Jenna and Guy will address the way in which current Heritage legislation is supportive of Vernacular places, buildings and, to an extent the intangible aspects of the vernacular past. The speakers, as current Heritage Western Cape staff members,  are well placed to share with Vernacs how well the National Heritage Act actually works (and in some cases, struggles to work) on the ground. There'll be an overview of the way in which the application of Heritage Law grows and is shaped by ongoing practice, and case law. The talk will highlight some examples of places, and projects, where Heritage legislation has been particularly effective.

Jenna Lavin
Jenna received a Bachelor’s Degree in Science for Environmental and Geographical Science from the University of Cape Town in 2007. The curriculum for this degree is aimed at producing experts in environmental sustainability and management. She then went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Archaeology also from the University of Cape Town. Her Master’s project was based in the Northern Turkana region of Kenya. She is currently busy with a second Master’s degree in Heritage Management.

For the first three months of 2010 she was employed by the South African Heritage Resources Agency as a Heritage Impact Assessor. From September 2010 to December of 2012 She acted as a Heritage Officer for Archaeology, Palaeontology and Meteorites at Heritage Western Cape, the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority of the Western Cape Province. Her responsibilities included assessing the archaeological and palaeontological aspects of Environmental Impact Assessments for large scale developments in South Africa, such as mining companies, road development, power stations as well as large residential developments. She was also responsible for extending the declared area of the Provincial Heritage Site of the West Coast Fossil Park and for declaring the archaeological site of Pinnacle Point as a Provincial Heritage Site.

She is now the Assistant Director at Heritage Western Cape responsible for Policy, Research and Planning.

Guy Thomas
Guy is an archaeologist specialising in the Historical time period. He has worked in the Karoo, Cape and West Coast  on several Historical Archaeology projects, as well as in the Limpopo Province as a heritage consultant. He has recently completed his MPhil on the Historical Archaeology of the Vernacular Architecture of the Piketberg and Sandveld. He is hoping to graduate this year. Guy has worked at Heritage Western Cape since July 2013 dealing with Archaeological and Palaeontological permitting for the Western Cape, as well as reviewing Impact assessments for development.

SPEAKER:  Jenna Lavin & Guy Thomas
DATE:  Tuesday, 19 April 2016
TIME: 19h45 for 20h00                                                    
VENUE: The Athenaeum, Boundary Terraces, Newlands, at the intersection of Mariendahl and Campground Roads

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