Former Scotland Yard detective Vernon Rapley is leading the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Culture in Crisis Programme, aimed at protecting the world’s cultural heritage from threats like climate change and conflict. The initiative was developed in response to the cultural cleansing of areas in Syria and Iraq by Isis a decade ago and is a global network of individuals working to preserve precious artefacts.
The programme includes the Culture in Crisis Portal, launched in 2014, which allows museums and heritage organizations to collaborate, share information, and raise funds for preservation projects. The portal has facilitated over a thousand projects and has made a significant impact on the effectiveness of preservation efforts.
Cultural heritage is currently under attack, with UNESCO reporting damage to 435 sites since February 2022. Despite the focus on conflict, Rapley notes that threats to cultural heritage also come from natural disasters and other human actions. The portal includes projects focusing on the impact of heritage tourism on cultural sites to ensure sustainable practices.
Rapley believes that more cultural institutions should be involved in preservation efforts and hopes that others will follow the V&A’s lead in supporting global heritage protection. With new threats emerging each year, the Culture in Crisis Programme continues to grow and develop, supported by current V&A director Tristram Hunt.
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