Invitation to NEPHESH | Protecting the Shadow

Teatro delle Albe invites you to experience NEPHESH | Protecting the Shadow, a headphone-guided walk that redefines how we contemplate life, death, and historical cemetery spaces.

About the experience

NEPHESH | Protecting the Shadow is an immersive site-specific listening experience by Teatro delle Albe, conceived and directed by Alessandro Renda. Designed for small groups of participants, the project transforms the cemetery into a space for reflection, inviting visitors to explore themes of memory, grief, and the fragility of life through a silent, headphone-guided journey.

Moving among graves, monuments, sculptures, and hidden corners of the cemetery, participants are accompanied by a carefully crafted sound dramaturgy that weaves together personal stories, literary and philosophical reflections, and perspectives on death drawn from different cultures and traditions. The experience unfolds as a collective yet deeply personal journey, encouraging contemplation of the bonds between people, memory, and place.

Neither a guided tour nor a conventional theatre performance, NEPHESH | Protecting the Shadow offers a unique way of engaging with cemetery heritage. As visitors walk through the site, the cemetery emerges as a threshold between past and present, life and death, revealing its role not only as a place of remembrance but also as a space for dialogue, reflection, and cultural encounter.

The title Nephesh comes from the Hebrew word that can mean “breath,” “soul,” “life,” or “living being,” reflecting the project's exploration of what remains after death and how memory continues to shape the lives of those who remain.

Summer Tour Dates 2026

➤ Bologna | Cimitero della Certosa

• May 26th, 2026 | 19:00
• June 9th, 11th, 16th, and 25th, 2026 | 19:15
• July 9th, 17th, and 23rd, 2026 | 19:15

In collaboration with Per Aspera Festival

➤ Gorizia | Cimitero Monumentale

• August 26th, 27th, and 28th, 2026 | 19:00

Festival In\Visible Cities - Contaminazioni Digitali

Further Information

For additional information, please contact Francesca Venturi at info@teatrodellealbe.com or +39 335 7173664.

Related links:

• Presentation (PDF)
• Official Website
• Official Trailer

*Photos source: www.teatrodellealbe.com

Virtual Colloquium on Cemeteries 2026: Call for Papers

The Cemetery Research Group invites you to participate in the Virtual Colloquium on Cemeteries, which will take place entirely online on 20 November 2026.

About the Colloquium

On Friday, 20 November 2026, the Cemetery Research Group will host a virtual colloquium via Zoom.

The event will focus on places and practices relating to the disposal of the dead, including burial, cremation, and other methods.

Tickets for the colloquium will be available on the CRG website from 9 October 2026.

Call for Papers

The colloquium invites scholars working in the social sciences and humanities, as well as postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers, to submit papers that combine theoretical insight with empirical research on the proposed theme.

Each presentation will be allocated a 30-minute slot, comprising approximately 20 minutes for the presentation followed by time for questions and discussion. The event is open to contributors from around the world, and panels will be scheduled to accommodate different time zones. All presentations must be delivered in English.

Abstracts may be submitted via this Google Form by 2 October 2026.

For any questions, please contact Dr Julie Rugg at julie.rugg@york.ac.uk.

Silent Disco at Vienna’s Central Cemetery

Vienna Central Cemetery welcomes visitors to a unique cultural experience in an extraordinary setting on 17 April 2026.

About the event

On 17 April 2026, the Vienna Central Cemetery will host an unconventional cultural event that blends contemporary music with historic surroundings. Visitors will be invited to take part in a silent disco inside the Church of St Borromeo, one of the cemetery’s most remarkable architectural landmarks.

For one evening, the church’s main hall will be transformed into a dance floor while preserving the atmosphere of the space. Music will not be played through speakers; instead, participants will listen through wireless headphones, creating a shared yet quiet experience.

How the silent disco works

The event introduces an innovative format in which two DJs perform simultaneously, each broadcasting on a separate channel. Guests can switch between channels at any time, choosing their preferred style of music throughout the evening. The programme spans a wide range of genres, from electronic and house to hip-hop, pop, indie, and rock, alongside thematic selections inspired by the cemetery setting.

This headphone-based concept ensures that the surrounding environment remains undisturbed, allowing the venue to retain its contemplative character while accommodating a lively social event.

Reimagining the cemetery

The silent disco reflects a broader trend of reinterpreting historic cemeteries as places not only of remembrance, but also of cultural engagement. In recent years, the Vienna Central Cemetery has expanded its role through a variety of initiatives that encourage visitors to experience the site in new ways.

By introducing formats such as the silent disco, the organisers aim to create opportunities for community, dialogue, and cultural participation while maintaining respect for the site’s primary function and significance.

