At the recent ICA Barcelona Congress 2025, the ICA Section of Local, Municipal and Territorial Archives (SLMT) presented its report outlining key priorities for the years ahead. A central theme emerging from this work is the need to better empower and connect local archives worldwide, fostering inclusive collaboration and increasing the visibility of underrepresented regions and institutions.
In this context, this webinar introduces twinning as a practical and scalable approach to strengthening global archival cooperation. By pairing local archival institutions across different regions, twinning creates structured, long-term partnerships grounded in the exchange of expertise, shared methodologies, and mutual professional support.
The session will be led by Patrick Van den Nieuwenhof, Archivist of the City of Zaventem, and Lluís-Esteve Casellas-Serra, Head of Records Management, Archives and Publications at the City of Girona and Chair of ICA/SLMT.
The webinar will be held on Thursday, 21 May 2026, in alignment with the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development and offered in two identical sessions: 9:00–10:00 and 18:00–19:00 CET (Paris time) in English.
KEY INFORMATION
Date
Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time
To confirm the date/time of the first session in your time zone, please use the following link. For the second session, please use the following link.
Language
English. No other interpretation will be provided.
Date
Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time
To confirm the date/time of the first session in your time zone, please use the following link. For the second session, please use the following link.
Language
English. No other interpretation will be provided.
Why attend?
This session will explore twinning as a strategic tool for building stronger connections between local archives, with a particular focus on the value of peer-to-peer collaboration. Held on World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, the webinar highlights the role of archivists as cultural mediators who connect communities through documentary heritage.
Participants will gain insights into how decentralised cooperation can:
- Strengthen collaboration beyond institutional and national hierarchies
- Support joint responses to shared challenges such as digital preservation, community engagement, and capacity building
- Promote inclusive and locally grounded heritage management
- Encourage sustainable professional development through partnership
Real-world examples will demonstrate how such collaborations can foster innovation and resilience within local archival services.
What will you learn?
The webinar will present a practical, step-by-step framework for implementing twinning initiatives, including:
- Identifying compatible partner institutions
- Developing a mutual cooperation charter
- Designing thematic exchanges and collaborative activities
- Exploring opportunities for joint training, staff exchanges, and pilot projects
Participants will be invited to reflect on how “archivist-to-archivist diplomacy” can strengthen their own institutions while contributing to a broader culture of dialogue, solidarity, and shared professional responsibility.
Who should attend?
This webinar is open to all, with a particular focus on:
- Members connected to ICA/SLMT
- Professionals working in local, municipal, and territorial archives
- Regional branches and committee members interested in facilitating local engagement
Speakers
Lluís-Esteve Casellas-Serra
Lluís-Esteve Casellas-Serra is Municipal Archivist of Girona and Director of the Centre for Image Research and Dissemination (CRDI). He currently collaborates with the International Council on Archives (ICA) as Chair of the Section on Local, Municipal and Territorial Archives (ICA-SLMT) and as a member of the Expert Group on Managing Digital and Physical Records (EGMPDR). He is also a collaborator on the InterPARES Trust Artificial Intelligence Project at the University of British Columbia (Canada) and a member of the VALORA Community of Practice on Appraisal (Spain).
He has previously contributed to numerous national and international projects and committees, including the Ad Honorem Committee of the Ibero-American Diplomatic Archives Network (RADI), the National Commission of Catalonia on Access and Appraisal, the Technical Committee on Records Management and Digital Preservation of the Spanish Agency for Standardization (AENOR), the Ibero-American Forum on Appraisal (FIED-ICA), the InterPARES TRUST and InterPARES-3 projects, and the MoReq2 revision.
As a lecturer, he has collaborated with institutions such as the International University of Andalusia, the University of Girona, and the School of Archives and Records Management (ESAGED) of the Autonomous University of Barcelona, as well as with various international universities, public institutions, and professional associations. He has presented at conferences across Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East, and is the author or co-author of more than 140 publications.
Patrick Van den Nieuwenhof
Patrick Van Den Nieuwenhof serves as the archivist of the city of Zaventem (Belgium), bringing more than 25 years of expertise in archives and cultural heritage. His professional passion lies in community archives and the active engagement of citizens in preserving collective memory. A strong advocate for participatory archival practices, he works to ensure that local voices play a central role in documenting societal evolution. Guided by the principle “think global, act local,” he views local archives as powerful instruments for fostering mutual understanding and resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. Patrick’s work is further enriched by his experience in city twinning, where he promotes intercultural dialogue and shared heritage across borders. He also contributes to the international archival profession through his participation in the ICA Section on Archives and Human Rights (SAHR) and his role as a mentor in the ICA New Professionals Programme.
