Academic research and heritage institutions are often at odds with one and other. Universities want their historical research to be relevant in society and heritage institutions rely on historical research. Yet, what seems like uniting interests, appears to be a divide between the spheres of academia and heritage based on perceptions and / or regulations guiding these sectors.

The very nature of court studies has become popular among academics and students in recent years, to which relationships with historical institutions such as palace- and castle museums are central. In fact, many academics and students are working in palace- and castle museums today. However, there continues to be a gap in the exchange of knowledge between academics and museum professionals. This workshop seeks to address questions such as:

What about the exchange of knowledge and/or resources between palace museums and the humanities?
Do academics and palace museum professionals have common goals?
Why have we (not) worked together in the past?
Where does our work overlap and where can we find tensions?
What are the ingredients for a successful collaboration between palace museums and academia?
Does that go for all types of palace- or castle museums, large and small?
To contribute to this discussion and to encourage collaboration, we are organising a workshop in Warsaw that brings together palace- and castle museum professionals and academics (we understand palace and castle museum in a broad sense, including for example managed remains of castles open to the public, urban historic house museums, etc). Therefore, we invite you to actively engage in panel discussions and during social breaks. Online participation is open to the public, with the possibility to ask questions or comment via chat.

Date and Location:

Thursday 22 September 2022 at the Royal Łazienki Museum in Warsaw, and online.

Provisional Program:

Optional for in-person guests:

10:30 - 11:45 tour of Łazienki park / palace

(Lunch at own expense)

Schedule workshop:

13:00 - 13:30 registration

13:30 - 13:45 welcome and opening remarks

Panel 1 Questions of Theory & Practise

13:45 - 14:15 Dr. Conor Lucey, Associate Professor, University College Dublin

14:20 - 14:50 short presentation and roundtable 1

14:55 - 15:25 short presentation and roundtable 2

15:30 - 16:00 coffee break

Panel 2 Questions of Management

16:00 - 16:30 Dr. Laura Lūse, Director Rundāle Palace Museum

16:35 - 17:05 short presentation and roundtable 3

17:10 - 17:40 short presentation and roundtable 4

17:45 - 18:00 closing remarks

18:00 - 19:30 drinks for in-person guests

Speakers

Dr. Lucey is Associate Professor of architectural history in the School of Art History and Cultural Policy of the University College Dublin.

Dr. Laura Lūse graduated from the Department of Art History and Theory at the Art Academy of Latvia and was awarded a PhD in Art. Dr. Lūse’s most current work experience has been gained at the Rundāle Palace Museum, first as Head of Art Research Department and since 2019 in her role as director.

Registration

The workshop is free of charge.

Participants who would like to sign up for the workshop can follow this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/constructive-collaboration-between-palace-and-castle-museums-and-academia-registration-253958224887

To make the most out of the workshop and ensure that the workshop meets the needs of the audience, your active participation is crucial and expected to make the workshop a success. With this in mind, we will ask you a few questions during the registration process. This includes asking each participant to share a relevant learning experience, a success story, a question, an idea or an issue you might have, that can be an inspiration to us in fostering the discussions and programme of the workshop. It is also your opportunity to let us know what topics you would like to discuss.

For in-person participants only:

There are a limited number of seats available. By completing the registration form, you are indicating that you would like to be an active participant. However, if there are more applicants than we have room for, we will invite a maximum of two participants per organization and strive for a good mix of organisational representatives. If we cannot accommodate you, we will invite you to join us online.

Deadline:

Registration ends 18 September 2022.

Language

The workshop and all its communications will be in English.

More information: https://www.palamusto.eu/research/workshop