SPAFA SESH

Stay tuned for details on other SPAFA SESHes to come soon.

Celebrating Women Working in Southeast Asian Cultural Heritage: Challenges & Opportunities

Date: 30 March 2023

Time: 3 to 5 p.m. (Bangkok time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom (*For Zoom access: https://bit.ly/SPAFA-SESH-Register-Women-in-SEAsian-Cultural-Heritage or scan the QR code below).

In celebration of International Women’s Day, which falls annually on 8 March, SEAMEO SPAFA speaks with three remarkable women who have devoted their careers to Southeast Asian cultural heritage. Hear their experiences, from challenges and opportunities.

Speakers and Synopsis:

Speaker 1: Dr. Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool (Intangible Cultural Heritage Expert)

Dr. Paritta taught anthropology at Thammasat University from 1981-2002.  Her research interests included performing art and artists, community-based museums, and heritage studies. From 2002 to 2011 she was Director of the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre where she spearheaded a research and capacity-building programme engaging with community-based museums all over Thailand.  Dr. Paritta also initiated the  SAC (Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre) projects dealing with the transmission and documentation of cultural heritage.  Since 2012 she has been facilitating UNESCO workshops on intangible cultural heritage in many countries in Asia and the Pacific region.  She is currently enjoying a quiet retirement with her cat and her painting.

A Woman Anthropologist in Two Field Sites

The event commemorating International Women’s Day steers me to reflect on my fieldwork experience in Thailand where I worked as an anthropologist.  I will compare two of my studies, some thirty years apart, of two folk performing genres, namely, the shadow puppet theatre in the south, and the folk dance-drama in the central region.  In both cases, being a woman and an anthropologist presented many challenges, but it also made me appreciate the strength and limitations of women in both communities.  Gender, together with age, and social position, are crucial in shaping my ethnographic understanding of the performing genres.

Speaker 2: Dr. Charlotte Galloway (Honorary Associate Professor, Australian National University)

Dr Charlotte Galloway has spent over 25 years teaching, researching and working in the cultural heritage field, with a special focus on Myanmar. From field research and collection documentation to being appointed a UNESCO expert for Bagan’s successful world heritage listing, Charlotte’s career has relied on building long-term relationships to enable successful collaborative outcomes. Dr. Galloway is an Honorary Associate Professor at the Australian National University and was recently awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her contribution to education, and history.

 A misfit art historian

 Through my career researching in Southeast Asia, being an art historian who specialises in historical and pre-historical time periods has left many a little baffled, the discipline having little to do with archaeology or heritage in this setting. As a woman with a background in museums and teaching I had to carve out a place within a different paradigm, and it was not always easy. I share my experiences and thoughts on ‘women’s work’ in the cultural sphere, and where I see the need for better gender equity, and most importantly, why.

Speaker 3: Dr Heidi Tan (Lecturer in Curating and Museology, School of Arts, SOAS University of London)

Dr. Heidi Tan was responsible for developing collections and curating new exhibitions at a time of exponential growth in Singapore’s museums (the mid-90s onwards). Her curatorial career spanned almost two decades at the Asian Civilizations Museum (ACM), where she progressed from assistant curator for Chinese and Southeast Asian collections to principal curator and latterly deputy director of the curatorial department. New initiatives included conducting regional fieldwork and photo documentation that contributed to multimedia experiences for audiences. Perhaps most rewarding was working with a diverse team that included conservators, educators, docents, designers, exhibition technicians, and managers. And collaborating with local communities whose knowledge and expertise both enriched their practice as museum professionals, as well as the public’s engagement with the museum.

In Search of the Inclusive Museum

On International Women’s Day (IWD) ask yourself what this means for you – is it a celebration or an ongoing journey towards positive life changes? Do words like ‘equity’ and ‘equality’, or ‘gender pay gap’ have any relevance to your work and daily life? Then ask yourself how any of this relates to your experience of museums and the kinds of opportunities for learning that they offer. This is the starting point for musing on my own experiences as a museum curator and the search for making museums more inclusive. Join me with a cup of tea in this moment of reflection with like-minded friends.

Guest Speakers: Dr. Paritta Chalermpow Koanantakool; Dr. Charlotte Galloway; and Dr. Heidi Tan.

Moderator: Ohnmar Myo, SEAMEO SPAFA Senior Researcher

Updates on Paleoanthropology in Southeast Asia

Date: 27 January 2023

Time: 1 p.m. (Bangkok time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *JOIN on the Zoom platform, here: https://bit.ly/SPAFA-SESH-Registration-Updates_on_Paleoanthropology_in_SEAsia)

Synopsis:

This SPAFA SESH will explore two prominent extinct species of archaic humans discovered in Southeast Asia, the Homo floresiensis and the Denisovans. Dr Debbie Argue‘s presentation will be about the features of Homo floresiensis – to see where this species fits on the human evolutionary tree and to look at the implications this has for our understanding of human evolution. Moreover, Dr Fabrice Demeter will discuss recent findings about the Denisovan DNA extracted from a molar found in northern Laos.

