Course on mosaics

"Saving mosaics in museums of the Southern and Eastern
    Mediterranean"
A specialized course for museum professionals in the region
Damascus, Syria

10-28 October 2010

Application deadline: June 13, 2010

Organizers/Partners:

    International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and
    Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM);

    Getty Foundation (GF);

    General Directorate for Antiquities and Museums, Syria (DGAM)

While mosaics are naturally part of archaeological sites, over the
last 100 years, many have been lifted and moved into archaeological
depots, museum storage and displays. Such collections are not fully
inventoried, lack of proper documentation and suffer ongoing
deterioration processes which could lead to their loss. Furthermore,
lack of adequate or sufficient storage furniture and poor storage
management limit access to the collections. In museum displays or
outdoor exhibits, lifted mosaics are also at threat, due to
inappropriate re-mounting, building deterioration, weathering agents
and visitors' impact.

Why and how mosaics became part of a museum collection? What is
their vulnerability? How to create the best conditions for their
preservation? How to improve their presentation to the visitors and
engage the community in the preservation effort? This course will
offer an opportunity to discuss these issues and to gain knowledge
and skills in the conservation and management of these important
cultural resources.

Objectives: At the end of the course participants will be able to
develop and implement a plan of action to improve the conservation
and presentation of the mosaic collections in their museums. They
will form an active professional network to exchange ideas and
advice and to contribute in the long term to the safeguard of the
mosaics in the region.

Methodology: The course is an intensive programme combining
presentations, group work, case studies and study visits. Time will
be allocated for independent consultation with the course team
members to develop plans of actions for the specific museums.

Participants: The course is open to 22 professionals from Eastern
and Southern Mediterranean, who among their responsibilities, are in
charge of the day-to-day management of mosaic collections in museum
exhibitions, storage or archaeological depots. They are curators,
conservators, collections managers, archaeologists, art historians,
architects, and site managers in charge of site museums. The course
will also interest educators and professionals who may be involved
in teaching collection management and preventive conservation of
mosaics.

Lecturers: Senior staff from MOSAIKON partner institutions and
associated professionals

Working language: The course is fully bilingual: Arabic and English.
A good knowledge of either one or the other language is essential
for the benefit of the individual participant and for the course as
a whole.

Travel, accommodation and living expenses: Participants will be
responsible for their round trip travel costs to Damascus.
Accommodation and meals will be offered by the course organizers.
ICCROM may be able to offer a limited number of travel grants to
selected candidates who have been unable to secure funding.

Application: Please use the application form available on the web site

    <URL:http://www.iccrom.org/
        eng/01train_en/forms_en/2010_10mosaikonSYR_en.doc>

    **** Moderator's comments: The above URL has been wrapped for
    email. There should be no newline.

Applications should be endorsed by the relevant ministry (Ministry
of Culture or Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities) in the
candidate's home country. The completed forms should be sent to

    ICCROM - Collections Unit
    13, Via di San Michele
    I-00153 Rome, Italy
    mosaikon2010<-at->iccrom<.>org

Together with the application form, each candidate must submit a
brief statement (500 words) on the mosaic collections they are
responsible for, as well as on their interest and experience with
mosaics and museums. Candidates' application must be received by
June 13, 2010

Isabelle de Brisis
Admistrative Assistant, Collections Unit
idb<-at->iccrom<.>org
ICCROM
Via di San Michele, 13
00153 Rome - Italy
+39 6 585533 05
Fax: +39 6 585533 49


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:42
                 Distributed: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-23-42-014
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