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Archival Platform May 2010 Newsletter
Download the Archival Platform May newsletter here.
Dear Colleagues,
This month the world celebrates International Museum Day. The International Council of Museums (ICOM) has selected the theme ‘Museums for Social Harmony’ as the focus for Museum Day and for their annual conference. It has prepared some thought-provoking documents on the critical role that museums have to play in this regard. In the month that our museums celebrate International Museum Day it seems appropriate to highlight positive developments in the sector, to examine ways in which museums are breathing new life into their collections and displays and to raise some critical questions!
Picking up on the broader issue of museums, our AP Blog reflects on museums that deal with the memory of conflict, using archival material as the basis for their displays. And, just for fun we’ve taken a look at some wacky and wonderful museums too.
We’ve also included news items on the opening of the Workers’ Museum; new exhibitions at Museum Africa and Iziko South African National Gallery, and a conference on audience development in Vienna. We report on the Budget Speech made by Minister of Arts and Culture Lulu Xingwana early this month and raise a few questions about the mandate of the Department of Arts and Culture, especially in relation to social cohesion.
In South Africa, May also marks National Archives and Heraldry Awareness Week. We are pleased to report that two South African collections have been submitted for inclusion on the International Memory of the World Register. We encourage everyone with an interest in archives to attend a conference hosted by the South African Society of Archivists in association with UNISA and the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa in July. We report on the “discovery” of letters written by Nelson Mandela and other documents at the University of Fort Hare, the subsequent “closure” of this archive and the questions that this raises for archivists.
The heritage sector is rapidly coming to terms with new media and technologies. This month Harriet Deacon tells us why Twitter is important; we join archivists around the world in wondering what happens to social media records; marvel at the extraordinary 3D laser scans used by Hans Reuther and his research team to document cultural heritage sites and landscapes and wonder at the impact that the Internet of Things may have on museum practice.
It’s good to know that our legislators have been hard at work. This month we ask you to join us in preparing comments on the Protection of Information Bill for a submission we will be making in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. We also draw your attention to the Department of Arts and Culture’s
2010 legislative programme, the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill and the review of the Constitution and encourage you to participate in whatever way you can!
On the subject of participation, we’re glad to note the initiatives by museum educators in the Western Cape and by the Mapungubwe Action Group. It’s good to see people getting together to act on issues of common concern.
Several of you have asked us about the outcome of the “Letters for Lulu ” campaign. As you may remember, in Heritage Month (September 2009) the Archival Platform launched this campaign (in the spirit of a similar campaign run by former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, called “Tips for Trevor”), to help identify challenges and opportunities in the heritage and archive sector. In the letters received, professional organisations and institutions such as the South African Historical Society and the South African Historical Archive raised concerns about the state of our archives. Young professionals in the sector commented in their letters about the dearth of funding for individuals in the sector, the need to promote oral history, the importance of digitising collections and the need for a review of existing policies on copying materials in archives.
These letters were handed over to the DAC on December 8, 2009. Five months later we are disappointed to note that we have not yet received a response from the MMinister. We were encouraged to receive a call from an official in March, asking for the AP’s postal address and have emailed and phoned various officials in an attempt to try to track down the response – which we understand has been prepared – but have not caught sight of it yet. We look forward to receiving our communication from the Minister and reiterate our commitment to working in partnership with stakeholders, including government, to address problems raised by our readers.
Following up on another issue, we were interested to note the statement by National Heritage Council CEO Sonwabile Mancotya on the issue of struggle songs and offer you a few more days to participate in our online poll, “Heritage or Hate Speech?”
Finally, Mbongiseni Buthelezi introduces a new Archival Platform initiative, One Land: Countless Histories – Ancestral Stories, through which we hope to engage with practitioners, individuals, families and professional and grassroots organisations that are involved in family history.
With best wishes,
Jo-Anne Duggan
Director: Archival Platform
ARCHIVAL PLATFORM BLOGS
The Archive as Museum?