Guest Speakers: Dr Debbie Argue (Australian National University) and Dr Fabrice Demeter (Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre)

Moderator: SEAMEO SPAFA Researchers, Supitcha Sutthanonkul and Anne Marie Valera

A river always runs through it: waterways as conduits for movement

Date: 12 October 2022

Time: 2 p.m. (Bangkok time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. * (https://bit.ly/SPAFA-SESH-Registration-A-river-always-runs-through-it)

Synopsis:

Cities and civilizations have always been centered around bodies of water; thus great cities were always built around and along these waterways. Riverside, seaside and beach front properties and communities remain to be valuable land parcels in most major cities. But as the saying goes, there are always exceptions to the rule. 

Mr Leandro Poco will speak on urban heritage through the concept of historical urbanism. Using the city of Manila as an example, he will discuss how present-day Manila’s sprawling urban communities have largely strayed away from waterside communities that the city was built upon. He will also touch on the planned infrastructure developments along the historic Pasig River and its implications for the city’s historical roots and consequent future directions and developments. 

Guest Speaker: Mr Leandro Poco, Architect and Environmental Planner, completed his MSc Space Syntax: Architecture and Cities degree at University College London’s Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment. He previously completed his MA in Urban Design at the National University of Singapore in 2008. He is a Philippine registered Architect and Environmental Planner with over 17 years of combined Planning and Architectural practice experience in both Manila and Singapore. He is a Partner with Leonardo A. Poco & Associates, Architects, and has a keen interest in Metro Manila’s historical urbanism. He believes that evidence-based planning and design are key in improving Metro Manila’s dystopia and addressing her residents’ discontents.

Moderator: Ms Michelle Laurice Aguas, SEAMEO SPAFA Programme Officer

Traditional Theatre in Southeast Asia: The Singapore and Thailand Experiences

Date: 1 September 2022

Time: 10 a.m. (Bangkok)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. * (https://bit.ly/TraditionalTheatreinSEAsia-SGandTHExperiences)

Dr. Chua will drive audiences to understand the revitalization of traditional theatre in Singapore.
Dr. Kusuma will focus on rekindling traditional performing arts through the eyes of the youth.

Guest Speakers: Dr. Chua Soo Pong, Singapore Raffles Music College, and Dr. Kusuma Venzky-Stalling, Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University

Moderator: SEAMEO SPAFA Assistant Documentation Officer, Mr. Kanal Khiev

New Perspectives on Prehistoric Workshop Traditions in Central Thailand: A Case Study of Stone Ornament Drilling Methods

Date: 16 August 2022

Time: 10 a.m. (Bangkok)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. * (https://bit.ly/SPAFA-SESH_Stone-Ornament-Drilling-Methods)

We drill into the details with Drs. Thanik Lertchanrit and Wannaporn Rienjang about their upcoming publication on prehistoric workshop traditions in Central Thailand.

Archaeologists have deemed personal ornaments as an important source of data and information for the interpretation of various aspects of ancient human societies. In this event, we take advantages of underexploited methods of technological analysis to explore social and economic dimensions of stone ornaments uncovered from a multicomponent site namely Phromtin Tai in central Thailand. We present the study of a number beads made from different kinds of stone from the site using qualitative and quantitative methods that demonstrate the presence of multiple stone ornament workshop traditions. By looking at drilling techniques as shown on surface of the drilled holes, we were able to identify workshop traditions, permitting for more detailed study of trade and exchange networks in Southeast Asia.

Guest Speaker: Dr Thanik Lertchanrit (Silpakorn University) and Dr Wannaporn Rienjang (Thammasat University)

Moderator: Senior Specialist in Archaeology, SEAMEO SPAFA , Dr Noel Hidalgo Tan

A New ICOM Museum Definition for the 21st century in Southeast Asia

Date: 22 July 2022

Time: 10 a.m. (Bangkok)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(https://bit.ly/SPAFA-sesh_New-ICOM-museum-definition)

Following nearly two years of work of the new Standing Committee for Museum Definition, Prospects and Potentials of the International Council for Museums (ICOM), a vote will be cast after discussions over a new museum definition that has gone through data gathering and analysis, as well as, more than once-a-month exchange of views among members of the Standing Committee and its subcommittees. This was the response of the ICOM’s leadership following controversies on the proposed new definition in June 2019 during the previous Triennial in Kyoto, Japan, and eventual resignation of ICOM’s President in mid-2020. In this presentation, returning special guest speaker, Dr Ana Labrador, will talk about the need for a new museum definition, its implications for our region and the way in which we will run our museums in the future.

