Organizers
IGNCA – Indira Gandhi National Center for the Arts
WHERE
Vadadora (Baroda), Gujarat, India
WHY
There are more than 55000 museums in the world (Museums of the World directory by De Gruyter). Since the 1980s, collections and museums have been increasing exponentially. However, an ICCROM survey (2010) indicated that 60% of these collections worldwide are at risk because of overcrowding and poor storage conditions. In this situation, museums cannot ensure the protection of their assets, one of their fundamental functions, especially in emergency situations. With up to 90% of their collections hidden in the storage and unaccessible, museums are deprived of an essential resource for connecting with their communities.
One solution is to provide museum teams with the means to address this issue. ICCROM and CCI, with the support of UNESCO, have developed RE-ORG, a step-by-step method now available on ICCROM website (https://www.iccrom.org/section/preventive-conservation/re-org). RE-ORG’s focus is on making improvements to existing storage areas using available resources.
Since 2011, the method has been applied in more than 140 museums and 30 countries around the world, via hands-on workshops and mentor sessions. Many museums have also used the method independently. However, there is a need to scale up these results and empower professionals to teach the method and coach future learners.
In order to meet this need, IGNCA and ICCROM are joining efforts to propose an advanced training workshop. This workshop will empower those already familiar with the method to teach it and coach multiple museum teams in their RE-ORG implementation.
WHAT
Through the implementation of a practical re-organization exercise, participants will develop the necessary skills to coach other institutions through the implementation of a RE-ORG project. These skills include communication, leadership and team building skills, along with the capacity to carry out a short and focused preliminary study, and develop options for planning the reorganization, along with creative and cost effective solutions to address recurring issues in diverse contexts. These typically include lack of space, poor location systems, insufficient furniture or the ability to find practical solutions for highly diverse collections. During the workshop, participants will have opportunity to share and compare their experiences and learn from each other’s challenges and successes.
HOW
One third (1/3) of the workshop consists of presentations, discussions and exercises; the rest of the time is dedicated to the practical implementation of the method in a museum. Evening sessions will review successes and challenges of the practical implementation. Built on teamwork, the workshop will encourage participative processes, knowledge sharing and attention to community involvement. Three months after the workshop, participants can send their RE-ORG projects proposals to ICCROM for feedback. The working language will be English.
WHO
Are you a director, conservator, collections manager or technician, curator, registrar, archivist, or an external professional working for museums and collections?
Have you been involved in a storage reorganization project, as a leader or a team member?
Are you familiar with the RE-ORG method?
Do you have any training experience?
Do you plan to coach a team for a museum that is in need of a storage reorganization project, or to train a group of professionals through a hands-on workshop in a museum?
If you answered “YES” to all the above questions, you can apply!
COST
For international participants:
The tuition fee is 500 Euro. Accommodation and meals (lunches and coffee breaks) are covered by IGNCA.
Participants will be responsible for their round trip travel costs to and from Vadadora, India. A number of travel grants are available.
For local participants:
The tuition fee is 100 Euro. Meals (lunches and coffee breaks) are covered by IGNCA.
TO APPLY
By 15 May 2019, candidates must submit to reorg@iccrom.org the following documents:
- Application form
- A text (max. 300 words) describing a storage reorganization project (context, method, challenges and results) that you worked on or participated in.