Departments > Training and Research

Workshop

The scientific and cultural project: a strategic tool

Dates: May 3 to 7, 2004

Location: EPA, Porto-Novo

Aim: to provide heads of heritage institutions with tools for the elaboration of a scientific and cultural project for their institution.

Target audience: persons in charge of museums or related institutions and senior executives having already carried out projects for museums in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Chad and Togo.

Context: The African cultural landscape is full of heritage institutions (museums, sites or monuments) which appear estranged from their environment so little they are frequented and seem to have no consistent policy. Sometimes, the construction of a building precedes any thought on the functioning and the role of these institutions. They are often also born from generous ideas, either of governments, or individuals with sufficient financial resources.

It is to correct this situation negative to the image of these institutions and thus to the safeguarding and the promotion of the African cultural heritage, that Inp and EPA have organised this workshop for key heritage practitioners in Africa.
The scientific and cultural project (SCP) is meant to define the global policy of a cultural institution regarding the conservation and public diffusion of its collections, by situating the institution in its environment. Internal piloting tool, laying out clear and reachable objectives, it is the basis of negotiations with partners.

The workshop around the SCP marks a new step in the approach of the EPA's training targets. From the individual professional, we address the institution as a whole. This workshop provides an accompaniment and a follow-up of the scientific and cultural projects of the represented institutions, which will henceforth take into account this new point of view of a global approach for their institutions.

Content:

• Assessment of situation in African museums
• Strategic interest of the SCP
• Mode of elaboration of the SCP: assessment of what exists; definition of the museum, site or monument concept; choice of scientific objectives; elaboration of an audience policy; etc.
• Architectural programming for the creation or the renovation of an institution.

Methodology: debates, lectures, practice, site visits.

Coordination and facilitators: Institut national du patrimoine – Inp / Ecole du Patrimoine Africain – EPA

Financing: ICCROM ; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, France ; Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy.