AIC's 44th Annual Meeting

For several decades, the Swedish National Heritage Board (SNHB) has provided information regarding fire protection and disaster recovery through publications and conferences. Several fires in buildings of both national and regional cultural importance, as well as floods and spectacular thefts, have high-lighted that the information in question needs to be better disseminated and to be implemented by fire authorities, insurance companies, property managers and other stakeholders. In 2006, less than ten years ago, a more systematic approach was implemented. A national cross-sectional network on disaster preparedness and recovery for cultural heritage, chaired by SNHB, was established. Today it is a functioning network, including organisations such as the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, the Kammarkollegiet (for government indemnity), the Swedish Property Authority, the Church of Sweden, several federal museums and the Swedish Fire Protection Association. An online handbook with practical checklists was created by SNHB with a cross disciplinary reference group, including insurers, fire fighters, security managers, conservators and building conservators. A national expert advisor is available to observe and collect information from different disasters, and contribute to national and international disaster preparedness networks. SNHB is aiming for the inclusion of cultural heritage in risk management and disaster planning in general, especially when at present national, and international work is focussing on climate change. One example is the European Flood Directive where cultural heritage is one of four main aspects. In line with the Hyogo framework for action and the upcoming Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, SNHB has been a member of the Swedish National Platform for disaster risk reduction since 2011. In addition, SNHB exchanges information regarding risks in other arenas, for example conferences on fire fighting. This paper will present the challenges of implementing national strategies at a regional and local level. How does cooperation between fire authorities and cultural heritage management work? How shall the information reach those who really need it? These challenges were put to the test in the summer of 2014 during a forest fire which threatened the World Heritage Site Engelsberg’s Ironworks and several churches, as well as during extensive flooding on the Swedish west coast a couple of weeks later. These disasters high-lighted the importance of already existing networks. Protecting cultural heritage within the areas was therefore high on the agenda from the very start. We will present case studies from the museum, archive and library sectors, as well as the Church of Sweden, where the national strategy has been implemented. These organisations have taken the fire and flood threat very seriously and put financial and other resources into disaster preparedness. Which arguments did they use to implement their strategy? How was information received by stakeholders? How were resources used? Did there need to be an accident/incident before measures were taken? Finally, we ask about the role of the enthusiastic individual, those persons with an intimate interest in the property – is a disaster plan ever made without their initiative?

Manguinhos historic site, located at the north zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro, houses a significant part of the scientific and cultural heritage of Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), linked to the Ministry of Health of Brazil. It includes almost 40 collections (documental, bibliographical, museological and biological), historic buildings and archeological sites. Much of this heritage was generated over more than a century by the work processes of the institution, created in 1900 to produce medicines and conduct research in the public health area. It includes buildings considered national heritage by IPHAN (National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage) and collections recognized by UNESCO as Memory of the World. Seeking to enhance the preventive conservation actions already underway for institutional heritage, and following the principles defined by the Preservation and Management Policy of Cultural Collections in Science and Health, the Casa de Oswaldo Cruz (unit responsible for the preservation of the cultural heritage of Fiocruz) developed a medium-term program for implementation of risk management plans for heritage located in Manguinhos. An interdisciplinary working group was created, composed of experts responsible for the conservation of different types of collections and the built heritage, as well as representatives of the management areas of the unit. For the development of the work was adopted the CCI-ICCROM-RCE Risk Management Method (Canadian Conservation Institute - International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property - Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage) and an expert was hired as a consultant to guide the work of the group. The methodology consists of five sequential steps: establish the context, identify risks, analyze risks, evaluate risks and treat risks. For the development of the research a range of surveys was held seeking to characterize: the institutional context; the set of actors who have influence and interest in the conservation of heritage; the teams of employees who work in the management and preservation of buildings and collections; the existing policies and procedures; the valuation of the ensemble; and natural and anthropogenic features of the site. Threats related to fire, urban violence, high pollution, susceptibility to climate change and landslide were some of the issues mapped during the process. This information was crucial for the development of a joint risk assessment, which resulted in a holistic view of different types of risks for the buildings and collections and a comprehensive understanding of the most critical and emergency. This paper aims to present research results and discuss strategies to mitigate the identified risks, considering the diversity of types of cultural heritage under the responsibility of the institution.

