International Activities
Please note, the application deadline has now passed.
The Fellows are currently developing their individual projects in their host
institutions, and will be visited by their mentors to monitor and help
their progress. If you would like to be involved with the Fellowship
please join the facebook group and feel free to comment and add to our Fellows' development.
The Cultural Heritage Fellowship 2012
UCL has a tradition of inclusivity and a history of forging international connections. As a result it holds outstanding collections – of archaeology, art, ethnography, geology, zoology, archives – from many countries and has a responsibility to make them available internationally. These collections, together with UCL’s current creative output, serve as starting points for the exchange of ideas and values, helping to convey these visually or dramatically, in exhibitions rather than in words. We will explore ways of sharing these collections and creations, physically and digitally, as a means of generating international dialogue.
Cultural Heritage Fellowships (North African/Middle East)
University College London (UCL) and Heritage Without Borders (HWB) has teamed with the British Council to offer Cultural Heritage Fellowships to museum professionals in the Middle East and North Africa. Recognising the role cultural heritage can play in understanding the political, social and economic challenges we face today, this programme aims to provide museum professionals with the skills and knowledge to use collections to engage communities with contemporary issues.
About:
The Cultural Heritage Fellowship is a fully funded one-year programme comprised of 2 residential group learning sessions, a museum placement and one-on-one mentoring. The programme will begin with a 1-week training session in London at UCL. During the training week, Fellows will be matched with a mentor who will support their learning and skill-building throughout the programme. Fellows will also work with mentors to identify a project related to community engagement that they can deliver during the fellowship year. Potential projects could include producing a community event, creating online engagement tools, devising a community engagement strategy or conducting an audience needs evaluation. The training week will be immediately followed by a 1 week placement in a UK museum recognised for its community engagement work. Mentors will be on hand during the placement week to offer more individualised advice and support, and will keep in touch by phone, email or Skype once the fellows return home. During the year, each Fellow will be visited by their mentor, who will spend a few days at their museum helping to develop the Fellow’s project idea. At the end of the year, in September 2013, Fellows will return to London for a 3-day session that will allow them to reflect on their learning and share the results of their projects.
By the end of programme, Fellows will:
· Be better equipped to address community needs and include community voices, particularly those of young people, in museum practice
· Understand how to advocate for greater community engagement inside and outside their own organisations
· Have increased confidence and skills to address contemporary issues in the context of museum collections
· Have improved international links on which to build future programmes
· Have a better awareness of challenges faced by museum colleagues in the different regions across the Middle East and North Africa
Eligibility:
Museum professionals from the following countries are eligible to apply for the fellowship: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Palestinian Territories and Syria. One fellow will be selected from each of these areas.
We are looking for mid-career museum professionals (3-5 years experience) who have a passion for people and working with communities.
In order to be successful in the programme, fellows must also have the following skills, knowledge and background:
· Ability to converse in English (Level 5.5 IELTS)
· Comfort with public speaking and engaging audiences of all types
· Ability to work in teams and diverse groups
· Computer skills (particularly familiarity with social media tools)
· Ability to influence strategy and/or programming in their organisation
In addition, Fellows will have to commit to 3 weeks away from work and obtain a letter from their employer confirming that they have permission to participate in the programme and that mentors will be welcome to visit their organisations. No financial contribution from participants’ home institutions will be required; the Fellowship covers all costs.
Important Dates:
· The first residential training session in London will take place 9-15 September 2012, followed by the placement in a UK museum 16-23 September 2012
· Mentor visits should take place between October 2012 and June 2013
· The final residential session in London will take place in September 2013.
Apply:
PLEASE NOT THE APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS NOW PASSED