Jo-Anne Duggan reflects on a new generation of museums that make use of material traditionally housed in the archive as a basis for displays and programmes.
One Land: Countless Histories – Ancestral Stories
Mbongiseni Buthelezi writes about a new Archival Platform initiative aimed at all those involved or interested in family history.
In Conversation…
Thokozani Mhlambi interviews a curator and reflects on the challenges of creating an exhibition dealing with the history of music in South Africa.
Heritage Learnerships: A Positive Experience
Sipokazi Nhanhana reflects on her experiences at the Red Location Museum
Why Bother with Twitter?
Harriet Deacon explains why Twitter is important for the Archival Platform, what she tweets about and to whom and how she has seen the AP Twitter profile rise through the ranks to a place in the top 20% of the most influential Twitter feeds on the WeFollow heritage list – and into the top 30% of the archives list.
Museum Education in the Spotlight
Helen Joannides reminds us of the important role museums play in education and tells us about a new initiative to bring museum educators in the Western Cape together.
Recent Additions to the African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes Database
Heinz Reuther describes recent studies undertaken by Zamani, a research group based at the University of Cape Town, and explains how sophisticated 3D laser scans assist with the documentation and conservation of vulnerable heritage sites.
NEWS
International Museum Day
International Museum Day is celebrated around the world in May. Each year, a theme is decided on by the International Council of Museums’ (ICOM) Advisory Committee. This year ICOM will focus on the theme, "Museums for Social Harmony". In explaining the theme, ICOM notes that “the basis for social harmony lies in dialogue, tolerance, co-existence and development, based on pluralism, difference, competition and creativity”, and, that social harmony means “to agree but to stand out, to look for common ground but to keep the difference”. International Museum Day provides the opportunity for museum professionals to meet the public and to alert them to the challenges that museums face if they are to be – as in the ICOM definition of museums – “an institution in the service of society and of its development”.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/international_museum_day/
Arts and Culture Budget Speech 2010
Minister Lulu Xingwana delivered the Arts and Culture Budget Speech on May 5, 2010. We appreciate the news that the Rivonia Trial archives are to be digitised and celebrate the Department of Arts and Culture’s role in safeguarding our heritage from export. But, while our colleagues involved in the arts must have rejoiced at the number of exciting new initiatives mentioned by the minister, those of us involved in heritage, museums and archives were disappointed by the scant attention paid to our sector. It is understandable that the Budget Speech provides an opportunity to focus on projects that grab the popular imagination. But what, we wonder, does this say about the commitment to preserving our documentary heritage and our museum collections?
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/minister_of_arts/
Mandela’s letters found at University of Fort Hare
The Sunday Times on April 25, 2010, reported that a massive collection of Nelson Mandela’s letters, journals and other documents had been found in a storeroom at the University of Fort Hare’s National Heritage and Cultural Studies Centre. These documents, dated between 1993 and 1997, contain details of Nelson Mandela’s presidency and the inner workings of the African National Congress (ANC) and are described by archivist, Mark Snyders, as a “national treasure”. This report was followed within a day or two by an announcement that the ANC had “closed” the archive to the public, pending an investigation by the party.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/mandelas_letters_found_at_university_of_fort_hare/
The Mapungubwe Action Group appeals!
The Mapungubwe Action Group (MAG) has appointed a legal team to assist in their appeal against the awarding of a licence to mine coal in the area. According to MAG members who flew over the proposed mining area recently, it seems that work has already begun on the construction of roads to service the mine. It seems that the minister of mineral resources has the power to respond to the appeal by closing the mine but, should she fail to do so, MAG is prepared to take the matter to court.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/mapungubwe_action_group_appeals2/
National Heritage Council: Criminalising struggle songs is inconsiderate
National Heritage Council (NHC) CEO Sonwabile Mancotywa argues that struggle songs are a part of South African history and that even if the songs evoke uncomfortable memories, they should not be forgotten. Mancotywa suggests that we need those memories to deter us from repeating the actions of the past and notes that, “New songs will emerge as we create new memories that capture both the travails and celebrations of our democratic republic. Ours must be a constant battle against forgetfulness.”
