Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
The intention of this article is to discuss the challenges in organising higher education in heritage practices and craft skills. The development of the Department of Conservation, University of Gothenburg, its establishment of a Craft laboratory, and the certification of craft skills in an Albanian context, is used as a case. Based on the activities of the Craft Laboratory in Sweden, the paper investigates the possibilities for a similar development in Albania. The background for the specific subject rests in a long-standing cooperation between the Department of Conservation and Cultural heritage without Borders Albania (CHwBA), in terms of skills development for improving restoration practices. Through the paper it is clear that the same kind of context are not in place in Albania, and that the needs are different. It is also obvious that CHwBA is functioning as a de facto Craft Laboratory in Albania and the need for an outfit like that are more focused on improving competences, standards and qualities in the architectural restoration area, leading to economic development, employability, establishment of small craft companies, and formal branch networks. The article discusses the challenges facing the higher education systems in developing education as well as vocational training in the subject areas of heritage practices and craft skills.
Highlights
This article summarises the author's observations made during a recent sabbatical visit to Albania1
The visit was organised through cooperation between the Department of Conservation, the University of Gothenburg (UGOT-C), and the Albanian partners Cultural Heritage without Borders – Albania (CHwBA), and the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Tirana
The author experiences form a period as Head of Department of Conservation, which includes being responsible for the Craft Laboratory2 set up in 2010 as a resource for developing the area of craft science and models for craft practice, in cooperation with national bodies with different responsibilities related to historical buildings, gardens, parks and landscapes
Summary
This article summarises the author's observations made during a recent sabbatical visit to Albania. The European Architectural Heritage Year in 1975, ended with a conference in Amsterdam where the final declaration stated that (ICOMOS, Declaration of Amsterdam): The conservation of the architectural heritage should become an integral part of urban and regional planning, instead of being treated as a secondary consideration or one requiring action here and there as has so often been the case in the recent past./.../ There is a fundamental need for a better training program to produce qualified personnel These programs should be flexible, multi-disciplinary and should include courses where on-site practical experience can be gained. There is, a relation between practice and theory, in some areas the level of theoretical understanding combined with practical skills is not questioned, for example in heart surgery or setting up complex chemical laboratory experiments This is the case, argued for here, for heritage crafts, which are needed in order to effectively, sustainably and with high-quality secure preservation, maintenance and development options of the built environment and the cultural landscapes. Following Sjömar’s understanding of the concept of heritage, or craft, science as being able to understand, explain and execute processes and procedures, implies that the practical execution can be the investigative methods, resulting in a dialectical, or hermeneutical process of discovering, learning, rediscovering, and so on, as a learning-by-doing activity (Gill, 2018)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