Guest Speaker: Dr. Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador

Moderator: SEAMEO SPAFA Centre Director, Mrs Somlak Charoenpot

The Music Plays On

Date: 23 June 2022

Time: 1 p.m. (Bangkok time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_TheMusicPlaysOn)

Like for many in the performing arts, the last two years have been difficult for musicians/music practitioners. How have they coped? What are they going through? What are the challenges, opportunities? We talk to some of them to share thoughts and experience on navigating the Coronavirus pandemic and their involvement in the music industry, touching on the changes in the music field (performance, practice, teaching, and economic adaptations).

Panelists: Great Lekakul, Mae Sirasar Boonma, Michelle Loh Wen Han, Paul Augustin, Pauline Fan, Sudirana Yuganada, Datuk Ramli Ibrahim and Thow Xin Wei

Moderators: Ean Lee (SEAMEO SPAFA Publication Manager) and Arsenio Nicolas (Lecturer, The College of Music, Mahasarakham University)

Opening of SEAMEO SPAFA’s ‘Rock Art of Southeast Asia and the World’ Online Course

Date: 02 May 2022

Time: 10 a.m. (Bangkok time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(Please register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_Opening_RockArtofSEAsia_World)

In this SESH, which is the first day of SEAMEO SPAFA’s rock art course, some instructors will talk about their respective course lessons and what to expect in the coming weeks. They will also be sharing some of their favourite rock art.

Instructors:  Jannie Loubser, Andrea Jalandoni, Saw Chaw Yeh and Noel Hidalgo Tan

Moderator: SEAMEO SPAFA’s Senior Specialist in Archaeology, Dr Noel H. Tan

The International Museum Day, the Global Museum Movement, and the Power of our Communities in Shaping our part of the World

Date: 11 April 2022

Time: 10 a.m. (Bangkok time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(Please register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_IMD_GlobalMuseumMovement_PowerofCommunities)

This year’s theme of the International Museum Day (IMD) is the “Power of Museums”, anchored on three areas of concerns: sustainability, innovation, and community building. Celebrated on May 18 each year since 1977, this year’s event will be more poignant with the ongoing pandemic’s challenges to museums, heritage sites, collections, and museum staff and public.
The IMD’s chief proponent, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) commemorated its 75th year in November 2021 with 40,000 members from 141 countries.

In this SPAFA SESH, returning guest speaker Ana Labrador, PhD (Cantab) will show the ways in which responses to these episodes inspire action from those in our region to turn museums and affiliated institutions more relevant than it has ever been – especially as public healing spaces. It is also expected that more active discussions will take place at the ICOM Triennial Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, even if in a hybrid format.

Moderator: SEAMEO SPAFA’s Director, Mrs Somlak Charoenpot

Blooming amidst the ruins: Heritage Care in Times of Conflict

Date: 31 March 2022

Time: 2 p.m. (BKK) / 10 a.m. (Istanbul, Baghdad)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(Please register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_HeritageCareInTimesofConflict)

Turbulence, violence and conflicts within a country or among other countries are occurring in many parts of the world due to political, racial, cultural and social issues. It is undeniable that these tragic events cause tremendous impact to human lives, security, and losses. Cultural heritage has increasingly become a target of these threats through demolition, looting, trafficking etc. since the heritage represents the identity of a community or nation. During times of peril, the number of illicit trafficking in disputed areas are apparently considerable as cultural heritage places particularly museums and archaeological sites are neglected or even abandoned. The dilemma is that the heritage professionals need to be concerned for the well-being of the lives of the heritage caretakers who are also at risk of being harmed. Certainly, these tragedies are not easily solved. With some attempts and measures put in place during or immediately after the time of crisis, the negative impacts to the heritage and its caretakers can absolutely be mitigated. As such, in relation to the recent ongoing conflicts SEAMEO SPAFA is honoured to invite two speakers who are experts in this field:

• Zeynep Gül Ünal, the Vice President of ICOMOS and Vice President of ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICOMOS ICROP), who closely works in areas affected by both natural and human-induced disasters; and
• Layla Salih who is the Mosul Architectural Heritage Specialist.
  These two ladies will share their working experience during the difficult time and recovery period which will inspire and morally support others who are facing similar circumstances around the world including our Southeast Asia.