Risk management in the field of cultural heritage is essential to ensure the proper conservation and preservation of cultural objects. In the Regional Museum of Anthropology Palacio Cantón in Merida, Mexico, thanks to its young conservation and restoration department, has been designed an essential document determining the risks to which the collection is exposed. As a first step, were identified different types of agents of deterioration that threaten the objects, including natural, physical, environmental, organizational / management and operation agents. As a Result were designed plan of action in 5 Steps to respond to disaster (hurricane, flood, fire, theft) and a draft preventive conservation plans that have created monitoring and control of environmental conditions and biological attacks. In this case, the conservation of cultural objects is directly related to the building that houses the museum's collections, understand the systemic relationship of container and content is paramount in this case the source detected a problem as the original destination, it is say this space created in the early twentieth century, was not designed to house a museum or to protect a collection of nearly 20,000 objects that are part of the cultural heritage. In this situation, significant risks both for conservation and for the collection property is

Emergency preparedness is a critical part of collections stewardship, but the most challenging part can be getting started. Too often, cultural institutions plan in reaction to a disaster. Preservation professionals are often contacted to recover collections after a disaster, rather than serving as proactive institutional partners in planning. Preservation professionals must learn to be persuasive advocates to initiate and sustain an emergency preparedness effort as part of our commitment to preventive conservation. Garnering an administrative mandate can often be the most difficult task in emergency planning. This session offers the preservation professional tools for gaining a seat at the planning table and transforming good intentions into a robust emergency management program. The discussion will include developing and communicating your vision for an institutional program, identifying and building relationships with allies, crafting influence strategies, and educating administration about the need for a comprehensive plan. Resources that help foster a culture of preparedness and collect data to support your cause will be highlighted. The audience will learn to develop strategies to overcome institutional hurdles to preparedness and advocate for an ongoing planning budget. Maintaining the momentum is crucial. Ideas for keeping both administration and staff invested in supporting the emergency management program will be discussed.

Disaster preparedness in Greek cultural institutions is now becoming an important consideration and steps are being taken to understand the current strategies and improve prevention, preparation, and response. Until recently, disaster prevention has not been a mandate of heritage collections management in Greece. Research, training programs, and resources are being established in Greece, based on systems like American Institute for Conservation Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC-CERT) and other international programs. Greece is a county at risk for many types of disasters, regularly experiencing wildfires, earthquakes, floods, and building mechanical failures. A brief history of documented consequences of disastrous events such as flood, earthquake and fire in Greek cultural institutions and archaeological sites from 2002 – 2012 will be presented. This research is based on information provided by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (EL STAT).** Research* has been completed that identifies the degree of disaster readiness of Greek cultural institutions. The research, similar to the Heritage Preservation’s Heritage Health Index, took the form of a questionnaire and was sent to museums, libraries, and archives. The aim of the study was to investigate both readiness and strategies for cultural institutions to deal effectively with a catastrophic event. This study identified the number of Greek cultural institutions with formal written disaster plans and reviewed the roles and preparedness of staff to implement measures in protect institutional collections in case of natural, man-made, or accidental disasters. The study revealed that 75% of Greek institutions did not have a disaster plan. This survey provoked national awareness on this important topic. A national 4-day seminar was cooperatively organized “Disaster Plan in Cultural Foundations of Greece.” This seminar was organized by the Eugenides Foundation in collaboration with the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the Technological Educational Institution of Athens, Institute for Educational Policy, and the American Embassy and was co-taught by American and Greek specialists. This was the first seminar on disaster prevention and recovery and the training was similar to the AIC-CERT training, but adapted to the available resources and culture of Greece. 150 Participants included Museum Directors, Managers, Curators, and Conservators from many types of institutions, took part on this seminar . The seminar informed managers and staff both theoretical information and practical experience so that each organization had a foundation of knowledge to be able to prepare their own plan. The study has sparked interest in additional research and the results are being used to design new effective strategies, in preparation, prevention and response to disasters.

