria (Canary Islands), José María Lobo de Carvalho, architect and representative of Portugal Heritage, Rafael Sánchez Bargiela, General Director of Plan Xacobeo Galicia, and Patricia Machado, manager of Tres Minas, express themselves underlining its nature of being a meeting point of ideas and knowledge.

Three institutional representatives in 2016 edition talk about the Biennial: Vicente Domínguez, Regional Vice-Minister for Culture and Sport of the Principality of Asturias, highlights the role of AR&PA as a main forum for interchanging ideas and trends in the monumental restoration and conservation; Gonzalo Jiménez, General Secretary of Las Edades del Hombre Foundation, underlines the essential role of the Heritage as a hallmark in Castilla y León; and Ángeles Armisén, President of the County Council of Palencia, gives evidence that this rich legacy, along with new technologies, strengthens our future. 

Several Portuguese and Spanish exhibitors think about the values of the Biennial. Following Justino Diez, responsible for the cultural programme of the Monastery Santa María de Palazuelos, AR&PA is a loudspeaker for the most helpful initiatives in restoration and Cultural heritage which sprung among citizens groups.  Dalila Dias, coordinator of  “Aldeias Históricas” also highlights this role in promoting and divulging heritage. For Catarina Valença, Spira CEO and President of Portugal Heritage, is not only a need but is also an opportunity for a lot of projects. Raúl Gómez, actor and founder of “Fabularia teatro” underlines this potential as a development agent. This precisely attracts a lot of university Spanish and Portuguese students who, being volunteers, make AR&PA possible. Yolanda Martínez, Head of Culture Service in the County Council of Soria, and Jesús Celis, expert in Heritage in Instituto Leonés de Cultura, emphasise the Biennial as a window to show both technological and methodological innovations about Heritage. This encourages companies such as “In Situ, Conservaçao de Bens Culturais” to take part in the Biennial as exhibitors, as pointed out by its CEO, Fátima de Llera. Both, Rosario Machado, Director of the Portuguese Rota do Românico, and Darío Álvarez, Director of School of Architecture in Valladolid, state that the International Congress, a scientific forum, makes AR&PA a place for institutions, companies, professionals, specialists, researchers and public, in general, to gather and reflect. 

Hand in hand with Roberto García, captain of the Military Emergencies Unit, we attend the interesting session on Friday, 11 November 2016, within Technical Conferences about Risks and Emergencies in Heritage (10th Biennial). In these conferences, the Unity to Manage Risks and Emergencies in Cultural Heritage in Castilla y León (UGRECyL) was officially set up in the presence of the Regional Minister of Culture and Tourism, Junta de Castilla y León, promoting body. On the following say, and thanks to the Town Hall of Valladolid, a drill took place in the Town Hall building counting on the participation of the Fire Department of Valladolid, Civil Protection, the Military Emergencies Unit, volunteers, etc.

Training in traditional Heritage trades is a guarantee for its preservation, a source of employment opportunities and essential factor to teach the Cultural Heritage. The invaluable contribution of institutions, such as the Workshops Schools of National Heritage and the Trade Learning Centre in León, and artisans bring youngsters, and not so, to the Biennial. This audience attends and takes part in workshops and shows, which magnetically transform materials into art. An example of this didactic area is the project “From Stone to Wood” AR&PA 2016. According to the explanations of Jesus Reolid, luthier, in this project, the musical catalogue of the collegiate church of Toro in Zamora was transferred from the stony relief to the musical instrument.