Moderator: SEAMEO SPAFA’s Specialist in Cultural Heritage Conservation, Hatthaya Siriphatthanakun (PhD)

Reorganizing Exhibitions in the Asia-Pacific Region: Transmitting the Philippine Experience in Anticipation of Post-Pandemic Museums

Date: 28 February 2022

Time: 10 a.m. (BKK)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(Please register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_ReorgExhibitionsinAPRegionthePHExperience)

During the long lockdown from March 2020 and as most museums were closed in the Asia-Pacific Region, maintenance and management of collections became a primary consideration or those we have not done before the pandemic caught us up. Eventually the demands to create exhibitions were brought about by pressures from considerations of spending funding, materials prepared before COVID-19 issues, and the desire from museum professionals to reach out to our public. In this presentation, I will talk about our experience in the Philippines with installing physical exhibitions in challenging circumstances, being forced to go digital, and sharing lessons learned to our neighbors in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and beyond. The pandemic may have been frustrating in the beginning but opportunities in improving museum operations eventually was made possible through an earnest attempt to make our collections accessible through exhibitions.

Speaker: Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador, PhD (Cantab), Honorary Senior Fellow at University of Melbourne

Moderated by Mrs Somlak Charoenpot, SEAMEO SPAFA Director

Recent Research in Myanmar: Bagan sculpture and art

Date: 28 January 2022

Time: 10.30 a.m. (BKK)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(Please register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_RecentResearchinMyanmar-Bagansculptureandart)

SPAFA SESH kicks off the 2022 new year with two young scholars from Myanmar talking about their recent work on Bagan sculpture and art.

Reflections on the Pyinsaloha (five metals casting) in the Bagan and successive periods
Speaker: Pwint Phyu Maung

Images of the Buddha from Myanmar, date to the 2nd century CE. In early periods, terracotta and earthenware are mostly found. However, since the early Bagan period (11th-13th CE), images developed of stone, bronze and stucco. Subsequently, a combination of metals alloys called Pyinsaloha came to be used. The tradition of casting Pyinsaloha started in India, especially in Southern India. Pyinsaloha or Pincaloha means a statue made of five metal alloys. In Sanskrit, Pyinsa means five and Loha means metal, in this case gold, silver, copper, zinc and iron. Moreover, there are also combinations called Triloha (three metals), Sattaloha (seven metals) and Navaloha (nine metals). Initially, bronze (lead+copper+tin) can also be defined as Triloha with a metal alloy used for image casting. Later on, according to religious concepts and to make it more precious, gold and silver were combined and became Pyinsaloha. In Hinduism, worshipping the Pyinsaloha murtis brings auspiciousness, prosperity, a peaceful mind and especially a balanced life. On one hand, worshiping the Pyincaloha murtis originated in Hinduism, In India, Nataraja (dancing Shiva) was favoured for Pyincaloha. On the other hand, in Buddhism, Pyincaloha is rarely found as a Buddha image and other parts of religious monuments. However, in common with Hinduism, the concept and tradition of casting Pyinsaloha image in Buddhism are seen as bringing prosperity and a better life. The paper highlights how the tradition of Pyinsaloha spread to successive periods and how the casting of religious parts changed from the Bagan Period to the present.

Reflecting on an Unusual Depiction of the Birth of the Buddha from 12th Century Bagan
Speaker: Su Latt Win
While murals depicting the Birth of the Buddha at Bagan (9th to 13th century CE) are seen at various temples, sculptural depictures are rare. This paper describes an unusual, perhaps unique sculpture of this scene, reflecting on its place at Bagan. The finely sculpted stone nativity scene of the Birth of the Buddha in the Bagan Archaeological Museum is one of eleven stone steles depicting the Eight Scenes of the Buddha’s life from the 12th century Myinkaba Kubyauk Nge temple. Although all nativity scenes are similar, this stele is a remarkable example of the narrative art of Bagan. The Buddha’s art nativity scene is not like an ordinary human delivery. Here Queen Maya stands on the right side of her sister under the Sal tree. Similar to other depictions, the baby sits cross-legged and emerges from her right hip, where rows of Brahmas, Indra and humans are kneeling and uplifting the child. But in this relief, a small seated Buddha in Bhumisparsa Mudra is shown on the head of Maya, possibly the only one in Bagan. The sculpture recalls the form of Avalokitesvara with the figure of Amitabha in the crown, here to presage that Queen Maya’s child will become the Buddha. The paper compares the image, its iconography and style, to others and considers reasons for this depiction produced in 12th century CE Bagan.

Su Latt Win is an alumni SOAS and Alphawood scholar in 2015-2016. She works at the Zaykabar private museum in Myanmar where her responsibilities are in the registration of museum objects, and writing the catalogue for the museum. She is interested in the collection and curation of Buddhist art in the Museum.