With the upcoming reopening of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam after a 9 years renovation in 2013, a review of the disaster preparedness plan was necessary. The disaster plan of the museum was over 10 years old and although it functioned well, the prospect of moving back 8000 objects into new and unfamiliar showcases, with new hanging systems in a changed museum building with many new members of staff, was not to be under estimated. The basic concept of the old plan was simple: Any damage or possible damage to the collection is reported to the so-called collection coordinator on duty. The collection coordinator being a member of staff with knowledge of art handling, knowledge of the museum organization and the ability to stay calm in stressfull situations. The new plan: A clear definition between ‘incident’ and ‘calamity’ was introduced to make the organization in moments of stress during unusual events such as the rescue of damaged or endangered art more effective. An incident is defined as an event that can be managed by the staff of the museum and the normal state of affairs in the museum can continue with only minor disruption. If the rescue operation can not be managed by the staff and/or the state of affair has to be interrupted, it is called a calamity and the crisis team is mobilized. This gives the collection coordinator on duty the authority to act quickly and is therefore more efficient. If the situation can’t be handled with the people available it also creates the possibility to ‘upscale’ the rescue operation quickly. In the months before the reopening around 80 new members of the security staff received an in company training. Half a day of the course was reserved for the prevention, and reporting and assisting in the first recovery. Over 80 % of all incidents is first noted by members of the security staff. Raising the awareness of the security staff is vital to the success of any disaster plan. A new registration system of incidents and calamities to the collection was introduced: code yellow. Collection coordinators were trained to prepare for the new situation, for example how to open show cases in case of an emergency and evacuation of objects. Looking back at the first year: Record breaking visitor numbers showed that some of the routes in the galleries were too crowded and therefore a danger to objects and people. The introduction of an annual report and evaluation of all incidents combined with recommendations for improvement proved to be effective. Challenges for the future: Better relationships with local authorities are to be established. Extreme whether conditions in the summer of 2014 showed the museum’s vulnerability. A new risk assessment on this specific risk was carried out. Implementing the advised improvements based on risk assessment of a recently renovated building are not easy to sell. Keeping the constantly changing security staff well trained proved to be a challenge too, designing a program of exercises and drills is in progress.

Developing emergency planning within the Collection Care Division at Tate has focused on a risk based approach linking directly to the Collection Care principles and policy. Over the last three years there has been a comprehensive review of the emergency planning provision to ensure that it meets current demands of the modern world and Tate’s Collection. This focus has been on preparedness and this paper will look directly at our emergency plan. This paper will outline our approach to modernising the emergency plan, ensuring it is appropriate for Tate’s Collection and how we operate as an organisation. It will demonstrate the intentional move towards a holistic approach that fits within the wider national and international context. The approach has spring boarded from developing a framework for planning along with a framework for the plan itself. This has resulted in the creation of a solid foundation of knowledge, developed in collaboration with internal and external partners. Internal partners have included Facilities, Library, Archive, Registrars, Conservation, Photography and Art Handling. External partnerships have included universities, emergency planning professional (UK wide-provision) and other cultural organisations. Tate is based across multiple sites, with collections and staff across 6 sites in the United Kingdom, also collections on loan and tour at international venues. The complexity and frequency of our programme for acquisitions, displays, exhibitions, loans and touring, presented a challenge when planning for emergencies. There is constant movement and change of artworks, moving on a daily basis. Critical for us is how to ensure the emergency plan would be relevant, current, flexible and responsive. The next step in our process is to further develop our emergency training provision, preparing for our response. We have undertaken research into the use of the virtual world and environments as a training platform. We are exploring methods of delivering training across multiple sites, to large numbers of staff across these sites and how to ensure consistency and quality of provision, in a cost-effective sustainable way. The paper will share our approach and enable wider discussion of the framework and plan we have developed within the conference.

In 2014, the Vermont Historic Records Advisory Board (VHRAB) successfully obtained a grant to provide emergency preparedness training for cultural heritage institutions across the state. Called Vermont Prepares, this series of workshops and consulting was funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and the Vermont Humanities Council. VHRAB partnered with the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) to present a series of 5 regional workshops, with free follow-up consultations for workshop participants. More than 50 institutions took part in workshops and site visits over a three-month period, including historical societies, state offices, public libraries, museums, and college libraries. The proposed session will discuss the benefits and challenges of a large state-level grant such as the Vermont Prepares project. Beyond the educational purpose, this training series provided a space for discussion and collaboration among regional institutions and professionals. This experience demonstrates that established regional groups might formally agree to assist one another in an emergency with both personnel and space, organize centrally-located depots where salvage supplies and equipment could be shared, and undertake further training sessions such as hands-on wet salvage workshops. This presentation will highlight the successes of collaborative planning and resource-sharing, for public as well as private institutions. Representatives from the VHRAB and from NEDCC will co-present, explaining the process of designing and completing a successful grant, lessons learned from the workshop and from participants, and future plans based on this project.

