An international team of researchers and photograph preservation professionals launches a call for participants in the West African Image Lab.

This workshop aims to assess needs in photography collections throughout the West African region and to introduce and advance appropriate photograph preservation measures among the keepers of local photography collections in West Africa. Individuals who work with photograph collections in institutions or in private settings are invited to apply.

Workshop objectives:

Presentation and discussion of key issues facing local collections in the West African region and relevant preservation efforts

Participation in workshop sessions on photograph preservation led by international leaders in the field.

Topics to include:

– a technical overview of primary photographic processes, their identification and deterioration;

– role of the environment;

– storage guidelines;

– housing, handling, and display of photographs;

– access;

– emergency preparedness and response

Development of action plans for short- and medium-term preservation and conservation
Presentation and discussion of advocacy, including strategies for public outreach and visual education initiatives designed to raise the profile of photography’s historical, artistic, and civic value
Knowledge-sharing with future collaborators and creation of peer-to-peer networks.

Applicants must be currently working with photograph collections in an institutional setting (museums, archives, contemporary art spaces, libraries) or with a significant private collection (significant family, community, and/or studio collections). The workshop will be bilingual in English and French. Candidates from Anglophone, Francophone, or Lusophone West Africa are invited to apply. Candidates under the age of 30 are particularly encouraged to apply. We are committed to gender equity: women are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application materials:

– A letter explaining your interest in the workshop and detailing your relevant experience. The letter should also contain a short description (1-2 sentences) of the significance of the collections with which you are working. For example, what is this collection’s significance to your community, or at the national or regional level?
– CV
– A letter of recommendation

Application deadline: 31 August 2013

Workshop date: 25-28 March 2014

Workshop venue: École du Patrimoine Africain (L’EPA), Porto-Novo, Benin

The workshop is organized by the Department of Art Conservation at the University of Delaware, USA, Photograph Conservation at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA, the Centre de Recherche sur la Conservation des Collections, CNRS, France, and Resolution Photo, USA, in partnership with the Centre de Recherches et de Documentation du Sénégal (CRDS) and l’École du Patrimoine Africain (L’EPA), or the School of African Heritage, in Porto-Novo, Benin.

More information on:  https://www.resolutionphoto.org