The International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage (ISCEAH) is issuing a Call for Expressions of Interest to find organizations and countries interested in organizing and hosting the 15th TERRA World Congress. The TERRA Congress is a worldwide meeting whose themes relate to the study and conservation of earthen architectural, archaeological and cultural landscape heritage, as well as contemporary earthen architecture.
The TERRA series of events started as symposiums gathering professionals working in the field of earthen architectural heritage, the first one being held in 1972 in Yazd, Iran. Since then, 13 congresses have occurred; these have strengthened collaboration, created regional networks, generated partnerships, and produced proceedings. The number of attendees has also increased in the last congresses. The TERRA Congress occurs every three-five years.
TERRA 2003 was organized in Asia (Yazd, Iran) and had approximately 350 participants; TERRA 2008 took place in Africa (Bamako, Mali) and was attended by 400 people; TERRA 2012 was organized in South America (Lima, Peru) and was attended by 550 people; TERRA 2016 took place in Europe (Lyon, France) and was attended by approximately 750 people; TERRA 2022 held in Santa Fe was attended by 220 participants with an additional 70 attending remotely via the web (most likely, smaller participation as a result of Covid). The 14th TERRA World Congress will be held in Cuenca, Ecuador and will be organized by the University of Cuenca in 2025. The 15th TERRA World Congress is expected to host from 600 to 1,000 participants, becoming the largest and most international event organized on earthen architecture.
The TERRA World Congress occurs under the aegis of ICOMOS and is co-organized by ISCEAH, its specialist International Scientific Committee on Earthen Architectural Heritage.
ISCEAH will:
- collect proposals and select the host/organizer;
- assist in the selection of the Congress Scientific Committee, which will include members from the
host/organizer, major international partners and ISCEAH representatives; - assist in proposing program contents;
- recommend and review the selection of speakers and keynote speakers;
- solicit sponsoring organizations;
- review the congress budget and venue for adequacy;
- help with the publication of TERRA proceedings,
- assist in developing and approve the theme and subthemes proposed by the organizers;
- validate and internationally disseminate the branding of the event, as being co-organized by ISCEAH and part of the lineage of ICOMOS TERRA events
- assist in promoting the event worldwide through joint efforts to broaden its dissemination, posting all information on the ISCEAH website and social networks the call for papers and posters, and for the event itself;
- request that organizers valorize earthen architecture and earthen architectural heritage by organizing local and eventually national activities such as exhibitions, thematic sessions, post- congress tours, etc.;
- connect organizers to previous TERRA organizers for advice and support;
- provide an ISCEAH representative to be a member of the Congress Organizing Committee;
- suggest financial assistance from countries, international organizations, foundations, etc. for travel and subsistence of speakers, students and delegates from developing countries;
- contribute to the peer review of papers and posters and the final selection of papers and posters to be presented orally and exhibited at the World Congress and to be published in the hard-copy proceedings;
- assist with the World Congress proceedings production, when applicable;
- make efforts for the World Congress proceedings to be online for free download, at least two years after the publication, if not before;
- disseminate the World Congress conclusions and recommendations, through ICOMOS’ and ISCEAH’ websites, newsletters, national and international committees.
Host institution shall:
- propose the Congress theme and subthemes;
- design the pre- and post-Congress activities;
- ensure the active participation of local organizations and communities, with activities specifically designed for this purpose;
- provide assurances of safety for participants and organizers;
- provide an adequate venue for the Congress, considering different rooms for simultaneous meetings, and exhibition spaces for posters, with translation in the official languages of the Congress;
- obtain the necessary funding sources and institutional support;
- establish reasonable registration fees to allow broad participation, with reduced rates for persons from low-income countries, members of the Congress Scientific Committee, and ISCEAH members;
- fund the participation in the Congress of one ISCEAH representative;
- provide assurance of the existence of accommodations with different quality standards and costs, and within close proximity to the Congress venue;
- publish the Congress Proceedings in hard copy and permit free online access at a later date (no more than two years later).