In response to the catastrophic flooding of Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2008, Nancy E. Kraft coordinated an informal but early response and salvage effort for three local institutions. Seven professionals were at the gate and ready to provide assistance when officials allowed citizens into the flooded areas. The impact of this effort was so great that it demonstrated the need for an organized team that had the ability and knowledge to respond to disasters rapidly within the state. With the support of Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium, and HRDP funding, Kraft trained a group of twenty-five geographically-distributed mix of staff from libraries, museums, archives, and other collecting organizations in best practices for emergency response. The training was developed and led by Consultant Barbara P Moore and University of Iowa Libraries Preservation Librarian Nancy E. Kraft, with assistance from University of Iowa Libraries Assistant Conservator Brenna Campbell, and University of Iowa Libraries Project Conservator Elizabeth Stone. Training comprised of presentations by Moore and Kraft, as well as contributions from representatives from FEMA, a commercial disaster recovery firm, the State of Iowa Homeland Security, OSHA, and an industrial hygienist. Hands-on activities and table-top scenarios were key to team building. Participants learned how to organize and manage a recovery operation, recovery techniques for the different types of materials in collections, and how to incorporate health and safety precautions. On completion of the course, participants received a disaster response trunk kit and personal protection equipment. Responding quickly to collection emergencies can minimize the cost and impact to the local community. Small institutions in particular often do not have the staff or financial capacity to respond appropriately to threats to their collections. Though local community members may provide most of the labor needed to salvage damaged collections, a trained expert provides the structure and guidance needed for community members to act quickly and in the best interest of their collections. The African American Museum of Iowa estimates that over 90% of their collection was salvaged due to the prompt response by the informal team in 2008 Because ongoing training to the Iowa collections emergency response team will be critical to its success and sustainability, IMALERT members must agree to attend annual training. The continuing education will serve to create a team comradery, insure team member readiness, and develop a pool of future candidates to carry on disaster preparedness and collection salvage throughout the state of Iowa.

The Niño Phenomenon is considered one of the most destructive natural disasters around the world that directly affects the northern coast of Perú. The events of 1983 and 1998-1998 have seriously affected the physical structures of rock art and this damage is irreversible. Since the colony until present times there have been around 33 Niños, recorded since 1,100 b.C until 1997-1998; therefore, influencing and transforming the cultural process of ancient inhabitants (Native and Spanish records referred to the catastrophic rains of 1578 in Trujillo and Zaña). This information evidences the destruction that the Niño caused in the cultural heritage, specially in rock art due to their permanent contact with the environment plus the damage produced by humans who use the rocks with great cultural value as protection to river overflows. There is very little interest of public institutions and cultural-archeological organizations for the preservation of rock art. This high cultural value is not really understood as cultural heritage of mankind. For its preservation it is necessary to formulate a management plan for the preservation, protection and administration of rock art in its different varieties that may lead to control the environmental effects caused by physical, chemical and biological factors and lessen the damaged caused by man and the weather. The present conditions of rock art makes it necessary the creation of preventive conservation programs of global and integral character of short and long term goals applying policies of conservation and cultural development using contemporary technological tools as well as multidisciplinary policies of sustainable development that promote economy through tourism without harming the rock art sites with the commitment of national and international organisms for its execution.

