To this day, wars and armed conflicts continue to leave a deep mark on our ceramic cultural heritage - ranging from physical damage to the loss of historical context. In the EU-funded project “Joining the Shards,” museums and research institutions from across Europe are working together to further develop successful methods of conservation, restoration, and documentation, and to open up new avenues for exhibitions, education, and storytelling.
The aim of the “Joining the Shards” project is to enhance the competences of museum and cultural institution professionals in the field of conservation of ceramic artefacts, particularly those affected by armed conflicts, as well as in historical narration and education concerning ceramic heritage destroyed as a result of warfare.
Innovative methods and modern technologies in ceramic restoration are at the heart of the project's approach while also building awareness among museum professionals of how to effectively and engagingly communicate the tragic histories of fragile artefacts and involve audiences in these narratives. In addition, the project foresees the development of introductory guidelines for the conservation of war-affected ceramic heritage. It also explores ways of integrating previously unexhibited cultural heritage related to these issues into permanent and temporary exhibitions, making these approaches available to interested museum institutions in the future.
Six partners are implementing the project:
Each institution brings unique expertise to the collaboration—ranging from conservation and research to restoration technologies, as well as the development of new narratives for educational programs and audience engagement activities.
Over the course of two years, the partners will organise joint workshops, specialist training sessions, study visits, technological pilot projects, and activities related to developing new narrative approaches around collections. They will also test innovative conservation solutions and methods for increasing audience engagement.
This initiative emerged from the need to combine specialist conservation expertise with modern approaches to communication and exhibition-making. Ceramic heritage affected by conflict often remains difficult to interpret, rarely displayed publicly, and insufficiently used for educational purposes. At the same time, advances in conservation, digital, and narrative technologies are creating entirely new opportunities for museums. This project connects professional education with the protection of cultural heritage. At the same time, it strengthens Europe's shared cultural memory. Conservation is not only about saving objects, but equally about recovering the stories behind them. Bound up with these are emotions and meanings that can foster contemporary dialogue about memory, armed conflict, and Europe's shared cultural heritage.
“Joining the Shards – Upskilling of museum operators for the valorization and narration of EU ceramic heritage impacted by war” project is co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme.
The first meeting took place at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza on 22 January 2026. The kick-off meeting, dedicated to the protection and promotion of ceramic heritage—with particular focus on objects damaged as a result of war—was attended by project partners: Fondazione MIC – Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza (Italy), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy), Porzellansammlung der Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Germany), and the War Childhood Museum (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
During the meeting, the project’s upcoming research and conservation activities were discussed, and the assessment of the condition of the ceramic heritage concerned was initiated. The project will also collect and document best practices in conservation, restoration, and storytelling. International workshops, study visits, specialist training sessions, and communication and educational activities are planned to support the wider dissemination of the project’s results.
From June 23 to 25, 2026, the partners of the Erasmus+ project “Joining the Shards” gathered at the Porcelain Collection of the Dresden State Art Collections for their second transnational project meeting, which included various workshops. The meeting focused on evaluating the project-wide survey on war-damaged ceramics in the partner museums. It also provided an opportunity to exchange existing practices in restoration, conservation, and storytelling and to coordinate the next steps of the project. The program was complemented by a presentation on the Khanenko Museum and a guided tour of the Dresden Porcelain Collection. In the workshops, the partners discussed best practices in restoration, storytelling methods, and the use of new technologies for the conservation of ceramic cultural heritage. Finally, they developed the structure and content of a joint guideline that brings together best practices in restoration and education and is intended to serve as a practical resource in the future.
