IDP’s 20th Anniversary

To celebrate IDP’s 20th anniversary we will be organising a series of events and activities over the next year. Details will be added and updated below and on our blog. From November 1 the IDP blog will also feature ‘A Few of Our Favourite Things’, a weekly post showcasing IDP collection items selected by twenty of IDP’s partners, supporters and users. Please contact idpevents@bl.ukfor more information.
Download a PDF of the programme of events

1 NOVEMBER 2013	LECTURE: ‘MAPPING THE SILK ROAD’
18.30–20.30	In recent years a team of experts have conducted research into the Silk Road’s sites and routes as part of the Silk Roads World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination in Central Asia project.Tim Williams, archaeologist at University College London (UCL) and leader of the UCL Ancient Merv Project, has been working on this project for several years. In this lecture he will discuss the considerable challenges of mapping the the Silk Roads and their sites.
FREE ENTRY
Conference Centre The British Library 96 Euston Road London, NW1 2DB
MAP

6 JANUARY – 14 FEBRUARY 2014	EXHIBITION: ‘AUREL STEIN AND THE SILK ROAD’
MONDAY–SATURDAY	Between 1900 and 1916 the archaeologist and scholar, Aurel Stein, led three expeditions to the Taklamakan and Lop Deserts of western China in search of the sand-buried settlements of the Silk Road. He excavated scores of sites and took over 5000 photographs. These photographs of ancient Silk Road settlements, stupas and forts in the Taklamakan Desert are shown alongside modern images and video taken on recent British Library expeditions to record the changes of the past century.
FREE ENTRY
Royal Geographical Society 1 Kensington Gore London, SW7 2AR
MAP

12 MARCH 2014	OPEN DAY: CONSERVATION AND IDP STUDIO
10.00–17.00	Archaeologist and scholar, Aurel Stein excavated scores of sites and discovered numerous artefacts including over 40,000 manuscripts and early printed documents in over twenty languages and scripts. The amount and variety of this material poses serious challenges for both conservation and digitisation that curators and conservators at the British Library have been addressing for two decades through international collaboration and under the auspices of IDP. This open day offers a chance to meet the conservation and digitisation teams and to learn about their work on the Stein Silk Road manuscripts.
FREE ENTRY (BOOKING REQUIRED)
Foyle Centre and IDP Studio The British Library 96 Euston Road London, NW1 2DB
MAP

FROM MARCH 2014	EXHIBITION: ‘THE DIAMOND SUTRA AND EARLY PRINTING’
DAILY	The Dunhuang Diamond Sutra, the world’s earliest, dated, complete printed book, will be on display at the British Library for the first time since a programme of long-term conservation was completed. It will be shown alongside other examples of early printing in Asia.
FREE ENTRY
Sir John Ritblat Gallery The British Library 96 Euston Road London, NW1 2DB
MAP

11 APRIL 2014	LECTURES AND RECEPTION: ‘SILK ON THE SILK ROAD’
14.00 – 20.00	Over a century of archaeology on the eastern Silk Road has resulted in thousands of textile finds, preserved by the dry desert air. In their variety — of material, dyes, designs and weaves — they demonstrate the richness of cultural and technical exchanges among the peoples of the Silk Road. This afternoon of lectures by scholars, curators and conservators is intended for a general audience, and will introduce the Silk Road and the textiles collections held in London and worldwide. The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception.
£12 (£8 CONCESSIONS)
Conference Centre The British Library 96 Euston Road London, NW1 2DB
MAP