Panelists

1. Pwint Phyu Maung
2. Su Latt Win

Moderated by Dr Noel H. Tan, SEAMEO SPAFA Senior Specialist in Archaeology

Our Collections Matter: Enabling Sustainability through Conservation & Collections | Tools & Opportunities for Southeast Asian Collection Custodians

Date: 15 July 2021

Time: 2 p.m. (BKK) / 9 a.m. (ROM) / 8 a.m. (UK)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(Please register at: bit.ly/register-spafa-sesh14-OCM-sustainability-conservation-collections)

During this SPAFA SESH online activity, SEAMEO SPAFA Centre Director Mrs Somlak Charoenpot will call upon the motivators in the Our Collections Matter project, spearheaded by the Rome-based International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM). José Luiz Pedersoli Jr (ICCROM) and Henry McGhie (Curating Tomorrow) will be joining to present the Our Collections Matter project’s background, research findings and the tools collected thus far in supporting custodians on how to use collections in connecting audiences with sustainable development, in recognition of the crucial role that collections can play in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Panelists

1. José Luiz Pedersoli Jr, ICCROM
2. Henry McGhie, Curating Tomorrow

Moderated by Somlak Charoenpot, SEAMEO SPAFA Centre Director

Disaster Risk Management for Human Security: Issues, Challenges and Prospects of Southeast Asia’s Rivers and Adjacent Landscapes

Date: 7 July 2021

Time: 2 PM (BKK time) / 3 PM (Manila time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(Please register at: http://bit.ly/register-spafa-sesh13-DRM-SEA-rivers)

In the SPAFA SESH on “Issues, Challenges and Prospects of Southeast Asia’s Rivers and Adjacent Landscapes”, Kenneth Tua, a Postgraduate Researcher – Intern of SPAFA and EMJMD DYCLAM+, will share his research on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage for Human Security in the Southeast Asian (SEA) region through the analysis of the following SEA countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Panelists

1. Rohit Jigyasu, ICCROM
2. Danai Thaitakoo, Chulalongkorn University

Moderated by Hatthaya Siriphatthanakun, SEAMEO SPAFA Specialist in Heritage Conservation

Closing Ceremony of “The 2nd Training Workshop on Disaster Risk Management for Cultural Heritage in Southeast Asia – Understanding People, Nature, Culture: Heritage Management for Building Resilience of Living Traditional Settlements”

Date: 3 June 2021

Time: 5 PM (BKK time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom. *(Please register at: http://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_ClosingCeremony2ndDRMCourse)

This SPAFA SESH will serve as the Closing Ceremony of “The 2nd Training Workshop on Disaster Risk Management for Cultural Heritage in Southeast Asia – Understanding People, Nature, Culture: Heritage Management for Building Resilience of Living Traditional Settlements”. The 16 week long online course which started on 4 February 2021 culminates in this SESH. Join us live on SPAFA’s Facebook or Zoom at 5 p.m. (Bangkok time) on 3 June 2021.

Archaeological Bone in Southeast Asia: Principles of On-Site Handling and Conservation

Date: 10 May 2021

Time: 10 AM (BKK time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom *(Please register at: http://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_ArchaeologicalBoneConservation)

This SPAFA SESH serves as the Opening Ceremony for the six-week online course organised by SEAMEO SPAFA titled ‘Archaeological Bone in Southeast Asia: Principles of On-Site Handling and Conservation’ (10 May – 25 June 2021). In this SESH, learn from some of the course instructors about what to expect and also get the chance to pose any questions about the course. Mark your calendars and join us LIVE on SPAFA’s Facebook or Zoom, on 10 May 2021 at 10 am (Bangkok time).

Moderator: Dr Noel H. Tan (Senior Specialist in Archaeology, SEAMEO SPAFA)

[Discussions will be conducted in English]

Southeast Asian Women Working in Archaeological Collections

Date: 24 March 2021

Time: 1:30 PM (BKK time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom *(Please register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFA-SESH10-Registration-Women-Arch-Collections)

This SPAFA SESH will be held in the same month as International Women’s Day to celebrate the work of young women in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field in Southeast Asia. Designed to be a candid discussion between young Southeast Asian women working with archaeological collections in the region and abroad, listen to Suppawan Nongnut (National Museum Bangkok, Thailand), Duyen Nguyen (Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, Vietnam),  Annissa Gultom (National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates) and Charmaine Wong (Bishop Museum, Hawaiʻi, USA) share their experiences over the course of their studies and career, and their thoughts and advice with those interested in their journey and future aspirations. Mark your calendars and join us LIVE on SPAFA’s Facebook or Zoom, next Wednesday on 24 March 2021 at 1.30 pm (Bangkok time).

