Young artisans from Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Kenya and Tunisia have begun a new technical residency programme in Rome, where they will receive advanced training in craft skills for heritage conservation.
The inaugural residency programme forms part of ICCROM's Towards Sustainable Development in Africa: Transformative Capacity Building to Advance Craftsmanship in Cultural Heritage Conservation, a multi-year, multi-country project whose first cohort of young artisans has come to Rome for eight months of specialized training. The programme began with two months of Italian cultural immersion and language training at LUMSA University, followed by a six-month technical residency programme.
This marks the project’s first major milestone in advancing its goal of strengthening professional skills, facilitating employment opportunities and supporting sustainable development across participating African countries. The residency programme is being implemented with the support of the local Italian partner Be Human, and draws on the technical knowledge of renowned experts from the Vatican's Fabbrica di San Pietro.
Upon completing the technical residency training, the youth artisans will return to their home countries to integrate their newly acquired skills into local practice. The next phase will include collaborative projects with national partners, training of trainers and seed funding to help participants establish their own initiatives, putting the project’s strategy and cascading capacity-building model into practice. Over the next three years, the project aims to reach a total of 540 artisans.
Through expert level hands-on training and mentorship, drawing on the longstanding expertise and training methodologies of the Fabbrica di San Pietro and ICCROM, participants will develop advanced expertise in traditional craftsmanship and the maintenance of wood, stone, marble, plaster, mosaics and metal. They will also gain experience with internationally recognized approaches to heritage conservation. Equally important, the residency programme creates the opportunity for participants to share perspectives and know-how from their home countries, fostering dialogue and knowledge sharing on heritage practice and cross-cultural exchange.
ICCROM is turning its vision into concrete action thanks to the generous support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation through the Directorate General for Development Cooperation (MAECI-DGCS), and in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) through an investment of EUR 6 million. The project is implemented in partnership with Be Human and LUMSA alongside four national institutional partners from participating countries: the Institut National du Patrimoine in Tunisia, the Musée des Civilisations de Côte d'Ivoire, the National Museums of Kenya, and Université Senghor in Egypt.
The project puts into practice the ICCROM Strategic Plan 2026–2031 and its CARE vision—to Conserve, Activate and Recognize heritage in all its forms—harnessing its potential as a powerful driver of sustainable development, transformative change and sustainable socioeconomic growth. By empowering local institutions in partner countries and investing in young artisans, cultural entrepreneurship, traditional crafts and creative industries, the project strengthens livelihoods, fosters social cohesion and community well-being, demonstrating how cultural heritage can drive long-term development.
More broadly, the project aligns with the objectives of Italy's Mattei Plan, which promotes mutually beneficial partnerships between Italy and Africa through capacity-building, economic development and international cooperation. By investing in people, skills and local expertise, the initiative transforms shared ambition into tangible action while contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.