YOUNG PROFESSIONALS FORUM 2024, Emerging Skills for Heritage Conservation. CULTURAL ACCESSIBILITY: PRINCIPLES AND METHODOLOGIES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE

Art historian, she studied at the University of Turin and at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. She has participated in research projects on the history of restoration and on museums and archives of the 20th century. Since 2006, she has worked at the Conservation Restoration Center Foundation “La Venaria Reale,” where she has been in charge of the field of conservation of contemporary works of art, paper and photography and ceramics, glass and metals. She oversaw the acquisition of archival funds related to the history of contemporary art (Martano Gallery Fund) and the history of restoration (Pinin Brambilla Archives). Former director of the Organization and Development area, she coordinated the Center’s multi-year strategic plan on the three axes dedicated to Internationalization, Innovation and Culture. Since 2020, she holds the position of Secretary General of the CCR.

Valeria Arrabito is the youngest General Director of the Italian Committee of the International Council of Museums. She manages the Italian Secretariat, in collaboration with the ICOM International Secretariat in Paris.

She has organized and supervised over 50 national and international Conferences on important topics such as: Museology, Museography, Museum Management and Communication. And she has closely worked with Public Museums, Foundations, enterprises, NGO, Intergovernmental Organization, Ministries, National and Regionals’ Cultural Department, etc. She managed as well the organization and supervision of exceptional events like the 24° General Conference ICOM in 2016 (that was held for the 2nd time of the history of ICOM in Italy and specifically in Milan) and yearly, since she was employed by ICOM, the International Museum Day. Thanks to her studies and her knowledge she is involved in the valorisation of the cultural heritage, following as a consultant museums and non-profit organizations. She is also a visiting professor in several Italian Universities.

Valeria Arrabito studied Geography in Milan majoring in Sustainable Tourism on Cultural Heritage Sites. For four years, she worked at the Italian Touring Club as a Data Scientist on the development of Tourism marketing plans and strategies. Through data analysis and on-site visits, she conducted the audit of the main assessment criteria used for the evaluation of the Orange Flag’ Award (she personally visited more than 150 towns throughout Italy).The Orange Flag is an award for Quality Recognition given by the Touring Club Italiano to small towns. The selection criteria are excellency in tourism, hospitality and environment.The Orange Flag Award is the only Italian project of its kind to be listed by the WTO among programs for the sustainable development of tourism. She then widened her education attending several master and specialization courses regarding the management of the non-profit organizations with a main focus on the fundraising and the management of the human resources, the relationships with the investors and the sponsors and the connections with the public administration. She has also acquired a deeper knowledge of the italian legal aspects connected to the “Third Sector Code” (in Italian, Enti del Terzo Settore – ETS), the code of law that regulate the non-profit organizations in Italy.

Member of the Italian Committee of ICOMOS (International Council of Museums and Sites) and Delegate for Italy to the International Scientific Committee of ICOMOS for Conservation Education (ICOMOS-CIF) and Member of ICOM (International Council of Museums). Former ICCROM official, (http:///www.iccrom.org/ ). From 1992 to 2003 she managed programmes in the countries of the Mediterranean region under the NAMEC programme (conservation of historic cities in North Africa and the Near and Middle East – 1992-2001). She coordinated the study for the transfer of Axum Stele (1997-2001) and contributed to the drafting of the international architecture competition for the New Egypt Museum of Gizah (1998-2001). From 2004 to 2021, she oversaw ICCROM’s external relations with the host country’s institutions and with member countries. She began her career at the National Archaeological Museum of Chieti. From 1987 until 1991, she was part of the ICCROM program “Science and Conservation”; and coordinated the educational laboratory “Scientific principles of conservation”. In 1991, in the Architecture Conservation Programme, she coordinated the training initiatives in developing countries in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate-General for Development Cooperation. She holds lectures and courses in various universities, both Italian and foreign. Architect, since 1997, she has been part of the Professional Order of Architects, Landscape and Conservators (CNAPPC) and is a member of the Cultural Commission of the Order of the City of Chieti.