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/criminalizing_struggle/
Social media records pose a new challenge for archivists
Those of you who communicate via email and SMS, who follow Twitter, or who post comments on Facebook, may sometimes regret the loss of a message, or bits of important information that you caught sight of but did not record. You may also sometimes wonder what happens to social media records – archivists are asking this question too. In a recent interview the Archivist of the United States of America, David Ferriero, discussing the importance of archiving social media records explained that “without records we risk losing our memory as a country”. This is clearly a topic that is going to generate serious debate.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/social_media_records/
Department of Arts and Culture 2010 Legislative Programme
The Department of Arts and Culture (DAC) briefed the committee on its legislative programme for 2010. The programme comprises four bills: the Cultural Laws Third Amendment Bill, the Community Libraries Bill, the South African Language Practitioners Council Bill and the South African Languages Bill. Of particular interest to the heritage community is the Cultural Laws Third Amendment Bill, which will amend the Culture Promotion Act 1983, the Cultural Institutions Act 1998, the National Heritage Council Act 1999, the National Heritage Resources Agency Act 1999, the South African Geographical Names Council Act 1998, the National Library of South Africa Act 1998, the South Africa Library for the Blind of South Africa Act 1998, the Legal Deposit Act 1997, the National Council for Library and Information Services 2001, the National Arts Council Act 1997 and the National Film and Video Foundation Act 1997. The Bill aims to align existing legislation with the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act 1999 and thereby to improve the efficiency of the cultural institutions to which more than 70% of the department’s budget was directed. The amendments, through a single bill, are proposed as an alternative to amending each act individually. This is especially important since most of the department’s legislation predated the Public Finance Management Act.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/dac_2010_/
Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill: Public Hearings
The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Bill will be tabled in Parliament soon and is currently being debated in public hearings. The draft Bill, first circulated in 2008, and which aims to grant legal protection to indigenous knowledge, has been heavily criticised by those concerned with the practicalities of implementing its provisions and the way in which it constitutes knowledge as a commodity, rather than a constitutive feature of communities. It has also been criticised by those who are of the opinion that the idea of collective ownership will subvert their view of intellectual property. Concerns have even been raised about the effects this Bill may have on authors who retell traditional stories.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/intellectual_property/
National Heritage Council Discussion Document: Mainstreaming Heritage in Development
The NHC has prepared a discussion document aimed at stimulating debate around the issues of heritage and development and creating awareness of the contribution of heritage to both social and economic development.
The document, which builds on the process initiated by the NHC in 2009, formed the basis for a lively engagement with stakeholders at the NHC Workshop held in Cape Town on
May 4, 2010.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/nhc_discussion/
Archives and Heraldry Awareness Week May 17-21, 2010
The National Archives and the Bureau of Heraldry, through their outreach programmes, are committed to reaching a wider proportion of the community by participating in and initiating public programmes that will ensure the awareness of the existence of archives and their services. The programmes also aim to increase the use of archives by a larger proportion of South African society, including previously disadvantaged groups of our society. In order to increase the public awareness of and access to archival records, the National Archives and Records Service Act hosts Archives and Heraldry Awareness Week every year in conjunction with provincial archives services. During this week, visitors have an opportunity to tour the Archives’ Buildings, view exhibitions and interact with professionals in the field.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/archives_and_heraldry/
UNESCO Memory of the World Programme: New Developments
Two South African institutions have submitted proposals for collections to be listed in the memory of the World International Register in 2011. The National Archives have nominated the CODESA and Multi-Party Negotiating Council collections. Freedom Park has nominated the Medu Art Ensemble collection, highlighting the contributions by Thami Mnyele.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/unesco_memory/
Workers’ Museum Opens