Several museums in Alberta were affected by severe weather and floods in June 2013. The Government of Alberta demonstrated its commitment to supporting recovery in every affected area through its provincial recovery framework, and the Alberta Museums Association (AMA) was pleased to collaborate with Alberta Culture and Tourism to aid in the recovery of Alberta’s heritage community through the Museum Flood Funding Program. The Program was designed to provide assistance to institutions either affected by floods in Summer 2013, or at risk of future riverine flooding. Since its launch in spring 2014, the Program has worked to minimize the short and long-term effects of the floods on museum collections by providing training opportunities, project funding, and basic disaster response tools. This session will provide a case study of the projects being undertaken by recipients of Program funds. The projects range from the creation of a disaster plan, to the facilitation of a full gallery space evacuation, to the retrofitting of offsite storage facilities. The AMA aims to support museums at all stages of organizational life, and in order to best aid in the delivery of these projects, a Flood Recovery Technician was hired to provide on-site consultation services for affected institutions. By highlighting the projects occurring in museums across Alberta, this session will provide concrete examples of response methods and institutional impacts in flood disaster situations, as well as demonstrate the impact of the Museum Flood Funding Program through the lens of increasing sector sustainability. The work completed through these projects ensures Alberta’s heritage remains safeguarded and accessible for current and future generations, and the skills and knowledge gained will lead to a more resilient museum sector.

The national library of France (BnF) underwent in January 2014 an important water leakage on the site François-Mitterrand, due to a pipe burst. Although firefighters on site react rapidly, already 25 cubic meters of water flowed into the closest storage rooms and through the expansion joints to the lower levels of repositories causing damages to 10 000 to 12 000 documents of the 19th and 20th centuries. The Emergency plan was quickly deployed involving a large staff to evacuate and dry the affected documents. The major challenge was to deal with large quantities of collections before the occurrence of an infestation. The dissemination of the emergency plan ‘procedures since their inception in the year 2 000 helped the library staff respond quickly and thus limit the damage and side effects of flooding on the documents. The risk of development of micro-organisms was avoided at each step of interventions. But other difficulties arose which led us to take a second look at our procedures. Situations of congestion related to the management of large quantities of documents extracted of the affected repositories occurred in the drying rooms and led us to examine the relevance of our sorting chains. Sorting of documents applies when influx of damaged documents beyond the possibility of immediate treatment require a collective instead of individual use of resources. It consists in categorizing damaged documents for evacuations and for treatments. The three categories used where based on a quick look at the state of the documents: dry, wet or damp. These sorting channels were found insufficient to face the large quantity of documents and in apprioriate as a criteria of choice in a decision process. In this process, coated papers or leather covers for instance which require immediate and specific actions could be at risk if not set apart. Instead sorting channels based on the constituent materials and their vulnerability appeared to be more efficient and immediately transposed in sheets of intervention. Sorting appeared to be a key step for the efficiency of the treatments and also a tool for the management of the teams.

Post-disaster, a variety of factors determine whether or not a particular event will become a significant part of the documented local historic narrative, and if so, what form that documentation will take. Media influence, cultural beliefs regarding death, dying, and treatment of the dead, indigenous knowledge of hazards and their impacts, and the influence of large international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the “heritage at risk” framework all have an impact on the process of post-disaster memory-making and the production of disaster-related cultural heritage.

This production of culture allows for various outcomes including commemoration of events and veneration of disaster sites, highlighting of the vulnerability or heroism of certain segments of the population, thanotourism (or dark tourism), or even the slow the fading of an event from public memory. This confluence of factors not only influences the archivistic processes by which objects and documents are deemed important enough to salvage or preserve (or are conversely excluded from the cultural narrative), but also the formation and functioning of organizations that do the work of preserving post-disaster cultural heritage. This paper explores lessons learned from fifty years of academic research on the post-disaster environment and further explores three relevant cases: the formation of the World Trade Center Documentation Task Force, the case of the “Tsunami Boats” following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and the “Mud Angels” of the 1966 Arno River Flood.

