Official launch of the Landecker Digital Memory Lab
On Monday 18th November 2024, the Landecker Digital Memory Lab officially launched to an audience of c. 200 people joining us both in-person at the Imperial War Museum, London and from across the globe via our live-stream.
The event saw our Lab Director Professor Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden introduce our plans for the next five years, highlighting how our work has become more imperative since the amplification of antisemitism and Holocaust distortion, denial and contestation since October 7th 2023. You can read more about who we are, our aims, and our outputs across this website.
Professor Richardson-Walden was joined by a series of special guests. Lena Altman, Co-CEO of our funder and key project partner, the Alfred Landecker Foundation, who provided the welcome address. Then after the main presentation, Lord Pickles (UK Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust Issues and President of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) addressed the bigger picture in which the Lab’s work sits. He was followed by Professor Sasha Roseneil (Vice-Chancellor) and Professor Cornel Sandvoss (Executive Dean of the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities) both offering the view from the University of Sussex, addressing how the Lab’s work complements the university’s wider values and emphasising the importance of humanities research. Lord Khan of Burnley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Minister of Housing, Communities and Local Government presented the closing remarks.
The in-person audience consisted a mix of academics, representatives of UK-based Holocaust organisations, staff from the Alfred Landecker Foundation and the University of Sussex, creative and tech professionals, and Holocaust survivors and their relatives. Beyond the formalities, these attendees enjoyed a drinks reception, an exclusive review of our forthcoming policy guidance on AI and Holocaust education, had the opportunity to preview snippets of some of our walkthrough videos, and received an introduction to the Imperial War Museum’s Holocaust Galleries from lead curator Dr James Bulgin, before having time to explore the galleries.
We are really grateful to the Imperial War Museums for hosting this event, especially colleagues in the learning team with with whom we have long had a wonderful professional relationship.