EXARC: OpenArch - EU project

EXchange on Archaeological Research and Communication

EXARC is the international organisation of Archaeological Open Air Museums and Experimental Archaeology. It is our aim to establish a high standard of both scientific research and public presentation. The idea of international exchange of knowledge, human resources, publications and facsimiles is to improve the quality of work for all associated members. It is not our intention to exclude anyone who does not meet our high standards concerning the quality of museums work. We rather want to encourage and incorporate other institutions conducting Experimental Archaeology and help them to a higher level.

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OpenArch (Culture Project)

What it is about

OpenArch is an application for a Culture project, building on the success of EXARC. We have good experience in international cooperation, and now intend to intensify that by joining forces of 10 museums and EXARC itself for a period of 5 years.

The main idea of Archaeological Open Air Museums is to present both the tangible and intangible past to the public. The tangible parts of Archaeological Open Air Museums are the archaeological remains and the reconstructions of these (houses, ships, complete environments). The intangible and most interesting part of an Archaeological Open Air Museum is the story of the people that once lived there.
The objective of OpenArch is to create a permanent partnership of archaeological open air museums throughout Europe with the aim of developing attractive and excellent experiences for the public, focusing on common European heritage, especially the intangible elements of past culture, and including European-wide exchanges of best practice and intensified co-operation between museums workers.
The ultimate goal of the OpenArch project is therefore to help museums and their broader network to become more professional, and to demonstrate the value of working on a European level for the benefit of the visitor experience.

Methods:

Work Packages:

1	Workshops and seminars
2	Staff exchanges
3	Experimental actions

In the 2010 application, OpenArch counts 11 partners:

C.I. De Calafell (coordinator, CAT),
EXARC (NL),
Archaeological-Ecological Centre Albersdorf (DE),
Archeon (NL),
Muzeum Archeologiczne w Biskupinie (PL),
Fotevikens Museum (SE),
Hunebedcentrum (NL),
Kalmar läns museum (SE),
Kierikki Stone Age Village (FI),
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales (WLS),
Parco Archeologico e Museo all’aperto della Terramara di Montale (IT).

Work Package 1

Management of the project

Work Package 2

Improvement of museum management at partner museums

Work Package 3

The dialogue with the visitor

Work Package 4

The dialogue with skills

Work Package 5

The dialogue with science (experimental archaeology)

Work Package 6

Dialogue with museums and museum organisations

Work Package 7

Communication & Dissemination

OpenArch - Second Try

2010.07.30

In early Summer, we have taken up working on the application again. We have one new partner in the project, Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales (WLS), taking the place of our Latvian partner, and we have also taken some extra consultants on board. The application is being scrutinized by the partners, consultants, the EXARC Board and the project leaders. For this purpose, we have had two different business meetings in Catalonia and one in Germany. The local authorities in Calafell are very supportive and we are confident our application in 2010 will be much better than the one in 2009.
This time we pay more attention to defining practical outcomes and a better division of tasks between the museums, fitting the individual characteristics of each. The deadline for filing the application is 1 October 2010, results are expected again in February, March 2011.

Photo right above: Meeting in Barcelona, July 2010. From left to right: Boris Meggiorin (CAT), Clara Masriera i Esquerra (CAT) and Roeland Paardekooper (NL).

Photo right below: Meeting in Callafel, June 2010. From left to right: Geir Sør-Reime (NO), Roeland Paardekooper (NL), Clara Masriera i Esquerra (CAT) and the Mayor of Calafell (Alcalde) Jordi Sánchez Solsona.

Reply from Brussels

2010.02.02

Today we received message from Brussels that OpenArch received 75 points out of 100. This is 1 point short to be accepted. However, we score well on the quality of partnership, level of output, long term impact and European added value. We have decided to try a second time, with a better application.

The application for OpenArch sent to Brussels

2009.09.30

A hectic Summer ended when by the end of September the application for OpenArch was sent to Brussels. It took about 400 hours by the coordinating team and probably just as much by the 10 museums to get it ready, but it was worth it. We now need to wait until March 2010 to see what happens...

Meetings in Callafel (CAT) and Herbertingen (DE)

2009.09.07

After a planning meeting in Calafell (CAT) in April 2009, an important meeting took place in Herbertingen (DE) in May where the plans were discussed in great detail between the majority of the co-organisers. This gave enough input for planning meetings in Calafell (CAT) in June and September. The Summer months were scene of intensive partner search and once a museum agreed, by several telephone conferences between the co-organisers, backed up by email contact discussing the design of the project, its structure, organisation, finances and content. Of course several museums dropped out but we managed to have a steady team of 10 museums, some of which with much EU experience and some without. They are well spread across Europe and all eager to get things going.

The origin of the OpenArch idea

2009.03.27

The idea for a new cooperation project emerged between EXARC members at their Annual General Meeting in February 2008 in Nykøbing (DK). Representatives of Calafell took part and volunteered for coordination. In the shadow of several international conferences (Norway, Germany, Italy, Malta) the ideas were further shaped. At the AGM of EXARC in Modena in March 2009 the members of EXARC gave their full support to turning this idea into a new application, meaning the preparation team could gear up.