2024 ICOM Solidarity Project: Community-Led Training: Establishing a Foundation for Heritage Conservation in Africa

PROJECT DURATION: July 2024 - December 2024

OBJECTIVE: This six-month initiative aims to enhance the management of collections in Africa by focusing on three key topics: Conservation, Risk Assessment, and Documentation. The programme will bring together a large consortium of ICOM Committees and members to provide an African perspective on these crucial areas through interviews and round table discussions. Our goal is to strengthen the network between African and global museum professionals. Sessions will be interactive and participants will be asked to complete assignments relating to the discussion topic. The completed assignments will be discussed at subsequent meetings and outcomes will be used to create toolkit guides and videos on each of the three topics.

FORMAT

• Interviews: Invited experts will outline current practices and approaches on all three topics. These will be conducted in English and released before each live session for asynchronous viewing before each session.
• Round Table Discussions: For each topic, our invited speakers will lead two round table discussions.
  • First Round Table: Topic Discussion. Participants receive assignments to complete and video their outputs.
  • Second Round Table: Network enhancement. Presentation and discussion of the video outputs.
• Produced Materials: All content, including interviews and discussions, will be compiled into toolkits and how-to videos for broad dissemination.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

Programming will be in English with simultaneous interpretation by Smartidom (PT) into French and Portuguese.

• Introductory Session | Kick-off meeting to outline the programme.
• Dedicated Topic Sessions:
  • Conservation (2 sessions)
  • Agents of Deterioration and Risk Assessment (2 sessions)
  • Documentation (2 sessions)
• Wrap-up Meeting: The concluding session will summarise findings and outcomes.

Please check out the Padlet for session information: https://padlet.com/chair39/2024-icom-solidarity-project-community-led-training-establis-5lkf2anlizm367in

SCHEDULE

1 July 2024 : 13:00-15:00 | Kick-off introduction meeting | Live Zoom

Zoom link will be distributed to registered participants

Registration form: https://forms.gle/BjQcxJ7gkih4E8cA7

1. Maggi Loubser, University of Pretoria, South Africa - Project Leader 
2. Kate Seymour, Chair ICOM-CC (Committee for Conservation)
3. Melissa Rinne, Chair ICDAD (Committee for Museums and Collections of Decorative Arts and Design)
4. Timna Seligman, Chair DEMHIST (Committee for Historic House Museums)
5. Trilce Navarrete Hernandez, Chair CIDOC (Committee for Documentation)
6. Zahida Quadri, Chiar ICR (Committee for Regional Museums)
7. Corinne Thepaut Cabasset, Chair COSTUME (Committee form Museums and Collections of Costume, Fashion and Textiles)
8. Diana Pardue, Chair DRMC (Committee on Disaster Resilient Museums)

Topic 1 | What is conservation, and why is it important?

Zoom link will be distributed to registered participants

Registration form: https://forms.gle/sP5Gpo3rJm8ZdTXd9

Material Release on Padlet: 1 July 2024

Invited speakers

1. Lynn Lee, M+ Museum of Visual Culture, Hong Kong, China
2. Stephanie de Roemer, The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
3. Satish Pandey, Indian Institute of Heritage, New Delhi, India
4. Oge (Elizabeth) Okpalanozie, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Lagos, Nigeria
5. Terry Little, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
6. Muthoni Thang'wa, Consultant - Culture, Museums, Heritage & the Arts, Nairobi, Kenya
7. Jean-Paul Koudougou, Chair ICOM-Africa (tbc)
8. Betty Karanja, Nairobi National Museum, Nairobi, Kenya (tbc)
9. Ayesha Fuentes, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
10. David Kojo Derban, Ethnik International Ltd, Accra, Ghana
11. Medhat Abdallah Abdelhamid, Saqqara Storerooms, Ministry of Antiquities, Egypt

11 July 2024 : 13:00-15:00 | Session 1 - Part A | Live Zoom Session

Invited speakers will lead a round table discussion.

Assignments will be discussed.

25 July 2024 : 13:00-15:00 | Session 1 - Part B | Live Zoom Session

Reflections on assignments.

Future perspectives.

Network enhancement and mentoring.