Moderator: Linh Anh Moreau (Programme Officer, SEAMEO SPAFA)

[Discussion will be conducted in English]

From Copyright to Creative Commons

Date: 16 December 2020

Time: 9:00 AM (BKK time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on *Zoom *(Please register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_CopyrightCreativeCommons_RegForm)

Can you use Internet images for your presentations? How do you share your work with the wider community to increase creativity? Want to know more about the basics of Copyright and using Creative Commons licensing to help you? Join us in our ‘From Copyright to Creative Commons‘ SESH on 16 December 2020 at 09:00 hours Bangkok Time for a conversation with Teerin Charoenpot, Susannah Tantemsapya, Linh Anh Moreau and Ean Lee.

Teerin Chareonpot is an Intellectual Property lawyer whose experience includes more than 20 years working with leading law firms and the government sector as well as an advisor for several start-up companies. Susannah Tantemsapya is working towards changing lives for the better through art and culture; she is the Founder & Executive Director of Creative Migration and Bangkok 1899, which advances cultural diplomacy through art, public engagement and sustainability, with a particular interest in art that addresses the Climate Crisis. Susannah has been using the CC for over a decade, and believes in protecting the rights of content creators. Linh Anh Moreau and Ean Lee will be the SEAMEO SPAFA co-hosts of the session.

Preserving Textiles: Indigenous Knowledge and Methods

Date: 12 November 2020

Time: 9:00 AM (BKK and Jakarta time) / 10:00 AM (KL time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on Zoom (Please register for Zoom link) *Please note you will be taken to the registration form of UCLA – a collaborator in this SESH.*

Southeast Asian traditional textiles are world renowned and valued as expressions of cultural identity, from the weaving and dyeing processes to the symbolism of their aesthetics and uses. However, local knowledge and actual methods to preserve such deterioration-prone organic material is an under-studied field. To identify tropical-climate appropriate, locally sourced, sustainable, and cost-effective methods that can be adopted by local practitioners working in the preservation of traditional textiles, SEAMEO SPAFA collaborated with local researchers on a region-wide project to collect, document, and compile invaluable indigenous knowledge on caring for textiles. Data collected includes plant materials and methods for wet cleaning, dry cleaning, stain removal, insect mitigation, storage, and associated spiritual beliefs. A first study of its kind, it brought together a dynamic group of textile professionals, museum experts, conservators, historians, scientists, and anthropologists, eager to research, chronicle and learn more about their own national and indigenous practices – before the knowledge is lost.

Panelists: Julia M. Brennan (Senior Consulting Conservator, Caring for Textiles); Annissa M. Gultom (Director, National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE); Lilian García Alonso-Alba (Conservation Scientist/Professor, Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía, Mexico); Mohd Syahrul bin Ab Ghani (Curator, Division of Research and Documentation, Department of Museums Malaysia, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia)

Moderator: Linh Anh Moreau (Programme Officer, SEAMEO SPAFA)

New Normals Throughout History: Urban Society Adaptations to Crisis

Date: 16 October 2020

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Bangkok time), 11:00  a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Manila time), 4:00-6:00 a.m. (London time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and Zoom *(Register at: http://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_NewNormalThroughoutHistory_RegForm)

At present we are aware that our world is changing due to COVID-19 outbreak. While the pandemic still continues and no one knows how this biological disaster will end. Various protective measures such as physical distancing, rearranging the lay-out plan and facilities of public spaces, changing social practicing and etc. have been implemented so as to mitigate the spreading as well as catastrophic impacts from the disease. It has been debatable whether these changes will be temporary or will become the new social orders or normal that brings new ways of life to the mankind.

Looking back on our history, many examples of human adaptation to several kinds of disasters can be obviously seen around the world. On one hand the innovation or adaptation of building materials and technologies was developed to mitigate the impacts from earthquake as we can see from San Sebastian Church in Manila in the Philippines while urban structure in many historic towns such as London was redesigned for better safety and sanitary reasons after the great fires particularly in 1666. On the other hand floating structure and house on stilts showing human’s resiliency along riverine areas were seen around Southeast Asia in the past. However, ultimately relocation of the ancient capitals or resettlement of several towns including Ayutthaya, a capital of Siam Kingdom which was developed to be Thailand at present, is an extreme case study to demonstrate the sense of survival of people from the unavoidable outbreaks such as plague and smallpox.

In SPAFA SESH on “New Normals throughout History: Urban Society Adaptations to Crisis”, three speakers will share case studies on human adaptation learnt through the history of three cities: London, Manila and Ayutthaya.

