EDUCATION

Education and communication have always been present in my initiatives. I strive to translate complex data into information that is accessible to all in order to connect people with science, arts and culture to encourage interest and understanding of artworks – this is my passion and my mission in the various projects listed below.

I believe educational initiatives with objects are facilitators for deep reflection. They create space to celebrate long-held traditions, skills and knowledge in the making of beautiful works. I strive to build dialogue and to imagine new ways of seeing and preserving the valuable artworks, helping people to rediscover the capacities of human creation.

Publications

Blog

Textiles, Trade and Taste: Portugal and the World (TTT)

Researcher, co-manager and co-founder

- Designed and launched an international collaborative project focused on the communication, preservation and conservation of historical textiles;

- Leadership role advocating for and fostering synergies and collaborations among international individuals and institutions;

- Organized and coordinated conferences & meetings, keeping good track of the necessary information/scientific program & logistic requirements;

- Successfully designed, promoted & disseminated several project activities - conferences, workshops, debates, museum talks & tours;

- Project ambassador in international contexts focused on ongoing & future collaborations with other networks and renowned educational institutions (Ex: The National Gallery of Art, The Textile Museum (USA), The Rijksmuseum (NL), National Museum of Ancient Art (PT), etc.)

Project Scope

The project Textiles, Trade and Taste (TTT) comprises a network group of researchers that encourages the interdisciplinary study of historical textiles, costumes and related materials. Artistic and historical research of textiles has ranged from collating inventories to conducting stylistic, iconographic and archival studies, with the aim of placing these objects in their historical, artistic, technological and socio-cultural contexts. Interdisciplinary collaboration with chemical analysis has been developed as well: characterization of dyes, textile fibres or precious metal threads provides useful data for identifying the geographical origins of raw materials and finished textiles, or to develop improved conservation treatments for their preservation for future generations. In the past decades, their significance as witnesses of old cultures and the daily life of their people have been highlighted by new research methods. The TTT highly contributes to an increased awareness of Textiles' artistic and historical value by fostering dialogue between innovative scholarship and the highest standard of curatorial expertise on textiles. It delivers various iniciatives and programs to wide audiences, playing a crucial role in the Cultural Heritage preservation and comunication efforts to create impact and appreciation for long-lasting textile traditions. Since 2017 the TTT became active on Twitter and Facebook social platforms and providing a newsletter every semestre.

The Team

Ana Claro (PhD) | Conservation Scientist & Researcher, Center for the Humanities (CHAM) at NOVA University of Lisbon

Ana Serrano (PhD) | Conservation Scientist, Migelien Gerritzen Fellow at Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam)

Andreia Torres (PhD) | Historian,Center for Humanities (CHAM) at NOVA University of Lisbon

Jessica Hallett (PhD) | Curator, Early Modern Middle East at Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (Lisbon)

Maria João Ferreira (PhD) | Historian & Researcher, Center for Humanities (CHAM) at NOVA University of Lisbon

Raquel Santos (PhD) | Conservation Scientist & Researcher, Center for the Humanities (CHAM) at NOVA University of Lisbon

Publications / Communications:

2020 Santos, R., Claro, A., Serrano, A., Ferreira, M. J. and Hallett, J. "Textiles, Trade and Taste – Portugal and the World (TTT): A Project on the Global Circulation of Textiles and Dyes, in M. Dusenbury (ed), The Textile Museum Journal, 47, Texas: Texas University Press.

2018 R. Santos, J. Hallett, A. Claro, M. J. Ferreira, A. Serrano, A. Torres. Textiles, Trade and Taste - Portugal and the World: what happened after 8 years in 37th Dyes in History and Archaeology, 25-26th October, Caparica, Portugal. (Oral communication)

2018 M. J. Ferreira, R. Santos, J. Hallett, A. Claro, A. Serrano. Textiles, Trade and Taste. Published in Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings Vancouver, BC, Canada; September 19 – 23, 2018 (Film)

2012. J. Hallett, A. Claro, A. Serrano, R. Santos. Textiles, Trade and Taste: A research project on the global circulation of color in Textile Archaeology and Conservation, 17th October, New Delhi, India. (Oral communication)