Key details

Date: Friday, 17 April 2026
Time: 8.00 pm – 2.00 am
Venue: St Borromeo Cemetery Church, Vienna Central Cemetery | Main entrance Gate 2, Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234, 1110 Vienna

Tickets are available at: www.silentdisco.at/events-tickets
Further information: www.friedhoefewien.at/silent-disco

Invitation to the 3rd European Symposium on Drugs and Colors

The Aromas Itinerarium Salutis Association – The European Route of Historic Pharmacies and Medicinal Gardens invites you to the 3rd European Symposium on Drugs and Colors, to be held from 11 to 14 November 2026 in Palermo, Italy.

About the event

The Aromas Itinerarium Salutis Association – The European Route of Historic Pharmacies and Medicinal Gardens (Cultural Route of the Council of Europe), together with Università degli Studi di Palermo and Fondazione Sicilia, introduces the third edition of the European Symposium Drugs & Colors, which explores the cultural legacy of materia medica through history, art, ritual, and symbolic practices.

Conceived as an interdisciplinary forum, the symposium brings together researchers, heritage professionals, and representatives of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe to reflect on the history of medicine as a form of intangible cultural heritage and its many expressions across Europe.

Participation is particularly significant for members of ASCE and the European Cemeteries Route, as it highlights how the history of medicine can serve as a point of convergence and connection.

Call for papers

We invite scholars, researchers, and professionals to submit proposals related to the three thematic sessions of the symposium:

• Materia medica through the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: a thousand-year-old mosaic of paths, traditions, and voices;
• Mapping Hygeia’s heritage sites in Europe: ancient pharmacies, medicinal gardens, archaeological excavations, museums, and university collections;
• Materia medica in the arts and ritual: colors, spices, fragrances, and living practices.

In particular, contributions from ASCE members and the European Cemeteries Route are warmly encouraged. Topics of special interest include the role of color in cemeteries, funerary art, and funeral rites in different European traditions, as well as their connections to medicinal, symbolic, and ritual practices.

Important dates and additional information

• March 31, 2026 – Deadline for abstract submission
• April 30, 2026 – Abstract evaluation deadline
• May 4, 2026 – Notification of abstract acceptance
• July 15, 2026 – First deadline for full text submission (for publication)
• July 31, 2026 – Second deadline for full text submission

For complete details on the call for papers, topics, preliminary program, registration fees, and additional information, please visit the Drugs & Colors 2026 Official Website.

The registration and abstract submission form is available HERE.

Invitation to the Virtual Colloquium on cemeteries 2025

The Cemetery Research Group invites you to participate in the Virtual Colloquium on cemeteries, taking place entirely online on 21 November 2025.

About the Colloquium

On Friday, 21 November 2025, a virtual colloquium organized by the Cemetery Research Group will take place via Zoom.

The event will focus on places and practices relating to the disposal of the dead, including burial, cremation, and other methods. This year’s keynote speaker is Ruth E. Toulson (Maryland Institute College of Art), who will deliver a presentation titled “The Last Cemetery: Shifting Deathscapes in Contemporary Singapore”.

Tickets for the colloquium will be available on the CRG website starting 11 October 2025.

Call for Papers

The colloquium invites researchers from the social sciences and humanities, as well as postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers, to submit papers that combine theoretical insight with empirical research on the proposed theme.

Each presentation will have a thirty-minute slot, allowing roughly twenty minutes for the talk and time for questions. The event is open to contributors from around the world, with panels arranged to accommodate different time zones. All presentations must be in English.

Abstracts can be submitted via this Google Form by 1 October 2025.

For any questions please contact Dr Julie Rugg at julie.rugg@york.ac.uk.

New book series

In related publishing news, Routledge has launched a new book series titled “Accommodating the Dead: Materialities, Rituals and Technologies”. The series explores the evolving and multi-faceted study of the dead body and the diverse ways humans engage with it, with an international and interdisciplinary scope.

V International Baku – Bayirshahar Symposium: Call for Papers

ASCE is pleased to share the Call for Papers for the V International Baku–Bayirshahar Symposium, which will take place on July 30–31, 2025, in Baku, Azerbaijan.

About the event

The V International Baku – Bayirshahar Symposium will take place on July 30–31, 2025, at the historic Zargarpalan Hammam in Bayirshahar, Baku (Azerbaijan).

