ABOUT
International convening, professional meetings, and mentorship programme
February 2024, Cape Town & Gauteng, South Africa
Context
Background
Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow, an initiative by the Institut français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS) / French Institute of South Africa and the Embassy of France, is an international project taking place in February 2024. It includes a convening, a series of professional meetings to further the solutions and outcomes tabled at the convening, and a mentorship programme.
The project follows years of dialogue and cooperation projects funded by the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), in the heritage, archive and museum sector, and as is a response to the needs identified and expressed collectively by multiple partners in South Africa and other African countries.
The convening will take place on 13 – 15 February 2024 (just before the Investec Cape Town Art Fair) in Cape Town and the professional meetings will be conducted in Gauteng following the convening.
The convening aims to develop a framework for a new relational ethic between Southern Africa and France, and more broadly between the rest of Africa and Europe and set priorities for future cooperation projects between our regions.
It aims to explore ways to facilitate the preservation and promotion of heritage (material and immaterial), archives and museums through new ideas and concrete tools and programmes. Additionally, it aims to address the complex challenges of today, driven by new technologies and vocal civil movements.
The mentorship programme will take place alongside the convening and professional meetings to inspire and nurture a new generation of cultural professionals from South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi. This tailor-made skills-sharing and development programme will include virtual learning and intensive in-person sessions to provide a platform for emerging voices to drive solutions
This convening will be the first that IFAS and the Embassy of France are hosting in South Africa and signifies a renewed and ongoing commitment from the French Embassy and IFAS to support heritage, archive, and museums in Africa.
South Africa is a microcosm as it has over a third of the 1 000 museums located on the continent. South Africa also has ten world heritage sites, 80 national heritage sites, and several notable archives and libraries owned by private institutions, universities, and public entities. While the post-apartheid era has marked a progressive approach regarding the acquisition of cultural objects in South African museums, institutions continue to face multiple challenges that are crucial to address.
Outcomes from past projects such as the digitisation of the Robben Island Archives with Mayibuye Archives, the research-based project IQOQO, international artwork exchanges and exhibitions and sustained engagements with cultural professionals have highlighted industry needs. These include developing the field of preventive conservation; increasing the accessibility and democratisation of heritage; providing support for the digital transition; rethinking the role of curators and commissioners in scenography and museography to recontextualise museums considering multiculturalism; decolonise knowledge; integrating heritage spaces into tourism offerings; and diversify sources of funding to achieve greater financial autonomy. These have been framed in the convening programme by four broad themes: the public, collections and research, restitution and operational sustainability.
The significance of museums: How museums are shifting in the 21st century
This project echoes and supports the paradigm shift taking place at an international level in the heritage, archive and museum sectors. Due to a changing, technologically driven world and vocal community movements, museums need to transform into dynamic spaces that actively represent the needs and nuances of their communities.
The new definition of museums adopted by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 2022 emphasises the role of museums as catalysts for social change, focusing on inclusivity, ethics, sustainability, accessibility, and diversity. As such, museums are recognised as potentially powerful agents of cultural dialogue and understanding in the 21st century. However, the notion of a ‘museum’ as a colonial construct remains a topic of debate.
Expanding beyond museums to include heritage and archives broadens our focus to cultural material, both tangible and intangible, and brings more inclusivity with respect to stakeholders, with great generative and transformative potential.
Objectives
Towards constructive dialogue
The convening will bring together an estimated 300 experts, academics, educators, artists, community leaders, organisations, activists and civilians from across the globe to engage in discourse and explorations regarding presenting intersectional approaches in heritage, archives and museums.
Driven by a global call for change in the heritage, archives and museums, with a particular focus on the current state of museums, the convening will build a shared vision that centres heritage as an element of culture that nourishes our experience of the present and our imagining of the future.
The convening will be rooted in design thinking principles and aim for real-world implementation and practical outcomes – to ensure that what has been done before is considered, and that dialogue is advanced rather than repeated.
Objectives
Foster dialogue and enhance cooperation: Promote and facilitate dialogue between leading cultural professionals from Southern Africa and France, and more broadly between stakeholders from Africa and Europe, promoting cooperation, and accelerating exchanges that could advance the field.
Facilitate transdisciplinary knowledge exchange: Mapping of heritage, archive and museum institutions needs and fostering knowledge production and exchange among experts, scholars, educators, artists, performers, community and spiritual leaders, civil society organisations, collectors, urban and rural developers, designers, members of the public and more. This knowledge exchange will take the form of written content and research and will inform future cooperation projects and live on the IQOQO platform as a resource beyond the conference.
Promote cooperation and develop international relations: Foster relationships and synergies between African and European cultural professionals and organisations at the convening. The programming will encourage the exchange of expertise, the sharing of alternative practices (drawing from indigenous thought and knowledge systems as a source for solutions and innovation), and the formation of collaborative projects for the ongoing benefit of heritage, archives and museums.
Co-create solutions-based recommendations and toolkits through a participative process throughout the convening, to be shaped further during the professional meetings that will take place immediately after the convening. Depending on the shape or format of these recommendations and toolkits, these will be adopted by relevant parties to take forward and apply in educational, professional, and civic settings.
Consolidate support for training: This convening aims to encourage the development of networks and skills among professionals in the heritage, archive and museum industry. This includes inspiring emerging cultural professionals by providing growth and career development opportunities through mentoring and training programmes.