Guest Speakers:

1. Sasathorn Charoenphan, Archaeologist, Museum of London Archaeology
2. Tina Paterno President, ICOMOS Philippines, Former Technical Director, San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc.
3. Siripoj Laomanacharoen, Historian, Columnist and Author

Moderator:

Ms Hatthaya Siripatthanakun, SEAMEO SPAFA Specialist in Cultural Heritage Conservation

[Discussion will be conducted in English]

A Talk with the Curator on the Exhibition, “New Corona and Living Society” at Suita City Museum in northern Osaka Prefecture, Japan

Date: 6 October 2020

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Bangkok time), 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Japan time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and Zoom *(Register at: http://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_NewCorona_RegForm)

As the world faces threats from the new coronavirus, museums in Japan have been responding to the pandemic in many instructive ways.

Kenji Saotome, a full-time Curator at Suita City Museum, and his team are fully aware of their professional duty to “collect” and “archive” during the pandemic so as to record and help future generations learn about the current experience. They collected objects and documents to archive the story of the pandemic as they know that what happens today will be a “historical document” tomorrow. Their work was showcased in the exhibition, “New Corona and Living Society” at Suita City Museum during July and August 2020.

In the museological context, it was edifying about the way each step of the preparation of the exhibition was presented, the collection effort, the content creation and the inputs of the curator, Kenji Saotome.

Such exhibition create opportunities and allow the people to look back and appreciate what can be learned; they are invaluable to society as epidemics, like disasters, do occur repeatedly, yet people forget them soon.

Moderator:

Mrs Somlak Charoenpot, SEAMEO SPAFA Centre Director

[Discussion will be conducted in English]

Archaeology of the Vuon Chuoi (Banana Garden) Complex, Hanoi

Date: 18 September 2020

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. (Vietnam and Bangkok time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and Zoom *(Register at: http://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_VuonChuoi_RegForm)

Since 1969, Archaeological relics have been discovered and researched at the Vuon Chuoi Complex of sites in the Hoai Duc District of Hanoi. So far, the results have indicated that Vuon Chuoi is a residence-burial complex developed continuously through the Dong Dau – Go Mun periods – Dong Son periods, from 3500 to 2000 BP. During 2019 and 2020, the Institute of Archaeology, Hanoi Department of Culture and Department of Archaeology and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities of the Viet Nam University conducted the excavations at the site for evaluation of its values for making a preservation plan. Join Professor Lam Thi My Dung and her team to understand why Vuon Chuoi is an important site for the prehistory of the Red River Delta of Northern Vietnam.

Moderator:

Dr Noel H. Tan, SEAMEO SPAFA Senior Specialist in Archaeology

[Discussion will be conducted in English]

*Registration at http://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_VuonChuoi_RegForm

Museum Move

Date: 18 August 2020

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. (Bangkok time), 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (Kuala Lumpur and Manila time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and Zoom *(Register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_MuseumMove_RegForm)

Every once in a while, there are occurrences affecting our planet earth, whether natural or human-induced, and leaving indelible marks on our ways of life. Currently, there are a wide range of contemporary concerns, such as climate change, political issues, discourses on race, and recently the pandemic situation.

Museums, as institutions for society and the people living in it, are in constant search of how these phenomena change our society in order to reassess how to fulfill their role in serving the public. Thus the definition of the museum has to always be re-adjusted to strengthen its role in meeting every new situation.

During this pandemic period, museums have had to close their doors to the public. Some may have already reopened, with many adjustments having to be made to meet the safety requirements needed for their visitors. In these new circumstances, how have museum professionals (directors, curators and other practitioners) been re-thinking the museum’s new move in response to the contemporary context, whether physically or conceptually?

Guests:

• Ms. Nitaya Kanokmongkol, Director of Office of National Museums, The Fine Arts Department, Thailand
• Mr Jeremy R. Barns, Director General, National Museum of the Philippines
• Datuk Kamarul Baharin bin A. Kasim, Director General, Department of Museums Malaysia
• Mr Kenji Saotome, Curator at Suita City Museum, Japan; Board Member at International Committee for Regional Museums, International Council of Museums (ICOM); Board Member at The Museological Society of Japan and The Japan Society for Exhibition Studies

Moderator:

Mrs Somlak Charoenpot, SEAMEO SPAFA Centre Director

[Discussion will be conducted in English]

*Registration at https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH_MuseumMove_RegForm

Recent Discoveries from Angkor Wat and Srah Srang

Date: 20 July 2020

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. (Phnom Penh/Bangkok time), 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Singapore Time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and Zoom *(Register at: https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH-AngkorWatSrahSrang-RegForm)

