In the context of the CollAsia programme for the conservation of collections in Southeast Asia, ICCROM - International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Poperty alongside the Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture, with the support of CHA - Korean Cultural Heritage Administration, are organising a course entitled "Conserving Photographic and Archival Collections". It will take place in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, between 22 November and 13 December 2018.

Purpose and background

The purpose of this course is to improve scientific literacy, critical thinking, and decision-making skills among the diverse professionals caring for photographic and archival collections, held in diverse heritage institutions (e.g. museums, archives, libraries, documentation centers, etc.). Photographic and archival collections cover historical, artistic and identity-building values transformation over time, recorded through a huge amount of documents. At the same time, they are very fragile, vulnerable to different hazards, and difficult to manage. In order to respond to the collection's needs, the course programme addresses collections care practices and reviews living cultural practices with current conservation principles, assessing the benefits and the sustainability of local materials and techniques for conservation. It also stimulates professionals to develop and carry out applied research to solve specific conservation challenges in their institutions. The course will focus on materials, techniques, conservation and use of diverse archival media, with a particular attention to photographs. Attention will be given to issues related to significance, institutional mandates, collaborative research, risk assessment, storing and access of collections. Participants will be encouraged to share traditional knowledge and practices used in their countries for the preservation of heritage collections, discussing their underlying principles and approaches relevant to the theme of the course.

Format

The intensive training activity will consist of lectures, interactive sessions with practical exercises, and study visits. The working language will be English.

Participants

The workshop will have up to 20 participants, of which 16 from the Asia-Pacific Region, and 4 from other regions. Participants will have at least 3 years of hands-on experience with cultural heritage in museums, archives or other contexts. The course team will consist of specialists from the ICCROM network and beyond.

Conditions and registration

A number of scholarships are available for selected candidates, by CHA-Korea for professionals from the Asia-Pacific region, and by ICCROM for professionals from other regions. Priority will be given to selected candidates from ICCROM Member-states. Scholarships will cover round-trip travel, accommodation and meals in Ho Chi Minh City during the workshop. Registration for the CollAsia Course on "Conserving Photographic and Archival Collections" is open until 25 June. For additional information, please visit https://www.iccrom.org/courses/collasia-conserving-photographic-and-archival-collections