Reframing the Nineteenth Century: Art, Heritage, and Knowledge-Making in the GLAM Ecosystem

17 - 22 July 2026: Keepers of Time Exhibition

20 July 2026: International Conference

About Conferro Heritaè

Conferro Heritaè is an art and collectible house devoted to the preservation, interpretation, and continued relevance of cultural heritage. With a presence in New Delhi and London, our work extends beyond conserving fine art, rare collectibles, and archival histories; we seek to thoughtfully sustain heritage in ways that remain meaningful for both present and future generations.

As one of India's most extensive private cultural collections, Conferro Heritaè brings together a remarkable range of artworks, Bollywood memorabilia, vintage advertisements, newspapers, vinyl records, rare books, manuscripts, photographs, print media archives, historical documents, and culturally significant objects. Each piece is regarded not merely as an artifact, but as a keeper of time, carrying layered narratives and histories within it.

Our work encompasses a wide spectrum of heritage and cultural initiatives, including:

Preservation and documentation of historical archives, artworks, and collectible heritage objects.
Curating exhibitions that connect audiences with art, history, and material culture.
Organising auctions and facilitating responsible stewardship of cultural property.
Providing advisory services to collectors, institutions, museums, and heritage stakeholders.
Supporting academic and archival research through access to collections and historical resources.
Developing immersive digital initiatives that make heritage more accessible and engaging for contemporary audiences.
Publishing and promoting research on art, archives, print media, and cultural history.
Building collaborations between museums, libraries, archives, universities, scholars, collectors, and cultural practitioners.
Encouraging cultural education and public engagement through lectures, discussions, workshops, and heritage-focused programmes.

Through these initiatives, Conferro Heritaè endeavours to transform heritage from a static archive into a dynamic and lived experience.

Conferro Heritaè - as INCSA’s principal partner in India, is honoured to lead the development and delivery of this significant international gathering in New Delhi. To further strengthen the academic, cultural, and public impact the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), one of India's foremost institutions dedicated to the preservation, research, and dissemination of art, culture, heritage, and knowledge systems, confirmed as institutional, Cultural and Venue Partner for the entire event. Through this collaboration, we envision creating a truly national and international platform that brings together scholars, researchers, archivists, museum professionals, librarians, cultural practitioners, students, and emerging heritage leaders from across India and abroad. IGNCA’s extensive academic and professional network provides a unique opportunity to engage distinguished experts, scholars, students, alumni, and institutional partners from across the country, ensuring broad participation and meaningful interdisciplinary dialogue. Together, Conferro, INCSA, and IGNCA can position this event as a flagship gathering for the GLAM ecosystem, fostering intellectual exchange, professional collaboration, and public engagement while ensuring the success and long-term legacy of the convening at a Pan-India scale.

About INCSA

The International Nineteenth-Century Studies Association (INCSA) is the world's first professional organisation dedicated to bringing together scholars, societies, and institutions through interdisciplinary, international long nineteenth-century studies. Born out of conversations held in 2015 at Durham University's Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies - where leaders from 35 research centres and organisations across the globe convened to shape the future of the field -INCSA was founded on a collective will to break down national, linguistic, and disciplinary barriers to scholarship.

INCSA works collectively and collaboratively to support academic voices hidden by linguistic and geographical constraints, ensuring that groundbreaking research is heard regardless of where in the world it originates.

The Association creates opportunities for the cross-fertilisation of research across countries and hemispheres, connecting scholars and institutions to spark new conversations and collaborations that transcend borders.

INCSA advances initiatives that diversify and enrich the spectrum of long nineteenth-century knowledge, drawing on the widest range of disciplines across the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences — from the 1760s through to present-day neo-Victorianism.

About IGNCA

The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is one of India's foremost cultural institutions, established under the Ministry of Culture as a living centre for the study, research, and experience of all art forms - from classical literature and visual arts to music, dance, theatre, and the living traditions of folk and tribal culture. IGNCA envisions the arts not in isolation, but as deeply interwoven with nature, social structure, and the broader human environment - a philosophy rooted in the holistic worldview championed by Indian leaders from Mahatma Gandhi to Rabindranath Tagore.

Through an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach, IGNCA preserves and promotes India's vast cultural heritage across its many specialised divisions, including Kalanidhi (archives and reference library), Kalakosa (cultural concepts and texts), Janapada Sampada (folk and tribal traditions), Kaladarsana (exhibitions and performances), Cultural Informatics, and a dedicated Conservation Lab.

With regional centres across the country - from Varanasi and Guwahati to Bengaluru and Puducherry - IGNCA serves as a national network for cultural knowledge, offering academic programmes, public events, research publications, digital resources, and collaborative projects that connect India's artistic heritage with contemporary scholarship and global audiences.