EPA > Background > PREMA

Activities carried out by PREMA

From 1986 to 2000 PREMA developed five interdependent activities :

1. International university courses
2. National/sub-regional courses
3. Regional seminars for directors
4. Teacher training
5. Technical assistance/Network development

International university courses

They last 9 months and amount to 1200 hours of pedagogical activities comprising : lectures, practical work, pedagogical outings and study tours in African and European museums.

• 1987 - Rome, Italy
• 1988 - Rome, Italy
• 1989 - Rome, Italy
• 1990 - Rome, Italy
• 1991 - Rome, Italy
• 1992 - Rome, Italy
• 1993 - Jos, Nigeria
• 1995 - Accra, Ghana
• 1997 - Porto-Novo, Benin
• 1999 - Porto-Novo, Benin

87 participants.
38 countries.

With :
The National University of Benin
The University of London
The University of Paris 1

95% of the participants graduated.
90% still work in the same field.

National/sub-regional courses

Their aim is to create a programme of preventive conservation in the museums of the country hosting the course. Museum professionals from neighbouring countries often participate.

Courses last three months.

• 1989 - Ghana
• 1990 - Ivory Coast
• 1991 - Zambia
• 1992 - Benin
• 1994 - Madagascar
• 1995 - Zimbabwe
• 1996 - Guinea
• 1997 - Malawi
• 1998 - Benin
• 1999 - Ethiopia

200 m² of museum stores were built.
10 stores were completely reorganized.
More than 200 participants.
22 countries.

Directors' seminars

Their aim is to integrate preventive conservation in the overall development of museums.The seminars last from one to two weeks.

• 1990 - Niamey, Niger
• 1991 - Livingstone, Zambia
• 1992 - Bamako, Mali
• 1993 - Jos, Nigeria
• 1994 - Antananarivo, Madagascar
• 1995 - Libreville, Gabon
• 1995 - Accra, Ghana
• 1997 - Porto-Novo, Benin
• 1999 - 9^th seminar for museum directors, Porto-Novo, Bénin

100 participants.
46 countries.

Teacher training

The aim is to train two teachers (one English-speaking and one French-speaking) in various fields of heritage conservation.

In 1997, 80% of the teachers of the international university course and 90% of the teachers of the national/sub-regional courses were African museum professionnals.

Technical assistance/Network development

This programme aims at promoting projects in preventive conservation by giving institutions scientific and technical material, equipment and documentation ; by allocating grants to participate in meetings and conferences, and by financing special programmes.

The PREMA database, started in 1991, offers many possibilities for regional co-operation, and is an important step towards the creation of an information network on conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

It gathers more than 700 items of information on courses, participants, teachers, technical assistance, sponsors, African museums and museums possessing African artefacts and is a source of information on a variety of activities in which institutions and museum professionals participate.

Link between professionals and institutions, the database reinforces dialogue and enables the good functioning of the PREMA programme and African museums.