Heritage at Risk

In times of war and conflict, countless libraries, museums, archives, and other cultural heritage institutions are damaged or destroyed, putting irreplaceable heritage items at risk. The loss of these collections often receives little attention in the mainstream media. Based in Switzerland, the ALIPH Foundation works with partners around the world to protect cultural heritage in conflict areas, supporting the recovery, conservation, and restoration of items endangered by war and other crises.

In partnership with the ALIPH Foundation, Massey College invites you to explore the importance of protecting cultural heritage and the people dedicated to preserving it. Drawing on perspectives from film, manuscripts, rare books, and artefacts, this panel will examine what makes an item unique, what defines it as a heritage item, and why the preservation of these objects matters to society.

Join panellists Dr. Sandra Bialystok, Director of Communications and Partnerships, ALIPH Foundation; Dr. Maria Luisa Russo, Founder of AMALIA and an ALIPH grantee, whose work focuses on protecting manuscripts endangered by conflict and climate change; Dr. Alexandra Gillespie, Vice-President of the University of Toronto and Principal of U of T Mississauga, and founder of the Old Books New Science Lab; and Cameron Bailey, CEO of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The panel will be moderated by Robbie Steele, PhD Candidate in the Department of English at the University of Toronto, Book History and Print Culture graduate, and Massey Junior Fellow.

Proceeds from this event will support the Robertson Davies Library at Massey College with charitable tax receipts issued post-event for the eligible portion of the ticket price.

This panel precedes the High Table Dinner celebrating the Arts, featuring guest speaker Cameron Bailey.