NEWS

June 2008

ICMCH is organising a student’s conference titled ‘Rethinking Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Dilemmas’ in partnership with Bournemouth University, UK and the University of Malta on 15th September, at the Malta Maritime Museum, Birgu.  The conference is intended to provide an opportunity for students and graduates to present their research in cultural heritage related disciplines, with a focus on heritage sites and new insights and approaches related to their management. 

The call for abstracts is now open.

April 2008

The Institute felt the need to professionally help those who own a town house or ‘house of character’, those who are in the process of buying one or those working in the field to safeguard this built heritage. ICMCH is organising a Certificate Course in Caring for Historic Houses  for the general public that explains in layman’s terms how one can look after such heritage.

February 2008

ICMCH and HR Department of Heritage Malta organised a Practical Insect Pest Management Course in collaboration with International Academic Projects. The course, which was delivered by entomologist and international authority David Pinniger and Birmingham Museums Collections Care Manager Jane Thompson-Webb, aimed at providing participants with the basic knowledge to develop and implement an integrated pest management programme for collections. There was a good mix of curatorial and conservation professionals, and students which always helps interaction and exchange of ideas. There was a lot of enthusiasm generated by the workshops which will be followed up by Heritage Malta staff in planning a Maltese pest data base, pest trapping surveys and evaluation of practical insect control techniques. It is hoped that this valuable collaboration between the UK and Malta will be continued in the future.

October 2007

The Book and Paper Group Editorial Committee of the American Institute of Conservation (AIC) will be publishing an article entitled "The 'Tambour' Spine" in the next issue of The Book and Paper Group Annual of July 2008, written by Louiselle Bonnici and Joseph Schirò . This article describes an innovative system of rebacking a Victorian type of album.

25th September 2007 – ECPL

On Tuesday 25th September, the results of the ECPL project were launched during a presentation seminar organized by Heritage Malta at the Awla Magna within the Old University of Malta buildings.
The ECPL is a two-year Leonardo da Vinci Pilot Project which sought to address the problems caused by diversity and unevenness of education and training in the field of conservation-restoration through the definition of common standards in conservation-restoration and the establishment of a common European licence.
Between 2005 and 2007, five European partners – Istituto Palazzo Spinelli (Italy), Fondazione Kepha (Italy), Technological Educational Institute of Athens (Greece), Ecole d’Avignon (France) and Heritage Malta (Malta) – in collaboration with the European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers’ Organizations (E.C.C.O.) and the European Network for Conservation-Restoration Education (ENCoRE), produced:

• A report on the results of a pan-European survey of institutions providing courses in conservation-restoration;
• A handbook titled ‘Defining Common Standards for Training in Cultural Heritage Conservation-Restoration’ outlining a two-tiered system with detailed Minimum Common Standards in each of 12 common areas of specialization; a list of contributors from Related Professions/Occupations; and, 3 two-tiered model curricula for 4 areas of specialization;
• A model statute for the establishment of a sector skills unit in conservation-restoration with the aim of reviewing and administering standards in its field;
• A formal agreement between the ECPL Consortium and the main European representatives of conservator-restorers and educators in the field, E.C.C.O. and ENCoRE, for the establishment of the first sector skills unit, dedicated to conservation-restoration, which will be entrusted with creating, administering and, in collaboration with national authorities, awarding the European Conservator-Restorers’ Licence (ECRL).

The seminar included an opening address by Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Education Frans Borg, an introduction to the project by the Director of Heritage Malta’s Institute Martina Caruana, an overview of the work package concerning the pan-European survey by Pandolfo Pandolfi (Fondazione Kepha) and a presentation by acting CEO of the Malta Qualifications Council – James Calleja - on the European Qualifications Framework and National Qualifications Councils.
Moreover, it presented the methodology and content of the handbook through communications given by Paolo Pieri Nerli (Istituto Palazzo Spinelli), and Nikos Androutsopoulos (Technological Educational Institute of Athens), together with that for the draft statute for the ECPL as outlined by Christophe Graz (Ecole d’Avignon).
Prior to the presentation of the CD-ROM produced and the ideas for a sequel to the project given by Joanne Mallia (Heritage Malta), President of E.C.C.O. Monica Martelli-Castaldi and Wolfgang Baatz representing ENCoRE outlined their institutions’ work on matters related to the project and their involvement in ECPL.

November 2006 – ICMCH becomes a full member of ENCoRE

Following the submission of its application to become a full member of the European Network for Conservation Restoration Education (ENCoRE), Heritage Malta was invited to attend the 6th General Assembly of ENCoRE. This was held between the 23rd and the 24th of November 2006 at the Bonnefantenmuseum Maastricht, the Netherlands and Heritage Malta was represented by its Head Academic and Vocational Studies who is also the Director of Heritage Malta's Institute of Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage (ICMCH). Heritage Malta gave a brief presentation that focused on ICMCH and its conservation education programmes. During the General Assembly, Heritage Malta was accepted to be a full member of ENCoRE.