Heritage session and exhibition at IBBC Spring Conference 2024

We are delighted to bring a showcase of our multi venue exhibition Challenging Legacies to the IBBC Spring Conference 2024.

Challenging Legacies: the Kingdom of Iraq and Gertrude Bell examines the events leading up to the creation of the Kingdom of Iraq in 1921, considering the impact and legacy of the First World War and the British administration on the country as well as the role of archaeologist and colonial administrator, Gertrude Bell (1868 – 1926).

Through Newcastle University’s UNESCO Memory of the World registered Gertrude Bell Archive, Challenging Legacies focuses on the dual narratives of Bell and Iraq, primarily the 17-year period from 1909 to 1926 where their fates intertwined. Representing them independently and together using original archival material and newly digitised photographs from the Gertrude Bell Archive, the exhibition considers their respective complex histories.

Challenging Legacies aims to educate, enlighten, and encourage critical and nuanced thought towards Bell and the wider British colonial legacy in the Middle East whilst also exploring Iraq’s rich history and global significance. The exhibition has been designed to be suitable for visitors of all backgrounds with no prior knowledge of the subjects covered expected, and hope delegates can help us bring this shared heritage to new audiences.

Heritage Session speaker include:

Chairman: Professor Mohammed Al Uzri, IBBC Health and Education Advisor

Panellists: Professor Mark Jackson, Newcastle University; Professor Mark Horton, Royal

Agricultural University; Dr John MacGinnis, Nimrud Archaeological Trust; Dr. Rawaa

Qasha, University of Mosul