ICOM is preparing an issue of Museum International on the theme Museums and cultural landscapes. The issue will be overseen by the Editorial Board with Prof. Dr Tereza Scheiner as Editor in Chief. All proposals submitted will be assessed for suitability and subsequent articles will go through a peer review process. The issue is expected to be published, in collaboration with Wiley Blackwell, by December 2016.

Museums and Cultural Landscapes
Alongside ICOM’s 2016 General Conference in Milan, Italy, the next issue of Museum International Vol. 68, No. 271 – 272 will reflect upon the role museums play in the complex relationship between landscapes and identity. The theme Museums and cultural landscapes was developed to encourage reflection on the museum’s specific relationship with its context: landscape is, precisely, the context in which we live and which surrounds us, with all of the images and symbols that identify and characterise it.

Cultural landscapes define the sense of a “place”, and embody the inextricable link between tangible and intangible heritage. As such, cultural landscapes are both material evidence and an image we inherit. There is an individual and collective responsibility not only to actively protect and safeguard cultural landscapes in the face of rapid and – in recent decades – sometimes irreversible transformations, but also understand their aura as “living heritage”. In the aftermath of the European Landscape Convention, ICOM proposed the Siena Charter, which stipulates that museums – often an integral part of the cultural landscape – play a primary role in encouraging community participation throughout the decision-making, implementation and enforcement processes. The joint drafting by ICOM and UNESCO, in May 2015, of a recommendation for museums that establishes the protection and promotion of cultural and natural diversity as a major challenge of the 21st century is one further step towards the clarification of the role museums play in sustainable development and intercultural dialogue.

Involving museums in the management and care of cultural landscapes extends their responsibilities from their collections to their cultural heritage and surroundings: local towns, villages and communities. A ‘context-oriented’ museum develops actions and activities focused on the cultural, social, political, economic or spiritual environment of a particular community. It is responsible for an entire landscape, taking into consideration the countless components and dimensions involved, calling for its protection and conservation from a participatory and sustainable perspective.

This increased responsibility makes the museum an extraordinary resource for the protection, care and interpretation of the landscape. By performing duties not limited to their own collections, museums can increase, enhance and stimulate the growth of their own collections, knowledge and expertise. Taking responsibility for a landscape involves a dual commitment: the care and management of heritage in a sustainable manner, on the one hand; and the preservation of the images and symbols that identify and characterise it, on the other.

The aim of this issue is to bring together contributions that will: 
* highlight the need to acknowledge and engage change in the successful interpretation, conservation, and management of cultural landscapes; 
* call into question the traditional dichotomy between “natural” and “cultural” landscapes; 
* define the role of museums in innovative landscape management methods that understand and embrace social and environmental change;
* discuss the role of museums in helping to reduce factors of social and economic inequality inherent in the designation and management of living landscapes. 

You are invited to contribute to this forthcoming issue on the theme of museums and cultural landscapes. We hope you will take the opportunity to offer fresh insight into to this fundamental topic for the museum community. 

Submission process 

Abstracts of between 250 and 300 words, written in English, should be submitted for selection to [log in to unmask] 
Contributions will be on a voluntary basis. The submission deadline is 31 January, 2016. 

The following information should be included with the abstract:
* Title of submitted paper
* Name(s) of author(s)
* Professional background 

Museum International is currently produced in English language only. For this reason, proposals in other languages unfortunately cannot be considered for publication. 

Further information 
For all queries on this Call for Papers, the submission process and guidelines, please contact Aedín Mac Devitt at [log in to unmask]


GUIDELINES TO CONTRIBUTORS
FORMAT OF THE SUBMITTED ABSTRACT
1. GENERAL
Language - - Consistent use of English.
Length - - Maximum 300 words or 2,100 characters (spaces included).
Submission - - Contributions should be submitted as an attachment to e-mail in MS Word (97-2003 or higher).

2. FORMAT OF SUBMITTED ABSTRACT
Margins - - 2.5 cm or 0.98 in. left, right, top and bottom.
Justification - - The text should be both left and right justified (aligned) throughout.
Spacing - - Simple.
Font - - Arial.
Font size - - 9 pt. for the text proper but 10 pt. for title, subtitle and author’s name.
Main Title - - (10 pt.) Centre the title on top using bold small capitals. If the title is in English capitalise the first letter of the main words.
Subtitle - - (10 pt.) If there is a subtitle, add a colon to the title and centre the subtitle on the next line using bold lower case.
Author’s name - - (10 pt.) Space twice and align left your name, using bold initial capitals only.
Indentation - - Do not indent the first line of the abstract.
Citations - - Do not include citations in the abstract.
Quotations - - Do not include quotations in the abstract.

You can read this Call for Papers in French and Spanish here:
http://icom.museum/media/museum-international/L/2/
http://icom.museum/medios-de-comunicacion/museum-international/L/1/

_________________________________________________________________________
Example
THE ARCHITECTURE OF BALTIMORE: 
An Exhibition in the Peale Museum, Baltimore

Wilbur H. Hunter Jr. and Rich Borneman
_________________________________________________________________________
The abstract should be followed by a short biography of the author(s) of between 150-200 words, for which the same format as that described above applies. The short biography should include the following details: professional affiliation, exact title, current situation and research, past and forthcoming publications. 
Finally, please indicate a contact email.



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