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The GCI is the newest partner in the International Course on Stone Conservation to be relaunched in Venice, Italy, from April 16–July 3, 2009. The course, which will be the sixteenth one since its inception in 1976, is being coorganized with ICCROM, the University of Venice, UNESCO–Bresce, and two agencies from the Italian Ministry of Culture (Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e Paesaggistici di Venezia e Laguna, and Soprintendenza Speciale per Patrimonio storico, artistico, etnoantropologico e per il Polo Museale della città di Venezia e dei comuni della gronda lagunare). The course has been under a process of review and evaluation since 2003, and has been redesigned to reflect the most recent advances in research and practice; it will include an additional focus on architectural and structural conservation issues related to stone construction.
The GCI committed to this collaboration to help fill a need for stone conservation training. The immediate goals of this multi-partner collaboration are to improve stone conservation practices internationally and to create a network of well-informed conservation professionals who can continue to draw upon the expertise of one another. A long-term goal of the GCI is to develop and disseminate reference and teaching materials related to stone conservation education.
The International Course on Stone Conservation has long served a vital educational role in the conservation profession by offering an accessible and intensive format in which to learn theoretical and practical methodologies for stone conservation. It has also provided a constructive and intimate forum for international professionals to meet and exchange ideas about the conservation practices and challenges in their home countries. The 2009 course will build upon the rich history and experiences of the previous courses and will expand to address the evolving needs of practicing conservation professionals.
Course Description and Methodology
In content and structure, the course has been developed to address the following topics and skills as they pertain to stone conservation:
- conservation theory and principles;
- stone mineralogical and physical characteristics;
- stone as a building material—use and construction;
- mechanisms of decay—material and structural;
- methods of recording for documentation and analysis;
- methods of analytical investigation;
- planning and selection of conservation interventions;
- maintenance and preventive conservation;
- multi-disciplinary teamwork in conservation;
- developing and managing a stone conservation project;
- regional issues in stone conservation.
The course will be conducted through pre-course reading, classroom lectures and discussions, group work, participant presentations, laboratory research, fieldwork exercises, and site visits. Throughout the course, an emphasis will be placed on applied methodologies and practical applications through problem based learning. Participants will be given ample opportunities to test and apply the theories and lessons taught in the readings and in the classroom to actual conservation scenarios.
Instructors
The instructors will be an international group of recognized heritage conservation professionals who will represent a diverse array of perspectives, based on their specialized expertise.
Participants
The course is designed for a maximum of twenty participants and is open to conservators-restorers, architects, archaeologists, conservation scientists, engineers, and other professionals involved in stone conservation, preferably with a minimum of five years practical working experience in the field. In selecting participants for the 2009 course, preference was given to heritage conservation professionals in the public sector, trainers of conservation professionals, and those in a position to disseminate the knowledge gained during the course to a wider audience. As the course will be conducted in English, demonstrated English language proficiency was a requirement.
Additional information regarding the course, including the course announcement and application, is available at the ICCROM Web site.
For further inquiry, please contact: stonecourse09@iccrom.org
Project Partners
ICCROM
UNESCO-BRESCE
Università IUAV di Venezia
Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e Paesaggistici di Venezia e Laguna Italian Ministry for Culture
Soprintendenza Speciale per Patrimonio storico, artistico, etnoantropologico e per il Polo Museale della cittą di Venezia e dei comuni della gronda lagunare Italian Ministry for Culture
GCI Team Members
Susan Macdonald, Head, Field Projects
Kathleen Dardes, Head, Education
Kecia Fong, Project Specialist, Education
Last updated: November 2008
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