The Sharjah Institute for Heritage will host the third edition of the Heritage Conference from July 7 to July 10, under the theme “Oral Traditions in a Changing World: From Live Performance to Digital Media.” This event will bring together a distinguished group of researchers, academics, experts, and specialists from the United Arab Emirates and several Arab countries. The conference aims to strengthen the presence of intangible cultural heritage while developing mechanisms for its preservation and transmission to future generations.
Conference Objectives and Vision
The Heritage Conference aligns with the vision of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, which is dedicated to safeguarding human heritage. It seeks to explore the future of oral traditions in light of rapid digital transformations. These traditions serve as a living cultural framework, generating and regenerating meaning across generations, and play a vital role in collective memory by carrying values, knowledge, and experiences passed down through time.
Key Themes and Issues
Over three days, the conference will address various scientific and intellectual issues through five main themes: the theoretical foundations of oral traditions and digital transformation, the concept and functions of oral traditions within intangible cultural heritage, performance in the age of algorithms, and institutional dimensions of preserving oral traditions in the digital era. The conference will also tackle legal protection issues and the rights of communities that carry this heritage.
Scientific Sessions and Publications
The event will feature specialized scientific sessions that showcase the latest Arabic and international studies and experiences in documenting and digitizing oral traditions. Discussions will also focus on the challenges facing intangible heritage in the face of rapid technological advancements, along with best practices in the preservation of cultural heritage. Additionally, the conference will celebrate the scientific output of the institute with the signing of 35 new publications on diverse topics related to heritage and popular culture, highlighting the institute’s commitment to enriching the Arab library and fostering authorship and publication in the field of heritage.
Commitment to Cultural Preservation
Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Musallam, President of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, emphasized that the third Heritage Conference embodies the institute’s vision to keep pace with global transformations in the heritage sector while preserving its authenticity and identity. He noted, “Oral traditions are no longer merely a heritage stored in memory; they require new tools to ensure their sustainability and transmission to future generations in a rapidly changing digital environment.”
Al-Musallam further stated, “At the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, we believe that oral traditions represent the pulse of cultural identity in communities. Preserving them involves not just documentation but maintaining their living contexts and empowering the communities that bear them, utilizing modern technologies and digital media as supportive tools for passing this human legacy into the future.” The conference aims to gather a select group of experts and researchers from the UAE and the Arab world to exchange insights and experiences, resulting in practical recommendations for developing policies to protect intangible cultural heritage and enhance its presence both locally and internationally.
He also added that the signing of 10 new publications on the sidelines of the conference reaffirms the Sharjah Institute for Heritage’s commitment to its scientific and cultural mission, as well as its dedication to supporting academic research and producing specialized knowledge. This effort further cements Sharjah’s position as a regional and international center for heritage studies and the preservation of intangible cultural heritage.