The project is financed by
the European Union
List of abbreviations and acronyms
BA Beneficiary Administration
BC Beneficiary Country
CoE Council of Europe
EC European Commission
EHD European Heritage Days
ENP European Neighbourhood Policy
ENPAP European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan
ENPI European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument
EU European Union
GNM Georgian National Museum
IT Information Technology
MS Member State
PAO Programme Administration Office
PCA Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
PL Project Leader
RCC Restoration-Conservation Centre
RTA Resident Twinning Advisor
STE Short-Term Expert
SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats
TAIEX Technical Assistance and Information Exchange
TWINNING PROJECT FICHE
1. Basic information
1.1 Programme: Annual Action Programme 2007
1.2 Twinning Number: GE09/ENP-PCA/OT/02
1.3 Title: Support to the institutional development of the Georgian National Museum
1.4 Sector: Culture
1.5 Beneficiary country: Georgia
2. Objectives
2.1 Overall Objective(s)
The overall objective of the project is to strengthen the Georgian National Museum (GNM) as an institution which is able to promote culture as a major dimension of Georgia’s development, both in the country (setting standards for conservation of heritage, contribution to cultural life and education) and abroad (culture and heritage as a key constituent of Georgia’s image).
2.2 Project Purpose
The purpose of the project is to initiate a systematic transfer of EU best practices and acceptation and implementation in the GNM’s activities. This will lift the museum to the international standards of performance in state of the art buildings with qualified and trained staff. This enormous capacity building opportunity will help to realise GNM’s fundamental mission - to preserve, research, and popularize heritage and support development of cultural tourism.
2.3 Contribution to the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan
The Partnership and Co-operation Agreement (PCA) between the European Communities and their members on the one side and Georgia on the other side establishes in article 76 that parties undertake to promote, encourage and facilitate cultural cooperation. Where appropriate, the Community's cultural cooperation programmes or those of one or more Member States may be the subject of cooperation and further activities of mutual interest may be developed.
The cooperation may include:
exchange of information and experience in the field of conservation and protection of monuments, sites (architectural heritage) and museum values,
cultural exchange between institutions, artists and other persons working in the area of culture.
Through the European Neighbourhood Policy new perspectives of cooperation are opened, including the possibility to provide Georgia with support to meet EU norms and standards through new modalities such as Twinning and TAIEX.
3. DESCRIPTION OF THE TWINNING PROJECT
3.1 Background and justification
3.1.1. Strategic framework
The Georgian National Museum (GNM) was established in December 2004 through a presidential decree. The GNM unifies ten of the Georgia’s most important museums, the oldest dating back to 1852, as well as two research institutions. The result of this merger is a central and professionally well provided, but very poorly housed and equipped organisation. It functions under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture.
“A museum is part of society’s collective memory. A museum acquires, documents, preserves and communicates objects and other evidence of human culture and environment. It develops and promotes knowledge and offers experiences appealing to all our senses. It is open to the public and contributes to the development of society. The purpose of the museum is knowledge for the citizens.” (Swedish Museum Definition 1994)
The establishment of the GNM sets out structural, institutional, and legal reforms in the museum sector, with the primary aim of modernizing practices to meet international standards as expressed in the definition above.
The GNM’s mission is
· to uphold the highest standards of research, preservation, conservation and presentation of Georgia’s cultural heritage;
· to increase public involvement and awareness; both Nationally and Internationally;
· to maintain an effective organizational structure;
· and support development of cultural tourism in Georgia through its activities.