Organised under the theme "Historical Sites and Monuments", the symposium invites scholars, researchers, heritage professionals, and students to contribute to the interdisciplinary exploration of archaeological and cultural heritage themes with a particular focus on Azerbaijan and its broader historical and cultural context. The symposium will accept papers and presentations under the following thematic directions:

• Azerbaijani Archaeology in the Years of Independence
• Cultural Heritage Protection and Issues in Post-War Karabakh
• Material Culture: Regional and Global Connections, Comparative Approaches
• Archaeology and the Environment
• Historical Sites and Cultural Heritage Monuments of Azerbaijan
• Preservation and Restoration Problems of Monuments
• World Heritage: Recognition, Protection, and Presentation
• Public Presentation and Education of Cultural Heritage
• Archaeology of the Islamic Period
• Archaeological Research on Architectural Monuments
• Archaeology of Bayırshahar, Baku
• The Scientific Legacy of Archaeologist Vali Aliyev
• The Impact of Local Lifestyles on Cultural Heritage
• History and Cultural Monuments in Written Sources
• Archaeological Tourism

Types of presentations

In-person presentations delivered live at the venue

Pre-recorded presentations (15-minute slide presentations with English subtitles, if not in English), which will be streamed and discussed via Zoom.

Participants may also submit a poster presentation, which will be featured on the official Instagram page of Miras MİOK. Each poster should include up to 10 visuals (such as images, diagrams, or maps), a maximum of 2,200 characters of text, and up to 30 relevant hashtags.

Submission details

Deadline: June 30, 2025

Submit to: miraspresscenter@gmail.com

Required information:

• Title and abstract (max. 150 words)
• Full name
• Academic degree and affiliation (or education level for students)
• Type of participation (In-person, Online, or Poster)
• 3–5 keywords

Proposals for full sessions (with multiple speakers) are also welcome and should include the session title, abstract, and list of proposed speakers.

For more information, please contact Dr. Fariz Xəlilli at +994 50 876 40 43 or miraspresscenter@gmail.com.

Download the full Call for Papers HERE.

Appointment in the Garden 2025

APGI - Associazione Parchi e Giardini d'Italia invites you to join the Appointment in the Garden initiative, which will take place on the 7th and 8th of June 2025.

Cemeteries as gardens

Cemeteries are often overlooked as green spaces, yet, in many ways, they are gardens in their own right—places where nature, memory, and culture intertwine. Landscaped with care, shaped by history, and rich in symbolism, cemeteries form serene environments for reflection, remembrance, and discovery.

In this context, we are pleased to forward the invitation from APGI - Associazione Parchi e Giardini d'Italia to participate in the "Appuntamento in Giardino" initiative (English: Appointment in the Garden), which this year beautifully aligns with the ASCE Week of Discovering European Cemeteries, both in theme and timing.

About the "Appuntamento in Giardino" initiative

Designed as a garden celebration, the event invites the general public to rediscover Italy’s gardens as living cultural heritage through a variety of events and activities. Participation is open to all gardens, whether historic or contemporary, that have historical, artistic, landscape, or botanical significance.

Held in collaboration with Rendez-vous aux Jardins, this initiative will take place simultaneously in numerous European countries.

For more information about the initiative, click HERE or visit the website www.apgi.it.

Theme: Gardens of stones, stones of the garden

Year after year, the chosen theme invites the public to rediscover the universe of the garden through a new perspective. This year’s theme for the "Appuntamento in Giardino" initiative is Gardens of Stones, Stones of the Garden.

Please note that aligning with the proposed theme is not mandatory for the design of proposed activities. You can animate the days with a wide variety of events, including guided tours, conferences, meetings with owners, gardeners, and botanists, gardening lessons, workshops for children, demonstrations, concerts, performances, exhibitions, tastings, night openings, and more.

How to participate

Each garden can choose one or more days to participate in the initiative (Saturday, 7 June; Sunday, 8 June; or both days).

Registrations will be open until the 1st of May 2025. You can sign up your garden HERE.

For any questions, please contact appuntamentoingiardino@apgi.it.

Invitation to the "Antemurale Christianitatis" conference

The Hungarian National Heritage Institute invites you to a professional conference that will take place from 8 to 9 December 2024 in Budapest, Hungary.

About the conference

The Hungarian National Heritage Institute, member of ASCE, together with the Duna-Drava National Park Directorate, the HUN-REN BTK Institute of History, the HUN-REN PPKE-PTE Vilmos Fraknói Vatican Historical Research Group, the Janus Pannonius Museum, the Hungarian National Archives, the Hungarian Historical Society, the Municipality of Mohács, the University of Pécs and the University of Szeged, cordially invites you to attend the conference "Antemurale Christianitatis - Central Europe and the Western Balkans, Bastions of Christianity".

The aim of the conference is to present the historical situation at the end of the Middle Ages of the countries closely connected with the history of the Kingdom of Hungary and the struggle against the Ottoman Empire - including the Kingdom of Bohemia and Poland, the Holy Roman Empire and the former states in the present-day territories of Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia.

