Heritage Without Borders (HWB), in partnership with Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB) will be offering a textile conservation training course in Gjirokastra, Albania, from 7-16 April 2014, funded by the Clothworkers’ Foundation.
HWB will run a 10-day textile conservation training course for regional museum professionals in Gjirokastra, Albania. The course will help local heritage professionals to conserve and interpret museum collections of unique textiles currently housed in the Ethnographic Museum in the historic city of Gjirokastra. Applications for limited places are currently being accepted from heritage professionals who can demonstrate how the course will benefit them and their institution.
Gjirokastra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southern Albania; an ancient populated area, now 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.
HWB will cover all participation costs of participants (materials and excursions for the conservation school, accommodation, a meal per diem) except for their travel to/from Gjirokastra, Albania.
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. Participants will learn how to tackle risks that threaten textile collections and have an opportunity to share their own experiences with the group. The working language will be English.
Apply now! The deadline is: 18 March 2014
To apply, please use the attached application form (below). For more information, contact:
Dominica D’Arcangelo at gro.s1685950719redro1685950719btuoh1685950719tiweg1685950719atire1685950719h@aci1685950719nimod1685950719
or Nedi Petri at moc.l1685950719iamg@1685950719irtep1685950719iden1685950719
Application Form: Textile Conservation