As a Clore Fellow and Fellow of Royal Society of Arts, Sarah often draws on her professional experience and track record for co production and community-led work. Sarah first trained as a Conservator-Restorer at Lincoln University qualifying in 2004 and has degrees in Environmental Decision Making, Policy and Ethics as well as Strategic Management and Finance. Having spent several years in Peterborough, UK with Opportunity Peterborough (and Urban Regeneration Company) and as Head of Heritage responsible for museums, collections and an archaeological wetland site at Flag Fen, Sarah played an early and instrumental role in supporting the conservation of the internationally significant Bronze Age discoveries at Must Farm in the UK. She has guest lectured at the University of Leicester Museum Studies department and contributed as an engagement advisor for a major five-year interdisciplinary research project, Understanding Everyday Participation, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Sarah has over 15 years of experience in museums and heritage regeneration including as a sustainability champion and working at Chief Executive level in the charity and environmental sectors.

Current Role:
In 2018 Sarah was appointed as the first Executive Director of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. In this role Sarah is focusing on the strategic development of the Institute, in its mission to bring together conservators and cultural heritage specialists around the world educating, enabling and recognising excellence.

Secretary General of Fondazione Santagata for the Economics of Culture, Architect, PhD, MA in Economics of Culture, expert in cultural heritage and economic development. Expert in cultural heritage management, he is UNESCO and ITC-ILO consultant, contract professor at the University of Turin and University of Pisa. He coordinates the Master in Cultural Property Protection in Crisis Response and the Academy on UNESCO Designations and Sustainable Development, and participates in the coordination council of the Master in World Heritage and cultural projects for development, the Master in World Natural Heritage Management (until 2017), the Master in Cultural Property Protection and the MaB UNESCO Monviso Youth Camp.

Economist with experience in strategic and financial planning, development and management of public institutions, consortia and foundations with public participation. Solid skills in planning, management of complex projects, fundraising and international development for territories, companies and cultural institutions. She has been Responsible for strategic and international development, fundraising, marketing, project development at the CCR since 2109 and of the Young Professionals Forum; Responsible for territorial marketing of the cultural and tourist circuit of the Royal Residences at the Consortium of the Royal Residences of Savoy, Reggia di Venaria from 2018 to 2020; Business Promotion Executive Manager at Ceipiemonte S.c.p.a, Regional Agency for International Development, from 2008 to 2017; Head of the Documentation and International Trade Office at the Turin Chamber of Commerce from 1994 to 2008. Long experience in relationships with multilateral organisations such as the United Nations System (UNDP, UNESCO, ILO), World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, African Development Bank.  Lecturer in courses for the MABIC of the Milan Polytechnic, for the Faculty of Economics of the University of Turin, for the Italian Ministry of Labour and for a UN-ILO project, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for local entrepreneurs on techniques for participating in international tenders.

Stefania De Blasi is an art historian, specializing in the history of decorative arts and PhD in History of restoration and art criticism. She has collaborated on national research and cataloguing projects with the University of Turin, the Piedmontese Superintendences and Italian museums. Since 2006 she has been working at the Conservation and Restoration Centre “La Venaria Reale” (CCR) where she has coordinated as a historian of the art of reference the restoration sectors of Wooden Furniture, Textile Artefacts and numerous national and international projects on Museum Residences. Today she is responsible for the Communication and Documentation Area and manages the CCR’s library and archives. She has curated numerous exhibitions, conferences and publications and is the reference of curatorial projects and valorization for the assets of the Foundation Order of Mauritius, in particular for the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi. She is a specialist lecturer for CCR preventive conservation programmes. She has taught and written about restoration history, museology, art market, connoisseurship and history of decorative arts.

In 2000, after completing her studies at the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione e Restauro dei Beni Culturali in Rome (ISCR) she graduates in Technologies for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the Faculty of Conservation of Cultural Heritage of the University of Tuscia in Viterbo. In 2006 she starts working as Conservator for the Centro Conservazione e Restauro “La Venaria Reale” (CCR) and as Lecturer for the University of Turin. In 2011 she is entrusted with technical responsibility for the conservation treatments carried out at the CCR and the following year she is appointed Director of the Conservation Laboratories. As Director of the Advanced Training School (SAF) she deals with advanced training in the field of cultural heritage at a national and international level, and with the ongoing cooperation among the CCR, UNITO and SUSCOR for the Master’s Degree. On behalf of the CCR she is part of projects concerning conservation, training, interdisciplinary studies and digital innovation at a national and international level.