Are you a museum professional or degree student with a passion for the preservation of historic textiles? Do you want to learn more about conserving and interpreting your museum’s collections of unique textiles?
From 8 – 17 June 2015, Heritage Without Borders (HWB-UK), in partnership with Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB), will be offering a textile conservation training course in Gjirokastra, Albania, funded by the Headley Trust.
Throughout the 10-day course you will work on site in the Ethnographic Museum in Gjirokastra. Professional textile conservators will guide your learning about textile conservation through the application of practical work on artefacts, discussions and short lectures. This course will also focus on various techniques for engaging with the public. You will learn and contribute to effective interpretation and engagement with local communities and schools, as important tools to make a museum central and important to civic life.
Gjirokastra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southern Albania; a historic Ottoman influenced town built around a 13th century castle. Its 43,000 residents include Albanian, Greek, Vlach and Roma communities. The area has a rich textile history, with much of the production of costume and textiles traditionally undertaken by women. However, in recent decades many of these traditional skills have been dying out and the Ethnographic Museum, once one of the most important in Albania, is facing huge difficulties to survive, along with many other museums.
Who is this course for?
This course is for museum professionals from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro who need to look after historic textile collections. Curatorial and conservation staff are eligible to apply.
Key Learning Outcomes
- Awareness of preventive and remedial conservation with respect to textile conservation in modern museums
- Ability to safely assess textile needs and produce a condition report
- Ability to handle, package and transport objects with confidence
- Ability to plan storage for collections
- Awareness of environmental needs for textiles and ability to think critically about various methods of environmental controls
- Ability to think critically about public engagement and interpretation of textile collections.
Course Format
The course will be taught through lectures, practical training using the museum’s collections, visits and group discussions. The working language will be English.
HWB will cover all participation costs of participants (including materials and excursions for the conservation school, accommodation, a meal per diem), except for their travel to/from Gjirokastra, Albania.
Apply now! The application deadline is 30 April 2015.
To apply, please download the application form by clicking on the link below:
ApplicationForm_Textile_Training_2015
For more information, contact Dominica D’Arcangelo at gro.s1686419059redro1686419059btuoh1686419059tiweg1686419059atire1686419059h@aci1686419059nimod1686419059 or Nedi Petri at gro.b1686419059whc@i1686419059rtep.1686419059iden1686419059