On 4 September 2026, ICOM Europe held the official kick-off meeting of the SAREC-supported project “From Crisis to Capacity”, bringing together representatives of ICOM Regional, International and National Committees, as well as cultural heritage professionals from across Europe and from countries directly affected by armed conflict.

The project aims to contribute to the development of practical guidance for museums facing armed conflict and other serious crisis situations, with particular attention to the protection and, where necessary, evacuation of cultural heritage.

A central principle of the project is to connect existing international guidance and professional expertise with experience from the field. The project brings together colleagues from countries that have faced or continue to face armed conflict, alongside professionals and organizations working in emergency preparedness, collections management, storage, museum security and cultural heritage protection.

During the kick-off meeting, partners reviewed the overall project framework, including its four work packages, timeline and key milestones, and discussed the main areas of work, methodology and expected outcomes. Particular attention was given to the importance of learning from real situations: understanding what measures have been applied in different contexts, what challenges museums and heritage professionals have encountered, and how these experiences can contribute to strengthening existing approaches to preparedness and emergency response.

The next phase of the project will focus on reviewing relevant existing guidance, gathering and analysing case studies and experiences, and identifying good practices and gaps. This collaborative work will provide the basis for developing practical and accessible guidance that can support museums and heritage professionals in preparing for and responding to crisis situations.

The project also places a strong emphasis on international and cross-regional cooperation. By bringing together different experiences, perspectives and areas of expertise, “From Crisis to Capacity” seeks to strengthen knowledge exchange within the ICOM network and contribute to greater preparedness and resilience across the museum community.

The project will continue through a series of working phases, partner exchanges and joint meetings, leading to the development, review and eventual publication of the guidance. Dissemination and multilingual accessibility are also foreseen as important elements of the project, helping to ensure that its results can reach museum professionals in different national and regional contexts.

ICOM Europe will continue to share key milestones and public outcomes as the project progresses.

“From Crisis to Capacity” is supported through the ICOM SAREC Solidarity Grant Programme.