Topic 2 | Agents of Deterioration and Risk Assessment

Zoom link will be distributed to registered participants

Registration form: https://forms.gle/hAdn6k8cHvUmU4Qv5

Material Release on Padlet : 2 September 2024

Invited speakers

1. Lilian Amwanda, National Museums of Kenya, Kabarnet Museum, Kabarnet, Kenya
2.  Rodah Lange, National Museums of Kenya, Karen Blixen Museum, Nairobi, Kenya
3. Johanna Ndahekelekwa Ndjamba, Windhoek, Khomas, Namibia
4. Joseph Ssebunya, Uganda National Museum, Kampala, Uganda
5. Timna Seligman, Chair ICOM-DEMHIST
6. Corinne Thepaut Cabasset, Chair ICOM-COSTUME
7. Zahida Quadri, Chair ICOM-ICR
8. Mrs. Kilba, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Nigeria, Lagos, Nigeria
9. Kojo Derban, Accra, Ghana
10. Kaji Appolinaire, Musée La Blackitude, Yaoundé, Cameroon
11. Nagnambzanga Théophile Nacoulma, Burkina Faso
12. Mohamadou Moustapha Dièye, Dakar, Senegal
13. Khalid Loukid, Musée National du Tissage et du Tapis Dar Si Said, Marrakech, Morocco

12 September 2024 : 13:00-15:00 | Session 2 - Part A | Live Zoom Session

Invited speakers will lead a round table discussion.

Assignments will be discussed.

26 September 2024 : 13:00-15:00 | Session 2 - Part B | Live Zoom Session

Reflections on assignments.

Future perspectives.

Network enhancement and mentoring.

Topic 3 | Documentation

Zoom link will be distributed to registered participants

Registration form: https://forms.gle/nGukKw9BnFdmntKu9

Material Release on Padlet : 3 October 2024

Invited speakers

1. Trilce Navarrete Herna, Chair ICOM-CIDOC
2. Aditi Nagar, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, India
3. Nathael Cano, Mexico City, Mexico
4. Jonathan Ward, J.Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, USA
5. Alexio Motsi, Pretoria, South Africa
6. Davison Chiwara, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe

17 October 2024 : 13:00-15:00 | Session 3 - Part A | Live Zoom Session

Invited speakers will lead a round table discussion.

Assignments will be discussed.

31 October 2024 : 13:00-15:00 | Session 3 - Part B | Live Zoom Session

Reflections on assignments.

Future perspectives.

Network enhancement and mentoring.

28 November 2024 : 13:00-15:00 | Wrap-up meeting | Live Zoom

Zoom link will be distributed to registered participants

Registration form: https://forms.gle/zNX47KnJKSv9Nz6H7

INFORMATION:

All Zoom sessions will be recorded.

A Zoom link will be provided to registered participants only. The registration form collects the participant's consent to be recorded complying with EU-GDPR regulations.

Please visit [your website or registration link] for more information and to register.

Participant Assignments:

Participants will be encouraged to complete assignments for each Topic, which will be delivered to the programme organisers. The Assignments are not compulsory!

Assignments for each topic will be explained and distributed to registered participants during the first session.

Participants will be encouraged to record their progress and deliver written and/or video footage on completion of their assignment.

The produced material will be used to create short illustrative videos and three how-to toolkits, one for each topic.

Participants who submit material (in written or video format) consent to transfer material copyright to ICOM. Participants must secure permission to use images of venues, objects, and persons in any produced material.

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

• Interviews: Summaries provided in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
• Live Sessions: Broadcast on Zoom with simultaneous English, French, and Portuguese translation. Sessions will be recorded. Access to the Zoom link will be given to registered participants only.

Consortium members

   

ICOM-Africa, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, France, Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Spain, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, CIDOC, COSTUME, DEMHIST, DRMC, ICR, ICDAD; and partners, including representatives from: ApoyOnline, ErfgoedAcademy (Netherlands), Moto-Moto Museum (Zambia), National Commission for Museums and Monuments (Nigeria), Stichting ICOM-CC Fund, and University of Pretoria (South Africa).

JOIN US: Enhance your expertise, share your knowledge, and connect with museum professionals worldwide. Participate in this comprehensive programme to make a lasting impact on collections in Africa.