Earlier this year, several spectacular discoveries were made by research teams working at the Angkor Archaeological Park. Early in April 2020, archaeologists from the APSARA Authority accidentally discovered many hundreds of fragments from damaged Buddha statues in Angkor Wat. They were found during ground clearing around the third enclosures of the temple, near the foot of Mahabharata gallery, firstly two Buddha torsos. A research team investigated the site and excavated for an area of 15 square meters over 50 days, unearthing nearly 300 fragments of damaged Buddha statues dating from the 12th to 19th centuries. Additionally, the restoration team from the APSARA Authority has been working on a project to restore a stone structure in the middle of Srah Srang, the Royal Pool. During routine excavations to understand the extent of the structure to be repaired, APSARA archaeologists found extraordinary artefacts: more than ten thousand of colourless crystal quartz; thousands of fragments of stone carvings; metal objects; wooden structure remains on base of stone structure; and a pair of stone turtles.

Presenters:

Im Sokrithy, Director, Department of Conservation Monuments and Archaeology, APSARA Authority

Moderator:

Dr Noel H. Tan, SEAMEO SPAFA Senior Specialist in Archaeology.

[Discussion will be conducted in English]

*Registration at https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH-AngkorWatSrahSrang-RegForm

Older is not Necessarily Better: The Short History of the Ifugao Rice Terraces

Date: 8 July 2020

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m. (Manila time), 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Bangkok Time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and Zoom *(Register at: https://bit.ly/2ndSPAFASESH-Ifugao-Registration-Form)

The long-held belief in the age of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, pegged at ca. 2000 years, as proposed by pioneer anthropologists of the Philippines Henry Otley Beyer and Roy F. Barton has become a sort of received wisdom among Filipinos. It has been taken as a gospel truth, that even the UNESCO enlistment of the agricultural wonders highlights its long history narrative. It is no wonder then, that recent archaeological and ethnohistorical discoveries that suggest a short history origin of the terraces have become an anathema to nationalist sentiments about age of the terraces. In this presentation, we provide the scientific bases for the later dating of the terraces. By doing so, we argue that the shift to wet-rice cultivation (and the inception of rice terracing traditions) in Ifugao, Philippines was a conscious decision by the Ifugao to counter the Spanish conquest. This contention empowers Ifugao communities and forces us to rethink dominant Philippine historical narratives.

Presenters:

Marlon Martin is an Ifugao who heads a non-profit heritage conservation organization in his home province in Ifugao, Philippines. He actively works with various academic and conservation organizations both locally and internationally in the pursuit of indigenous studies integration and inclusion in the formal school curricula. Along with Acabado, he established the first community-led Ifugao Indigenous Peoples Education Center, the first in the region.

Stephen Acabado is associate professor of anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His archaeological investigations in Ifugao, northern Philippines, have established the recent origins of the Cordillera Rice Terraces, which were once known to be at least 2,000 years old. Dr. Acabado directs the Bicol and Ifugao Archaeological Projects and co-directs the Taiwan Indigenous Landscape and History Project.  He is a strong advocate of an engaged archaeology where descendant communities are involved in the research process.

Moderator:

Dr Noel H. Tan, SEAMEO SPAFA Senior Specialist in Archaeology.

[Discussion will be conducted in English]

*Registration at https://bit.ly/2ndSPAFASESH-Ifugao-Registration-Form

“House that Speak to Us” | When SPAFA Meets Phrae, Together We Preserve Houses that Speak to Us

Date: 29 June 2020

Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12.00 p.m. (Bangkok Time)

Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/

Starting from a community-based conservation project using a Living Heritage Approach, SEAMEO SPAFA and Luk Lan Muang Phrae Network collaborated on a series of activities, including researches, street fairs, bicycle tours, historic house conservation and a publication, between 2004 and 2010. On the occasion of the 10 year anniversary since the project’s completion, SEAMEO SPAFA is going to bring together individuals involved in said activities, particularly in the conservation of historic houses to share their experiences, their passion and their dreams about the houses that were documented in the SEAMEO SPAFA book “Community-Based Architectural Heritage Preservation in Phrae, Thailand.”

Guest speakers:

• Dr Pornthum Thumwimol, Landscape Architect, Fine Arts Department
• Mr Shinnaworn Chompupan, Architect, Phrae Architectural Heritage Preservation Club
• Dr Patcharawee Tunprawat, Head, Arts and Creative Industries, British Council
• Mrs Somlak Charoenpot, Centre Director, SEAMEO SPAFA

Moderator:

Ms Hatthaya Siriphatthanakun, Specialist in Cultural Heritage Conservation, SEAMEO SPAFA

[Discussion will be conducted in Thai]

Registration at https://bit.ly/SPAFASESH-Pilot-Phrae-Registration-Form