BACA, Smithsonian institution start year-long capacity building program

Manama, Nov. 1 (BNA): Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities (BACA), in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and with the support of the State Department and the US embassy in Bahrain, launched a year-long capacity building program for Bahrainis in the restoration and conservation of museum collections. An online capacity-building program led by the Smithsonian Institution in the restoration and conservation of museum collections started its first session in September. The year-long program was tailored to address the specific needs of BACA and aims to train the National Museum curators and conservators to advance their knowledge and stay up-to-date with practices. Conservators from the Smithsonian institution meet virtually once a month with cohorts from BACA to manage the acute challenges of caring for collections and maintaining climate control. The monthly sessions discussed different topics such as pest management, monitoring the building, and conservation of manuscripts, photographs, and wood, metal, and pottery artifacts. This program is generously supported by the State Department and the US embassy in Bahrain and is part of a larger initiative that aims at supporting BACA in the field of heritage protection, as stated in the Manama Statement, an agreement signed in 2021 between the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities and the embassy to preserve cultural heritage and to strengthen the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties. This capacity-building program is the result of the positive relationship with the Smithsonian Institution and a building off of the partnership in 2017 following a research visit by a team of education and community engagement specialists from the Smithsonian Institution to Bahrain. The positive bilateral relationship sponsored a workshop led by Bahraini artists during the festivities of the re-opening of the Freer and Sackler’s museum.