Fundamental in realizing this mission are “research, preservation and conservation of the Georgian Cultural Heritage and diffusion of corresponding knowledge.” That is the reason why the GNM would like to focus, in the twinning project, on the organizational formation, capacity building to prepare the Restoration-Conservation Centre (RCC) and the Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts has in storage many significant collections consisting of objects from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, from the Russian Tsarist and Soviet ages until today. The collections cover a broad range of objects; medieval ceramics, enamels, icons, paintings textiles, earthenware, metal ware, jewellery, drawings, wooden chariots, Qatjar paintings from Iran, miniatures, weaponry, embroidery, behind glass paintings, a large range of sculptures. The storage of all collections is foreseen to be eventually in the RCC. In the process towards realisation of this project three fields of activities have been defined for the twinning project:
1. the preparation of the renovation on the building, this includes second opinion on the risk assessment of concentrating all collections in one building, on the construction analysis of the building and on the programme and planning for the renovation prepared by the GNM
2. the preparation and execution of a Collection Removal Pilot Project
3. the training of the conservators in the fields of preventive conservation of organic, inorganic and mixed materials
The project would also help GNM meet one of its strategic objectives which is to upgrade its standards at all organisational levels. The GNM could benefit from training of the entire staff of approximately 750 employees working in the ten museums and the two research centres. The current mix of young well trained English speaking and internationally well connected staff and dedicated employees with many years of experience in the museum in their own position is already in transition. Many of the GNM infrastructures are being renovated and improved. The Sighnagi museum has opened in 2008, at the Dmanisi site the visitor centre will open in spring 2009, the Janashia museum is expected to be reopened in fall 2009, part of the Akhaltsikhe museum will be reopened in spring 2009. Several other projects are being prepared. These building activities are a great opportunity to create organisational change.
This would be component 4 of the Twinning Project. It will use the momentum for initiating the systematic introduction of museum standards and best practices. On the basis of lessons learnt from the experience of EU member states, the GNM will adopt its own approach and apply it, with the support of its twinning partner(s), to the following four priority areas:
· Service to the public (reception, hosts, housekeepers, education officers, marketing and communication officers);
· Loans and exhibitions (art handlers, registrars, curators, marketing and communication officers);
· Commercial activities (including fundraising, sponsoring, museum merchandise and museum café / events management)
· Human resources and financial management.
Part of this transfer of know-how, best practices and standards should result in the awareness of stakeholder influence and partnership opportunities. For instance in the field of cultural tourism the GNM can play an initiating role in bringing together municipal governments, tour operators and private investors with the objective that in the long run there will be a tourism infrastructure.
3.1.2 Organisation of the GNM
An overview of the GNM’s organisation is provided with the two figures below (fig. 1: Georgian National Museum Organizational Chart and fig. 2: GNM’s management organigramme).
These diagrams are complemented with a short description of each of the museums composing the GNM (Annex 3). A map is given in the same annex for easier location of these institutions.
As the project will have a focus on the Restoration-Conservation Centre (RCC) Annex 4 is presenting the composition of its four technical departments and the location of the various laboratories, which will be situated either in the Janashia Museum and in the new building (on a temporary basis, the latter will be located in the Janashia Museum and later extended into the new building).
Annex 5 relates to the training activities within this project. Main target groups have been identified and the table provides indications regarding staff count and location of these employees (Tbilisi / Regions).
Figure 1: Georgian National Museum Organizational Chart
3.1.3 Establishment of the new restoration-conservation centre
As mentioned above the RCC is the main objective of this twinning programme. The GNM has a building built originally as RCC around 1980. This building has, due to changing circumstances, never been used for its proper function. This building was included in an extensive restoration and renovation scheme, developed by a private sponsor for different Georgian Cultural institutions. Due to the global financial situation this scheme has been stopped for the time being. The twinning programme is focused on a phased preparation of this RCC. The activities to be developed will have concrete results that are stepping stones to the final realisation of the building at a proper time.
The concrete results can be reached for all three components of the twinning programme, due to the fact that the GNM will as of the end of 2009 recover complete availability of the building[1]. This additional space can be used for temporary storage of the Oriental Collection which is urgently in need of preventive conservation measures. In order to prepare the building for this function and remove the collection from the Museum of Fine Arts to this storage, the museum has to go through all the phases and activities needed for the RCC. Thus this project will be the pilot for the ultimate goal.