Selection process
1st Submission
Deadline: 15 January 2023
Responders to this Call for Expressions of Interest are to prepare a preliminary proposal identifying the following:
- location and feasibility of venue;
- proposed dates for organizing the congress and usual climate at that time of the year;
- relevance of location regarding the existence of earthen architectural, archaeological and cultural landscape heritage and contemporary architecture, and the opportunity to contribute for its valorization and protection;
- tentative schedule;
- proposed partners, collaborators and sponsoring organizations;
- preliminary costs;
- proposed sources of funding;
- suggestions for the main theme and subthemes for the TERRA Congress and the relevance of its scientific and social aim as a way to improve the development of communities;
- official languages of the World Congress and potential for simultaneous translation;
- potential for simultaneous live-streaming and/or specific events that are live-streamed;
- information regarding the issuance of visas and the existing of restrictions for entering the country.
Results of the 1st Submission
The ISCEAH Board will review responses and the equity of their geographic location based on previous Congresses, and proposers will be informed of the results by 15 June 2023.
2nd Submission
Deadline: 15 September 2023.
A shortlist of responder(s) will be asked to further develop their proposal with:
- details of venue (accessibility to major airports and other transports; capacity of the Congress venue in terms of expected number of participants; quality of the Congress venue; availability of rooms for interpretation and for meetings; availability of spaces for exhibitions and for workshops; etc.);
- proposal for simultaneous live-streaming and/or specific events that are live-streamed;
- potential of the country and the region, to value the conservation of earthen architectural, archaeological and cultural landscape heritage through the organization of the TERRA World Congress;
- preliminary timelines, program and schedule proposal for the Congress (proposed time period, number of days, number of presentations, suggested pre-Congress workshops, activities and post- Congress tours, etc.);
- committed partners, collaborator institutions and sponsoring organizations;
- further detailed costs regarding organization (e.g. venue rental, interpretation services, secretary services, visa costs, organization insurance, etc.);
- committed sources of funding from different entities and stability of the secure funding;
- proposed sources of funding for each of the Congress activities (pre- and/or post-Congress workshops and tours; Congress materials to be delivered to participants; interpretation services for simultaneous sessions during the Congress; proceedings and translation of papers for the proceedings, etc.);
- proposed grants for participants from developing countries;
- details of proceedings’ publication regarding funding and format (in hard copy and digital);
- presentation of the different types of post-Congress tours to be considered, pre-Congress workshops, exhibitions, etc. (number, costs, variety);
- further development of main scientific theme and subthemes to be reviewed and approved by ISCEAH;
- proposal for graphics that will be the unique identifier of the Congress.
Final Selection of the Congress Organizer
Deadline: 15 December 2023
ICOMOS-ISCEAH will inform all the proposers regarding the final selection of the organizer.
Formalization of Agreement
The selected World Congress organizer will be requested to formally accept the task in a written agreement. The agreement will be formalized and finalized soon after notification and signed between ICOMOS-ISCEAH and the selected organizer. With the agreement the parties will accept all responsibilities and tasks listed in the present call of expression of interest.
Important Dates
- 15 January 2023 – Deadline for 1st Submission of proposals.
- 15 June 2023 – Results of selected proposals to advance for 2nd submission.
- 15 September 2023 – Deadline for 2nd Submission of more refined proposals.
- 15 December 2023 – Selection of the 15th TERRA World Congress organizer.
- 2025 Announcement at Terra 2025 of winning candidate.
- End 2026 / Beginning 2027 (earliest) – First call for abstracts.
- Beginning / Mid 2027 (earliest) – Call for papers.
- End / Mid 2027 / End 2027 (earliest)- Last call for papers.
- End 2027 / Beginning 2028 (earliest) – Early bird registration.
- Beginning / Mid 2028 (earliest) – Congress registration, pre-Congress workshops, activities and post-
- Congress tour(s) registration.
- Beginning / Mid 2028 (earliest) – Editing of proceedings
- Mid(earliest) / End 2028 – Publication of proceedings to be distributed at the Congress.
- Mid / End 2028 – (earliest)15th Terra World Congress on Earthen Architectural Heritage
Questions and Expressions of Interest
Inquiries and Expressions of Interest shall be submitted to the following ISCEAH officers:
President – Maddalena Achenza (e-mail: achenza@netscape.net)
Vice-President – Amanda Rivera Vidal (e-mail: amandariverav@gmail.com)
Secretary General – Pamela Jerome (e-mail: pamela.jerome@gmail.com)
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Download PDF: Call for Expressions of Interest 15 TERRA