We are happy to award the Training in Action project £657,076
This project will train 40 staff from respective Libyan and Tunisian national heritage organisations in documentation techniques, preventative conservation and heritage.
The project intends to serve as a replicable model for Libyan and Tunisian heritage professionals to train new staff, creating a sustainable cultural protection model in turn.
Tunisia and Libya: rich in the remains of previous civilisations
There are many cultural World Heritage Sites in Libya and Tunisia, both countries rich in the remains from Carthaginian to early Islamic civilisations.
Although archaeological sites are not always considered to be high value by local communities, historically, they have been an important source of tourism to both countries. Much of the heritage in Libya and Tunisia was excavated in the early 20th century and has not been investigated since.
Instability in the region has put the sites at risk, with armed groups present on them or in their immediate surroundings. Much of the area has been placed on Unesco's list of 'sites in danger' and continuing conflict puts the heritage in these two countries in direct threat, with extremist interpretations of Islam gaining purchase and leading to the destruction of pre-Islamic and early Islamic structures.
Creating a replicable model for Tunisian and Libyan heritage professionals
The project will carry out a three-week training programme to train Libyan and Tunisian professionals in:
- GIS and survey techniques (use of apps, 3D modelling and geophysics)
- site, monument and object recording
- preventative conservation and heritage management on site and in museums
Further training for 16 of the most promising trainees will be offered together with intensive English language instruction.