The Museum of Lisbon and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property - ICCROM are organising an international workshop entitled RE-ORG Lisboa, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 15-26 October 2018. The workshop builds on the RE-ORG Method, designed by ICCROM and UNESCO to help museums regain control of their collections in storage, particularly in contexts of collection deterioration and risk.

Why

While the number of collections and museums are growing exponentially, a 2010 ICCROM survey indicated that 60% of collections world-wide are at risk because of overcrowding and poor storage conditions. In this situation, museums can neither ensure the protection of their assets, nor use them for research or education. Furthermore, in case of emergency, no effective response can be implemented. In order to assist museums worldwide to address this situation, ICCROM and UNESCO developed RE-ORG, a step-by-step methodology now available on ICCROM website. The focus of RE-ORG is on making improvements to existing storage areas, not on planning and building new facilities.

What

This two-week workshop will make course participants familiar with the RE-ORG methodology. Working in a team in a real museum context, participants will practice every step, from preparation to condition assessment, planning and implementation of the storage re-organization project. This includes considering the building and space, collections type and vulnerability, storage furniture and equipment, and collections management procedures. At course end, they will together develop ideas to share the project outcomes with the local community. During the workshop, there will be opportunities given for participants to work on a RE-ORG project for their own museums.

How

25% of the workshop consists of lectures and exercises. The rest of the time is dedicated to practical implementation of the methodology in the central storage area of the Museum of Lisbon. Special attention will be given to teamwork and communication skills to encourage participative processes, knowledge sharing and community involvement. Three months after the workshop, participants are invited to send to ICCROM their own RE-ORG project plans for advice and validation. The course working language is English. Portuguese-speaking participants will have opportunity to work in their own language.

Who

The work is targeted at professionals who

• work for a museum that is in need of a storage reorganisation project;
• are directors, conservators, collections managers, technicians, curators, registrars, archivists, or external professionals working for a museum;
• have at least one colleague in their museums who could team with them after the workshop to prepare and implement their museum RE-ORG project;
• come from a museum that is committed to the project.

Cost

For international participants, the tuition fee is EUR 500. Meanwhile, accommodation and meals (lunches and coffee breaks) are covered by the Museum of Lisbon. Participants will be responsible for their round trip travel costs to and from Lisbon, Portugal. A number of travel grants are available. For local participants, the tuition fee is EUR 100. Meals (lunches and coffee breaks) are covered by the Museum of Lisbon.

Application and further information

Applications should be sent to ICCROM by 1 June 2018 at the latest. For further information, please visit https://www.iccrom.org/courses/re-org-lisboa-international-workshop