ACTIVITIES 2002

I. Professional training

Course on Documentation of museum collections for Angolan museum professionals

Financed by: Italy via UNESCO, Angolan government

Participants
Date: From March 25 to April 19, 2002

Place: Luanda, Angola

Number of participants : 17 (from 11 Angolan museums and one from the National Cultural Heritage Institute)

Objectives:

  • enable Angolan professionals to master the techniques of good collection documentation management
  • set up a simple, homogenous and standardised documentation system
  • study the ways and means to carry out a complete collection inventory of all Angolan museums collections.

    Results:

  • Definition of the fundamental missions of participating museums

  • Inventory of all Angolan museums' collections.


    Creation and management of educational programmes
    in African museums
    Financed by: Ford Foundation, UNESCO, EPA

    Participants and facilitator
    Date: from May 07 to July 12, 2002

    Place: Ecole du patrimoine africain, Porto-Novo

    Organisers: Ecole du patrimoine africain / Centre National d'Enseignement à Distance - CNED (France)

    Number of participants: 15 animators and heads of educational programmes from pilot museums and related institutions of the countries participating in the Schools/Museums programme (Benin, Burkina Faso, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Republic of Guinea, Senegal) plus Togo.

    Objectives:

  • improve the educational offer of museums and related institutions,

  • create a network of professionals dedicated to the Schools/Museums project.

    Results:

  • improvement of participants' competence in the creation, management and follow-up of educational programmes,

  • creation of specific thematic kits common to the museums in the Schools/Museums network,

  • creation for each country of a planning for the implementation of these kits in real life situations.


    4th Africa 2009 Regional course on the conservation and management of immovable cultural heritage
    Financed by: World Heritage Fund, SIDA, NORAD, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish National Heritage Board, ICCROM

    Participants visiting the old town of Porto-Novo

    Date: from September 02 to November 22, 2002

    Place: Ecole du patrimoine africain, Porto-Novo

    Organisers: Africa 2009 Programme / Ecole du patrimoine africain

    Number of participants: 18 (architects, urban planners, curators... from 16 French and Spanish-speaking African countries)

    Objectives:

  • bring together African professionals working in the field of immovable heritage and sensitise them to the most important aspects linked to the planning and management of conservation activities in sub-Saharan Africa

  • have an in depth knowledge of the problems and challenges that arise when carrying out conservation activities in a purely African context.


    ACTIVITIES 2002

    II. Seminars and workshops

    Seminar on the Conception and evaluation of cultural mediation programmes

    Financed by: France via UNESCO, Ford Foundation

    Date: from February 25 to March 1st, 2002

    Place: Ecole du patrimoine africain, Porto-Novo

    Number of participants: 12 (from the 5 following institutions: Ecole du patrimoine africain, Jardin des Plantes et de la Nature (JPN), Honmè Museum, Sènou Adandé Ethnographic Museum, Da Silva Museum)

    Objectives:

  • definition of the elements to comprise the course for cultural heritage animators, within the framework of EPA's programmes

  • reflection on the results of the Schools/Museums survey and EPA's pilot activities in schools of Porto-Novo (Académie des Fées / Aguda exhibition, JPN workshops).

    Results:

  • outline of a course for cultural heritage animators (3 months and 9 months course)

  • overview of educational activities led by EPA and participating museums

  • identification of strategies to lay out the PREMA 2 cultural mediation programme of EPA.

    4th Africa 2009 Regional Seminar for Cultural Heritage Directors

    Financed by: World Heritage Fund, SIDA, NORAD, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish National Heritage Board, ICCROM

    Date: from November 18 to 22, 2002

    Place: Ecole du patrimoine africain, Porto-Novo

    Organisers: Africa 2009 Programme / EPA

    Number of participants: 38 (the 18 participants of the Course, their directors, and 4 sponsors' observers)

    Objectives:

  • take stock of the evolution of the Africa 2009 Programme and give orientations on its future with a particular stress on the 2003-2005 activity themes

  • show the work carried out by the Course participants.

    Workshop on the Management of Cultural Heritage in West Africa

    Financed by: Projet d'appui au développement culturel du Bénin
    (Service français de Coopération et d'Action culturelle au Bénin)

    In the framework of the International Day for Museums, May 18, the Projet d'appui au développement culturel du Bénin, the School of African Heritage, the Cultural Heritage Directorate (DPC) of Benin and the Beninese International Council of Museums Committee (COBICOM), co-organised a series of events, among which a workshop on "The Management of Cultural Heritage in West African Museums" from May 16 to 17, and a conference on "Preventive conservation in Museums" on May 18th 2002.

    Date: from May 16 to 18, 2002

    Place: INFOSEC / French Cultural Centre, Cotonou

    Organisers: EPA/DPC-Benin, COBICOM

    Number of participants: 44

    Objectives:

  • make an assessment of the management of African cultural heritage

    Results:

  • papers on the cultural heritage of participating countries.

