The 8th Regional Restoration camp

We are pleased to announce that 8th Regional Restoration camp will be implemented as a part of a wider regional project, called Civil Society Engagement in Heritage, CSE in Heritage.

The ‘Make it Yours’ Campaign Launched Succesfully First event: Painting the façade of the ‘Babameto’ category II monument with local media in Gjirokastra 28 March 2012

On Wednesday, March 28, CHwB launched a new media campaign in Albania
called ‘Make it yours!’ (Bëje tënden! in Albanian). The main goals of this
campaign are to increase Albanians’ awareness of and involvement with
their heritage and to advocate for politicians and public interest groups to
take heritage into consideration, especially given the timing of upcoming
parliamentary elections.

MAKE IT YOURS!

At the dawn of a new era for the betterment of our common cultural heritage, the Swedish foundation Cultural Heritage without Borders is launching a new campaign: “Make it YOURS!” This campaign aims to engage a large array of stakeholders, and together we will contribute toward better preserving and revitalizing Albania’s cultural heritage.

Built in the 1920s, the Babameto 2nd category monument was constructed over a bazaar dwelling. Its ground floor walls are probably from the mid-18th century, a time of renewal following one of the bazaar’s devastating fires. Born from the ashes, this new higher building accommodated merchants throughout almost 100 years of its existence. Several years ago, this same house was again destroyed, and its future was uncertain. Would this monument even have a future? And what could that be? CHwB has answered these questions, by restoring it to accommodate an artisan center and a place for future researchers of Gjirokastra’s valuable history.

One segment of this house still remains to be restored: its façade. Once built according to the plans of an Austrian-trained architect, it accommodated lime plastered walls and wooden floors. This glory was once lost, but it has been regained through CHwB’s restoration. The vibrant façade is last to be restored. Why should we use ash and brick water, mixed with lime and organic earth pigments on the façade of this house? Because then the sunlight and the shadows of Gjirokastra’s mornings will give this façade a particular shade of light—a light that will convey the long lost story of an old architect who built a beautiful building and the merchants that worked there long ago. Restoration work that utilizes traditional materials and revives traditional techniques is the best way for all the monuments in Gjirokastra to tell their story again, to us and to anyone willing to hear and listen. CHwB is pursuing this contemporary, yet traditional means of restoration for perhaps the first time in Gjirokastra, and we would like to share this experience with you.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS - 8th Regional Restoration Camp in Gjirokastra

The call for applications is open for the next CHwB Regional Restoration Camp, which will take place in Gjirokastra, Albania from April 28 to May 12, 2012. Apply soon! The DEADLINE is March 30!

New project: From Historical Integration to Contemporary Active Participation

Three non-governmental organizations Cultural Heritage without Borders (from Sweden), Co-Plan (from Albania) and Mozaik Foundation (from Bosnia and Herzegovina) will as partner organizations in the next 36 months (in the period Dec 2011 – Dec 2014) implement the project “From Historical Integration to Contemporary Active Participation” in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
This project is funded by EU and was approved under the EU program entitled “Preparatory actions for preserving and restoring cultural heritage in conflict areas in the Western Balkans for the year 2010″.

The main objective is to use cultural heritage as a platform for professionals, both men and women, to meet and create conditions for reconciliation as a prerequisite for peace and democracy with respect to human rights, as well as to stimulate local economic growth through cultural heritage being developed into an income-generating activity.

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