NETCHER Provenance and Traceability Training Programme

Start date: 18 February 2020, 12:00
End date: 21 February 2020, 13:00
Deadline to apply: 15 January 2020
Location: Lyon, France
Working language: English
Fees: no cost. The organisation covers accomodation, training, travel and food. This training activity is organised in the framework of the EU H2020 project NETCHER.

Organising institutions

  • French National Police College – ENSP (France)
  • Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy)
  • Center for Cultural Heritage Technology – Italian Institute of Technology (Italy)

Aims and content

NETCHER Provenance & Traceability Training Programme (NPTTP) is a 3-day intensive education  programme aimed at training Cultural Heritage professionals in Due Diligence and Provenance research practises. The goal of this training programme is to provide the basics of established Provenance research enhanced with new approaches. Provenance of cultural heritage items can be easily concealed and/or falsified, for example through fabricated authentication processes: customary Provenance search alone is no longer adequate to cope with the growing amount of antiquities entering the market, especially through the internet. It is here that an increasing number of illicit transactions are taking place.

Targeted at Cultural Heritage professionals and decision makers from museums, Art/Archaeology Superintendencies, law enforcement agents (working in the fields of art market monitoring, customs checks, collection acquisition, cultural properties seizures), as well as Law experts involved in art/antiquities market, NPTTP offers a multidisciplinary learning experience, with hand-on activities and opportunities to learn from first-rate professionals in these fields.

The training includes both lectures and (single or group) projects to practise learned lessons, interact with trainers and increase the ability to identify trafficked artefacts.

At the end of the program, trainees will be directly involved in the NETCHER network and social platform providing them the opportunity to participate in the project’s activities.

Key features of the training

  • An intensive training with trainers from academic and professional backgrounds. The training will include lectures and single/group practical activities (full programme available soon).
  • Learning outcomes:
    • Understanding of Provenance and Due Diligence practises in:
      • Old collections and museum acquisitions processes
      • Art and Antiquities (legal) market
      • Art and Antiquities illicit market and laundering mechanisms
      • Best practices for dealing with seized artistic items and antiquities
    • Acquaintance with the INTERPOL Database of Stolen Art and other digital tools.

Who can apply?

We seek motivated professionals who can directly benefit in their daily professional activities from this training program. Applicants from institutions, agencies or organisations dealing with art and antiquities import and export, from museums and from law enforcement agencies monitoring the art market are especially welcome. Priority is given to applicants with professional experience or working in geographic areas severely exposed to looting, theft and illicit trafficking of antiquities and art items.

The training will be open to 16 participants (up to three seats are available for candidates from not-EU zone, in particular from MENA regions):

  • 8 professionals working in law enforcement agencies (e.g. Cultural Heritage units; Customs; Transnational Crimes etc.)
  • 8 professionals working in museums (e.g. curators and acquisition officers), in Cultural Heritage Ministries (in charge of seized artefacts and looting-sensitive areas) and archaeologists working in the field.

Please note this course is very time-intensive. We ask a full commitment of the participants during the sessions.

Language: Participants should be able to converse and write in English fluently.

Application

  1. Please fill out the application form here
    If you have any issue with the form please contact before submission. Only complete applications will be taken into consideration.
  2. Shortlisted candidates might be invited to a Skype interview.
  3. Accepted candidates will receive communications by 31 January 2020.

Scholarships, course fee, travel, accommodation and living expenses

Training fees are covered by the organisation; these will include:

  • Accommodation and three meals per day for the duration of the course (booked by ENSP)
  • Economy airfare[1] to and from Lyon, France (booked by ENSP)
  • Local transportation related to course activities
  • Full course materials

[1] EU airfare  will be covered  up to 450 euros; extra EU airfare will be generally covered  up to a maximum  of 800 euros, but higher limits will be allowed in exceptional and well documented cases. Applicants needing a VISA to travel to France  are fully responsible for VISA issuing procedures.

The Call for Applicants file is available here: CALL – NETCHER PROVENANCE TRAINING.