3.2 Linked activities (other international and national initiatives)
European Union
Cultural initiatives taken/supported by the EC Delegation to Georgia during the past few years
The EC Delegation’s budget is fairly limited in terms of taking or supporting cultural initiatives, however, the Delegation always uses opportunities to support them, especially when there is a possibility of joint initiatives with Member States.
· 2004 - Support to the National Museum in organising the new gold exhibition Colchis – Land of Golden Fleece, jointly with the British Council and the Dumas Centre.
· 2005 - Jointly with MS a European Film Week was organised at the Rustaveli Cinema
· 2007 - Publication of the book “European Architects in Tbilisi” and exhibition of photographs of buildings built by European architects in Tbilisi. The author of the book is Professor Maia Mania. Jointly supported by the Council of Europe (CoE), Polish and German Embassies.
· 2008 - in the context of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue in 2008, the Delegation supported International Symposium on Georgian Arts entitled “Georgian Arts in the Context of European and Asian Cultures” organized by the Georgian Arts and Culture Centre (GACC) during June 21- June 29, 2008. Other contributors were - German Embassy/Goethe Institute, Embassy of Italy, Alexandre Dumas French Cultural Centre, European Foundation/ Step beyond Mobility fund, US Embassy, Harriman Institute at Columbia University/Trust for Mutual Understanding, World Monuments Fund.
Participation in the European Heritage Days (EHDs) celebrations in Georgia
· 2001 - Contribution to International photographic heritage catalogue / Exhibition of German painters; jointly with CoE
· 2002-03- contribution to International photographic heritage catalogue
· 2004 - Contribution to Exhibition of 19th century French travellers along the Silk Road including Georgia. jointly with CoE
· 2005 – Celebration of EHDs organised by the Foreign Ministry. European Art Festival supported jointly with the Dumas Centre, British Council, CoE, Goethe Institute, Embassies of Italy, Ukraine, France and Germany.
· 2006 – Celebration of EHDs organised by the Culture Ministry and the Mtskheta Museum “Wine-growing heritage in Georgia ”
Eastern Partnership Culture Programme
In summer 2008 the European Commission conducted an assessment in Eastern neighbouring countries in order to identify the specific needs for cooperation with ENPI East countries in the field of culture and preservation of heritage and the related cooperation priorities and methodologies for projects. The ENPI East culture programme is expected to combine both technical assistance projects targeting capacity building and awareness-raising, and a grant-based facility focusing on strengthening regional cultural networks. In particular, the technical assistance component will be a preparatory phase to ensure that the absorptive capacity of the ENPI East institutions is at the level needed to carry out grant activities. The programme is in a formulation stage and it is expected that the call for proposals will be launched in autumn 2009.
The overall objective of the Eastern Partnership Culture Programmewill beto support the role of culture in the region's sustainable development and to promote regional cooperation between civil society cultural organisations in the ENPI Eastern region and with the EU. The programme will target the following specific objectives:
§ Support cultural policy reform at government level, capacity building and professionalization of cultural operators in the Eastern ENP region;
§ Contribute to exchange of information and experience among cultural operators at a regional level and with the EU ;
§ Support regional initiatives/partnerships which demonstrate positive cultural contributions to economic development, social inclusion, conflict resolution, intercultural dialogue.
A - MUSE – ALL Project
In the framework of a regional initiative dedicated to access to local culture, protection and promotion of cultural diversity[2] the EU is supporting a project entitled “Beyond Boredom, Dust and Decay - Museums as Life Long Learning Spaces for Intercultural Dialogue“[3], proposed by the Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association (dvv international - IIZ DVV) together with partners from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Russian Federation[4].
The overall objective of this 30-months project starting in the fall of 2008 is to enhance intercultural dialogue and promote the notion of cultural and ethnic diversity in the participant countries, on a local, regional and trans-national level through adult education. The project aims at stimulating the key role of the arts as a contribution to social inclusion and dialogue in these countries through active collaboration among museums and other cultural and public-service institutions. The project specific objective is to achieve capacity building of staff of cultural and learning institutions. This will be done by making use of key concepts of adult education, transferring museums into active spaces of Lifelong Learning.