Why lose time in training when damage to cultural heritage is widespread and on the ground capacity for response is stretched thin? In the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes of 25th April 20 15, the Department of Archaeology in Nepal had to confront this question, as over one thousand cultural heritage sites had been affected and the less than 100 staff of the Department had to respond. In order to do so they had to enlist the help of civil engineers, craftspeople and local residents while coordinating operations with Nepal army, police, and municipalities, as they were providing the necessary resources for humanitarian as well as cultural assistance. This paper describes the experience of an intensive field training organized in the aftermath of the earthquakes in Nepal. It explains how this “just in time” training helped prepare a national team of cultural first-aiders capable of leading the assessment, stabilization and security of damaged heritage in order to promote early recovery. Organized at the invitation of Nepal’s Department of Archaeology, this initiative set a unique example of inter-agency cooperation for international cultural emergency response as ICCROM, ICOMOS-ICORP, ICOM-DRTF and the Smithsonian Institution joined forces to train a mixed group of over 40 heritage professionals, craftspeople and members of Nepal army and police. To prepare for on-the ground assistance, ICCROM and its partners had set up Kathmandu Cultural Emergency Crowdmap. The information gathered through the crowd-map helped develop a consistent situation analysis, and identify key public as well as private actors engaged in the protection of cultural heritage. Through two workshops, participants developed tailored solutions and workflows for damage assessment, documentation, salvage, and stabilization for cultural collections and heritage buildings. Engaging the local communities in rescuing cultural heritage, identifying priorities for intervention, resource-mobilization and on-going risk management were some of the key issues that were addressed during the on-site work. Analysing the outcomes of the training, the paper will identify broader strategies that could be applied to strengthen local responses in future disaster situations.

In the past several years we have seen the destruction of cultural heritage around the world increase to a level not seen since World War II. We have witnessed irreversible damage to collections and sites in Mali, Libya, Egypt, Iraq, and several other countries. Amidst the atrocities of Syria’s civil war, Syrian curators, heritage professionals, and activists courageously risk their lives to protect the country’s cultural heritage. Working in areas outside of the Assad regime’s control, these individuals have managed to safeguard collections salvaged from damaged museums, religious institutions, and looted sites. This paper will discuss the efforts of these colleague to learn emergency protection methods and successfully apply them in an actual conflict situation. Last year, a group of Syrian colleagues working in opposition controlled areas of Northern Syria met at a workshop in Turkey to discuss emergency response for cultural heritage in armed conflict. The workshop was organized by the Smithsonian Institution, the Penn Cultural Heritage Center at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, and The Day After Association. The workshop focused on emergency documentation, crating and packing, evacuation, and temporary storage, along with methods for protecting objects in situ. Participants were provided with equipment and supplies for their work back in Syria. Their projects included protection of the Ma’arra Museum in Idlib Province. The historic caravanserai holds a magnificent collection of well-preserved Roman and early Christian mosaics and has suffered collateral damage from aerial barrel bombings and repeated attacks from Jihadi militants. The emergency protection project aimed to secure the mosaics from further harm during the conflict. Altogether, some 1,600 square feet of mosaics were protected with facing and sandbags. The effectiveness of this work was proven in June 2015, when a barrel bomb severely damaged the museum building. The sandbag barriers held, protecting the mosaics and providing a positive example of protective efforts for other sites at risk in the future.

Iraq has suffered decades of war and sanctions, the most recent being the incursions of the Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIS). In Iraq, as in many other countries, governments have funded conservation and other types of heritage programs in order to support the country and its internal institutions. The Iraqi Institute is a successful example of a longer-term approach to capacity building through educating individuals working in the heritage community in Iraq. After a crisis (earthquake, flood, terrorist attack, war) quick response and recovery are necessary to ensure preservation of as much of a community’s cultural heritage as possible. Redevelopment is a much longer process that requires commitment and development by individuals and institutions to ensure long-term improvement in skills of the community, preservation of heritage, and funding. Conservation can be part of the redevelopment process by building bridges between communities by focusing on history, improving skills together, and education about the larger world of heritage professionals. The Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage was initiated in 2009 through a grant from the US Embassy in Baghdad. Since then, it has expanded into a well-appointed building with conservation teaching labs, dormitories and classrooms. It is supported by a Board of Directors drawn from heritage experts from Baghdad and Erbil. It has an international Advisory Council drawn from individuals in the US and Iraq who have dedicated years of their support to finding was to make the Institute a sustainable entity in a country that is still struggling to rebuild and define itself in the current world. The successes of the Institute can be defined by the community that has been built. A collection of people who have a great love of their heritage and a fierce desire to learn how to take care of it. This is a group of students who come from all across Iraq – Kurdish, Arab, Christian, Muslim, male, female. These people, supported by their institutions, came to the Institute from across the country to learn how to preserve their heritage.

To Be Announced