    Workshop on the Illustration of story books for children

    Financed by: Ford Foundation

    Cover of the 'Magic Drum'

    Date: from November 13 to 15, 2002

    Place: Jardin des plantes et de la nature (Botanical Garden), Porto-Novo

    Facilitator: CEFORA

    Number of participants: 15, comprising professional illustrators of books for children, teaching staff from schools, cultural heritage teachers.

    Context:
    This workshop takes place in the framework of the PREMA 2 Schools/Museums Programme, "Didactic material" section. The global objective of this programme is to improve the educational offer of museums and related institutions especially towards schoolchildren.

    Objectives:

  • sensitise people working in the field of art to create a synergy between their work and the teaching of cultural heritage

  • think about a production charter for illustrated material on cultural heritage for children

  • create and animate interdisciplinary exchanges between different African actors working in the field of illustration for children.

    Results:

  • Drawings for the selected tales

  • Production of two mock-ups of the two selected tales

    Workshop on the Validation of the Schools/Museums survey

    Financed by: Ford Foundation

    Date: from December 16 to 19, 2002

    Place: Ecole du patrimoine africain, Porto-Novo

    Number of participants: 28

    Objectives:

  • presentation of the survey results

  • presentation and validation of action and strategy proposals.

    Results:

  • validation of the possible entries for the teaching of cultural heritage in school curricula

  • validation of action and strategy proposals

  • setting up of a network: ECOMUSE

  • commitment of partners in the field of education, particularly the Fédération africaine des parents d'élèves et d'étudiants - FAPE (the African Federation of Pupils' and Students' Parents).


    ACTIVITIES 2002

    III. Providing of services

    Study on the rehabilitation of the historical heritage of Porto-Novo

    Financed by: World Bank-Benin

    Back façade of the central mosque of Porto-Novo
      Back façade of the central mosque of
      Porto-Novo
    Date: from September 10, 2001 to September 09, 2002

    Objectives: start a dynamic for the rehabilitation of the historical heritage of Porto-Novo, through the recommendation of strategies, management policies, incentive mechanisms and pilot operations. To reinforce and promote the authenticity of the town of Porto-Novo characterised by a mixture of ancient and modern cultures, to make a database in the field of safeguarding, rehabilitation and classification of sites and monuments which could be used by researchers, architects, development organisations and politicians.

    Results:

  • interest of local communities
  • typology of cultural heritage in Porto-Novo
  • geographical delimitation of the historic centre
  • inventory format
  • analysis of the current legislation concerning cultural heritage
  • creation of two associations for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of Porto-Novo: the Union des Houédouto (U-Houédo) and the Association des propriétaires de bâtiments et sites patrimoniaux (APP)
  • proposal of a pilot programme for 3 buildings
  • consolidation of EPA's expertise in the field of immovable cultural heritage.


    Survey on the Relationships between Schools and Museums

    Financed by: French cooperation

    Date: from March 2001 to February 2002

    Places : Burkina Faso, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Senegal, Guinea Conakry

    Objectives:

  • gather and analyse primary school curricula,

  • gather and analyse school books recommended and used for the teaching of subjects linked to cultural heritage in primary schools (history, geography, arts, music...),

  • gather and analyse secondary school curricula in history, geography, art, music,

  • gather and analyse opinions of actors in the field of formal education (primary and secondary school directors, primary and secondary school teachers, inspectors, parents' associations).

    Activities:

  • field surveys
  • collecting and analysis of school curricula
  • workshop on the validation of the survey results from December 16 to 19, 2002 at EPA, Porto-Novo

    Results:

  • proposals for the insertion of cultural heritage notions in school curricula according to each country's realities
  • knowledge of the opinion of the actors of the formal educational system.


    Inventory and cultural tourism on the Slave route

    Financed by: UNESCO's "Slave Route" project

    Date: from September 10, 2001 to April 31, 2002

    Place: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Chad, Togo, Benin and Centrafrique

    Objectives :

  • make an inventory of sites linked to the slave trade

  • study the enhancement conditions of these sites for cultural tourism by trying to consolidate national, regional or sub-regional policies relative to the project.

  • suggest a programme for professional training for actors of cultural tourism.

    Activities:

  • a methodology workshop from September 10 to 14, 2001 at EPA, Porto-Novo.
  • field surveys from September 15, 2001 to April 31, 2002.
  • a feedback workshop from November 26 to 30 at EPA, Porto-Novo.

    Results:

  • setting up of an inventory methodology
  • inventory of sites for each country
  • identification of priority actions for cultural tourism on the Slave trade.


    Anécho

    Financed by: UNESCO

    Anécho: selected building

    Date: from October 2001 to April 2002

    Objectives: identify and chose, with the permission of the Togolese authorities and the community of the town of Anécho, in Togo, an ancient building of Afro-Brazilian style, and evaluate the cost of having it rehabilitated and transformed into a museum on the Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage in the Bight of Benin.