Highlight and support women in cultural sectors, with a focus on heritage, archive and museum sectors.
Themes
A curatorial committee composed of curators Ngaire Blankenberg (Founding Director of the Institute for Creative Repair), Emmanuel Kasarhérou (President of the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris) and curatorial assistant Kefiloe Siwisa developed the programme for Reimagining Heritage, Archives and Museums: Today/Tomorrow, in conjunction with the steering committee and IFAS.
The four thematic areas shaping the convening are:
1. Focus on the Public
How can museums and heritage institutions be more reflective, inclusive, responsive, visible, and accountable to the people they serve? How can they stay relevant to changing populations and abreast of new trends and directions? How is inclusivity reflected in collections, staffing, partnerships, exhibitions, public programs, and marketing? What are effective methods of co-creation and community engagement?
2. Collections and Research
How can we better care for, document, research and manage our collections? How can collections (tangible and intangible) contribute to the uncovering, development, and application of indigenous knowledge? What are new modes of collection care that respond to climate change, price of fossil fuels, extreme weather? What is care within an African context? What are the limitations of current systems of classification and documentation, and what role is played by collections inventories? What are the challenges posed by imperatives of digitization?
3. Restitution
How to bridge the gap between African and European discourse and expectations when it comes to restitution? What are African responses to European policies and vice versa? What is the case for reparations? What are good examples of successful institutions? Where are the challenges? What is the status of and next steps for outstanding restitution requests?
4. Operational Sustainability
How can heritage institutions in Africa and Europe ensure adequate, sustained resources to fulfil their missions? Who are key stakeholders when it comes to the protection and celebration of heritage? What are the present and potential roles of the private and public sectors/ International donor agencies (state and non-state)/The Art market/the Tourism sector/ Universities/ Developers and so on? What are effective and innovative funding and operating models? What are optimal breakdowns of resources between operations, building management and programming? How can new technologies be used to improve operations and sustainability?
These themes will take root from Africanisation; a move from decolonisation into processes that highlight African-centred propositions and the restimulation of contemporary African knowledge production as a complementary activity to indigenous knowledge systems. Attention will be given to transformative case studies, capacity-building workshops, and knowledge-sharing practices. The themes are subject to further development and refinement as the programme evolves.
Around 30 speakers will form part of the convening, ensuring a balance in gender parity and diversity among Africa-based and international experts, to create a platform for a pluriverse of voices to be heard. The international speakers will be selected according to their committed involvement and knowledge of African and diasporic concerns.
Steering committee
The development of this programme has been guided by a committee of experienced heritage professionals and cultural practitioners.
These include:
- Prof Ciraj Rassool – University of Western Cape (UWC)
- Dr Bongani Ndhlovu – Iziko Museums
- Prof Achille Mbembe – Innovation Foundation for Democracy
- Gilbert Balinda – Gilbert Balinda Architects (GBA)
- Dr Paul Bayliss – Absa
- Talita Fourie – South African Museums Association (SAMA)
- Aisha Mayekiso – South African Museums Association (SAMA)
- Storm Janse van Rensburg – Zeitz MOCAA
- Mamakomoreng Nkhasi-Lesaoana – South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA)
- Maggi Loubser – University of Pretoria (UP)
- Unathi Lutshaba – The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO)
- Lekgetho Makola – The Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria (Javett-UP)
- Amy-Louise Shelver – The South African Cultural Observatory (SACO)
- Thapi Segoati – Department of Sport Arts and Culture (DSAC)
- Catherine Snel – International Council of Museums (ICOM SA)
- Espéra Donouvossi – International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM)
- Prof Jen Snowball – Rhodes University
Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)/ French Embassy:
- Sophie Boulé – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Paul Cavalier – The Cultural and Cooperation Department French Embassy (SCAC)
- Kefiloe Siwisa – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Aysha Waja – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Candice Mailhé – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Emmanuelle Denavit-Feller – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Annael Le Poullennec – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Marie Opplert – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Marie Fricout – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
- Lauren Fletcher – Institut Français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS)
French Affiliates:
- Guillemine Babillon – French Ministry of Culture
- Aurélia Collard – French Ministry of Culture
Supporting Agencies:
- Eben Keun – Breinstorm Brand Architects (Breinstorm Brand Architects)
- Ingrid Heydenrych – Breinstorm Brand Architects (Breinstorm Brand Architects)
- Corinne Estrada – Communicating the Arts (Communicating The Arts)
- Guillaume Maréchal – Communicating the Arts (Communicating The Arts)
Informers
The initial concept note for the convening was developed with input and guidance from experienced heritage professionals working in Africa.
These include:
- Allotey Bruce-Konuah
- Abdul-Rauf Issahaque
- Mabafokeng Hoeane
- Paul Weinberg
- Thabo Seshoka
- Molemo Moiloa
- Gilbert Balinda
- Linda Chernis
Partner with us
Sponsorship and partnership opportunities are available
The convening will engage with academic partners at key South African tertiary institutions, and others for their extensive knowledge and research into these sectors.
Private partners, such as corporate sponsors or philanthropic organisations, can offer financial support, technological innovations, or specialised knowledge in areas relevant to the convening themes.
Media partners, including newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, and online platforms, play a vital role in amplifying the convening’s reach and impact by disseminating information, sparking discussions, and promoting cross-cultural dialogue.
For more information contact us.
