The Flag Institute is delighted to welcome you to its Spring 2020 Conference, to be held on Saturday 28 March at David Game College, London.
Admission is free. Please register here – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/flag-institute-spring-2020-conference-tickets-8021 – to make sure of your place.
Speakers and presentations include…
Patrice de la Condamine, Professor of Contemporary History and author of Les Drapeaux Panarabes
Société Française de Vexillologie
Pan-Arabian Flags
During the First World War, the Allied powers attempted to destabilise the Ottoman Empire by encouraging Arab populations to rebel, promising them a future independent state in the Middle East. The project to create a national flag using four colours – black, white, green, and red – was born at this time. Patrice will present the history of these colours which, a century later, are still flying in many countries of the Arab world.
Roger Ourset, Retired Professor and Dean of ESA Business School, Beirut
Flag Institute and Société Française de Vexillologie
Flags and National Anthems
Flags and national anthems are the two main symbols of a country. Each field has been studied in great detail, but very little research has been conducted on the relationship between these two prominent elements of national identity. Roger’s presentation will examine the diverse mentions of the flag – its colours, design and symbolism – in the lyrics of the national anthems of countries, regions, and provinces around the world.
Michael Kenny, Retired Curator at the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin
Keeper of the Art and Industrial Division, National Museum of Ireland
Raising the Banners of War: The Flags of 1916 and Their Historical Significance
The banners of the 1916 Rebellion have figured prominently in Irish song and folklore over the past century. They have also been regarded as powerful emblems of national identity and symbols of an independent Ireland. Michael’s presentation will throw new light on these flags and the context in which they came to be used.
Dr Matthew Stallard, Research Associate
Legacies of British Slaveownership Project, University College London
The Black Country Flag Row: Regional Identity and Contested Heritage
The Black Country flag, chosen by public competition in 2012, has been enthusiastically adopted across the region, becoming a highly visible rallying point for an often overlooked post-industrial area. The very public and passionate furore surrounding the flag’s contested symbolism, however, offers a enlightening insight into the importance of flags and symbols in defining (or redefining) identity, collective memory, and perceptions of public heritage.
Aleksander Hribovšek, President of the Heraldica Slovenica Society and founder of grboslovje.si
Heraldica Slovenica
International Congress of Vexillology 29
Ljubljana is to host the next biennial International Congress of Vexillology in 2021. It is a vibrant city which is developing with a clear emphasis on quality of life – a vision highlighted by two huge flags on the castle. Aleksander will introduce ICV29 and describe what delegates can expect from the Congress and their time in Ljubljana. Heraldica Slovenica invites you to join them there from July 12-16 2021. Ljubljana and Heraldica Slovenica are ready!
Come and take part in this exciting event and enjoy a unique mix of historic and contemporary vexillology in good company and the comfortable surroundings of David Game College. At the close of proceedings all are invited to continue the conversation at the Spring 2020 ‘President’s Drinks’ to be held at The Crosswall, a very short walk from David Game College.
The official Flag Institute hotel for the weekend is the Premier Inn London City (Aldgate), 66 Alie Street, London E1 8PX – a very short walk from David Game College.
See you in London!