    Results:

  • project document containing a series of actions to carry out in order to assure the conservation and enhancement, as a museum, of the selected building
  • evaluation of the global cost.


    Studies for Internet technology projects

    Financed by: UNESCO's World Heritage Center

    EPA created two projects for the creation of Web sites, on behalf of UNESCO.

    1. Kuwait

      Date: from May 17 to 30, 2002

      Institution: Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (Museum of Islamic Arts)

    2. Egypt

      Date: from October 3 to 17, 2002

      Institution: Nubia Museum, Aswan


    ACTIVITIES 2002

    IV. Publishing

  • Reports and documents:
    • Slave Route : General report and presentation of results by country in 4 volumes, with in annexes the reports on the methodology workshop, the restitution workshop and the national reports
    • Course on Documentation of museum collections for Angolan museum professionals: Report
    • Project document for the creation of a Web site on Dar al-Athar al-Islamiyyah (Museum of Islamic Arts), Kuwait
    • Project document for the creation of a Web site on the Nubia Museum, Egypt
    • Inventory of the historical heritage of Porto-Novo (data base)
    • Report on the Workshop for the Validation of the Schools/Museums survey
    • Report on the first course for African cultural animators

  • Other:

    • Mock-up of the Guide du Patrimoniteur (Guide for the cultural animator)
    		Financed by: UNESCO

    • Mock-up of the tale The Magic Drum (34 illustrated pages, French-English bilingual edition)
    • Mock-up of the tale How Chameleon Became a Teacher of Wisdom (24 illustrated pages, French-English bilingual edition)

    These two mock-ups were made in the framework of the PREMA 2 Schools/Museums Programme, "Didactic material" section.
    These tales form southern Benin were adapted and translated by Raouf Mama, storyteller.
    The illustrations were made by four artists during the Workshop on the Illustration of Storybooks for Children organised by EPA in November 2002.

    Financed by: Ford Foundation Cover of 'How Chameleon became a Teacher of Wisdom'
     Cover of How Chameleon Became a
     Teacher of Wisdom


    ACTIVITIES 2002

    V. Other activities


    Académie des Fées (Academy of Fairies)

    Financed by : EPA, Benin

    Académie des Fées

    Date : launched on February 12, 2001

    Place : Porto-Novo

    Number of participants : 4 primary schools of Porto-Novo

    Objectives : to improve the quality of African children's lives (aged 6 to 14) by suggesting activities which develop their cultural and artistic sensitivity. This is essential for the preservation of the positive values of creativity and innovation.

    The theme for the year 2002 was African traditional tales.

    International meetings


    Participation in the meeting on the drawing out of the cultural cooperation action plan between the European Union and West Africa, Burkina Faso, from December 6 to 13, 2002.


    Participation in a workshop on the "Management of World Heritage Sites", from November 11 to 13, Padova (Italy), on the invitation of Unesco's World Heritage Center.


    Participation in the "Rencontres Africalia" on cultural cooperation organised with the support of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from October 30 to November 4, Bamako, Mali.


    Participation in the conference on "The Teaching of World Heritage and New Technologies in Africa", organised by UNESCO's World Heritage Center and the Regional Office of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, Senegal, from October 15 to 17, 2002.


    Exhibition stand on "The traditional and historic habitat of Porto-Novo" at the Centre de promotion de l'artisanat (Centre for the promotion of arts and crafts), in the framework of the National week of habitat, Cotonou, from October 7 to 12, 2002.


    Participation in the 13th triennial meeting of ICOM-CC, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), from September 22 to 28, 2002.


    Participation in a workshop "World Heritage sites in Africa and Sustainable Development" organised by UNESCO's Wold Heritage Center and the Ministry of Environment of South Africa, Johannesburg, from August 19 to 23, 2002.


    Participation in the conference "Training for transformation", organised by the National Treasury of South Africa, Iziko Museums of Cape Town and the Conference Workshop and Cultural Initiative Fund, Cape Town, South Africa, from February 27 to March 1st, 2002.


    Participation in a consultative meeting: "Cooperation in Cultural Heritage on the African Continent" and a conference on the same theme, organised by UNESCO's Cultural Heritage Division and UNESCO's Regional office for Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Accra, from January 17 to 23, 2002.

    All our thanks to our funding, institutional and technical partners for supporting our activities in 2002:

    Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    Ford Foundation
    French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
    NORAD (Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation)
    Sida (Swedish International Development Agency)
    Swedish National Heritage Board
    World Bank

    ICCROM
    UNESCO
    Université d'Abomey-Calavi

    Africa 2009
    Architecture et développement
    Centre national d'enseignement à distance (CNED)
    Ecole africaine des métiers de l'architecture et de l'urbanisme (EAMAU)
    Société d'Etudes Régionales d'Habitat et d'Aménagement Urbain-Société Anonyme (SERHAU-SA)