In addition, the organisers aim to create a forum for the presentation of the latest results of Hungarian research in support of the forthcoming commemorative year, with the participation of the international academic community.

Date, location and program

The conference will take place from 8 to 9 December 2024 in the Event Hall of the Várkert Bazár (Ybl Miklós square 2-6., 1013 Budapest, Hungary), from 9.00 to 18.00.

The conference will be bilingual, with Hungarian-English and English-Hungarian interpretation. The official invitation with the event programme is available HERE*.

If you wish to participate, please register on the following platform until 6 December 2024.

➤ SIGN UP FORM

For additional information contact istvan.kovacs@nori.gov.hu or one of the other event organisers.

*Organisers reserve the right to change the programme.

Invitation to the 3rd Virtual Colloquium on cemeteries

The Cemetery Research Group invites you to participate in the 3rd Virtual Colloquium on cemeteries, taking place on 15th November 2024 via Zoom.

About the event

On Friday, 15th November 2024, a virtual colloquium organized by the Cemetery Research Group will take place via the Zoom platform.

The main theme is cemeteries and death practices, focusing on how burial and commemoration customs intersect with social, cultural, and political changes across different countries and historical periods. Speakers from around the world will address a range of subjects, including the transformation of funeral practices, the architectural and legal aspects of cemeteries, and the evolving role of cemeteries in urban settings.

This year's keynote speaker is professor Andrew Kipnis, who has written extensively on funeral practices in China. His presentation, titled "Ghosts, Urbanization, and Strangers in China and Hong Kong", will offer insightful perspectives on these themes.

The full programme with the list of speakers and their topics is available HERE.

Registration details

Attendance at the virtual colloquium is free of charge, but registration is required to secure your spot and receive Zoom invitations to the sessions you wish to attend.

To register, please complete the form at this LINK. Deadline for registration is 8th November 2023.

For any additional questions, please contact Dr. Julie Rugg at julierugg36@gmail.com.

*Photo source: https://www.cemeteryresearch.org/events/

Study day and book presentation of Memento Mori III: The Sustainable Cemetery

You are cordially invited to the study day and book presentation of Memento Mori III, which will take place on October 24, 2024, in Nossegem, Belgium.

Study day and book presentation

The Memento Mori III project managers invite you to participate in a study day and the presentation of the book Memento Mori III: The Sustainable Cemetery. The event will take place on October 24, 2024, from 9:30 AM to 5 PM in Nossegem, Belgium.

Participation is free of charge, but due to limited seating, registration is required. Please register by emailing boekvoorstelling@memento-mori.be.

You can find the event program and additional information HERE.

About the book

Memento Mori III: The Sustainable Cemetery, edited by Tamara Ingels and Joeri Mertens, is the latest book in the Memento Mori series.

This book offers insights into historical research, heritage, green cemeteries, and the funerary landscape, all while aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The authors share knowledge and practical experiences, providing sustainable tips for readers. Memento Mori III seeks to engage readers in the sustainability debate surrounding cemeteries, fostering ongoing growth, development, and reflection on these critical topics.

The book will be available for purchase at the event, or you can order it online. More details about the book project can be found at this LINK.

1st International Conference on Universities and Cultural Routes

The European Institute of Cultural Routes invites you to participate in the 1st International Conference on Universities and Cultural Routes, taking place this November in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

About the Conference

The European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR - Technical agency of the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme) and the Compostela Group of Universities (member of the University Network for Cultural Studies) is pleased to announce the organisation of the 1st International Conference on Universities and Cultural Routes, taking place from 13th to 14th November 2024 at the University of Santiago de Compostela, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Following two successful editions of the Cultural Routes Academic Workshops held online in 2021 and 2023, this event is intended to highlight existing research and academic activities in the field of Cultural Routes.

Call for papers

The academic conference welcomes papers relating to all aspects of Cultural Routes. Participants interested in presenting a contribution at the conference can submit their abstracts to evaluation@culture-routes.lu under the subject “Call for abstracts 2024_Cultural Routes” by Friday 27th September. 

As the European Cemeteries Route has been a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe since 2010, the Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (ASCE) would like to encourage our representatives to attend the conference with some interesting presentation topics.

The call for papers containing further details and instructions is available HERE.
An abstract template can be found HERE.

Importnat information

The travel to/from Santiago de Compostela and accommodation costs are not covered by the organisers and must be borne by each participant. Registration fees will not be requested, and meals and extra activities will be offered by the organisers as indicated in the draft programme.

The International Conference working sessions will be held in English.

A preliminary programme, registration details, travel and accommodation options, as well as cultural activities information are available HERE. Invitation letters and updated practical information will be sent out during the first weeks of September.

For any additional information, please contact evaluation@culture-routes.lu.