The Workers’ Museum tells a visual tale of the thousands of migrant workers from throughout Southern Africa who moved to the “City of Gold” – Egoli, or Johannesburg. They were treated like slaves and their dismal amenities are depicted in the museum’s permanent exhibition, which includes the original dormitories, concrete bunks and a punishment room. The buildings in the compound are not limited to those of the migrant workers, but also show the different living conditions for black and white workers. There are the artisans’ cottages on Jeppe Street, and crammed between these and the compound, are the backyard rooms of domestic workers, offering a glimpse into those workers’ lives.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/news/entry/workers_museum_opens/
ToTEM: Tales of things and electronic memory
Tales of Things is part of a research project, TOTeM, which will explore social memory in the emerging culture of the Internet of Things. Researchers from across the United Kingdom have provided this site as a platform for users to add stories about their own treasured objects and to connect to other people who share similar experiences. This will enable future generations to have a greater understanding of the object’s past and offers a new way of preserving social history. Content will depend on real people’s stories, which can be geo-located on an online map of the world, where participants can track their object even if they have passed it on. Previous owners will also be updated on the object’s progress via a Twitter feed, which will be unique to each object entered into the system.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/projects/resources/tales_of_things/
OPPORTUNITIES
Call for papers: Global Learning Systems
Call for contributions: postamble. invites papers for a special issue: Under the Lens: South Africa and the 2010 FIFA World Cup™
Call for proposals: The Open Society Initiative invites photographers to submit works for a documentary photography exhibition
Job opportunity: Curator: Museum Africa
Online training: Planets (Preservation and Long-term Access through NETworked Services) training materials available online
Fellowship: Northwestern University, USA, postdoctoral fellowships for Africa-based scholars
CONFERENCES & EVENTS
Records and archives in support of good governance and service delivery
July 13-14, 2010, Pretoria, South Africa
The South African Society of Archivists, in conjunction with the Department of Information Science, UNISA and the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa, will be hosting its second annual conference.
Human/Computer Interaction, Tourism and Cultural Heritage
September 7-8, Romagna region, Italy
This conference seeks to find the common denominator between the human/computer interaction, cultural heritage and the global village, ie, to address all those who are currently working to increase the quality of life of human beings through new technologies and their derivations.
Call for abstracts: DAC Cultural Diplomacy Conference – Redefining the Role of Culture in the 21st Century
May 20-21, 2010, Pretoria, South Africa
The conference is part of a consultative process to develop and adopt a cultural diplomacy policy for South Africa.
African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKS)
June 2-3, 2010, Johannesburg, South Africa
This conference will review AIKS policy development and its application in relation to issues such as food production, ubuntu, linguistic diversity, traditional medicine and rural development.
ICOM’s 22nd General Conference: Museums for Social Harmony
November 7-12, 2010, Shanghai, China
Museums are in a powerful position to play a role as mediators in promoting social harmony and transformation. This conference will provide a platform to share and critique these and other important ideas.
Electronic Visualisation and the Arts
July 1-2, 2010, Vienna, Austria
If you are interested in using new technologies in the cultural sector – as an artist, policy maker, manager, researcher, practitioner or educator – then this conference is for you!
I-CHORA 5: Fifth International Conference on the History of Records and Archives
July 1-3, 2010, London, United Kingdom
The theme for I-CHORA 5 is "Records, archives and technology: interdependence over time".
Communicating the Museum: Audiences – Keeping the Old, Finding the New
July 1-2, 2010, Vienna, Austria
Share ideas with museum professionals on the use of new communication technologies and strategies to retain existing audiences and to attract new supporters.
The Real Story? Personal Papers, Life Histories and Africa
June 8, 2010, London, United Kingdom
The conference will consider questions such as: What can collections of private papers tell us about African history and biography and how have they been used by historians?
RESOURCES
Open access software
Keith Breckenridge tells us why Zotero, the research tool for historians and those who think like them, is such a useful application and explains how to install it.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/projects/resources/zotero_research/
Africa Past and Present
Episode 40 of Africa Past and Present, the podcast about African history, culture and politics, is now available. In this episode, Paul Tiyambe Zeleza (Loyola Marymount University) examines aspects of the history of Africa and its diaspora. He also discusses the themes of his new book, Barack Obama and African Diasporas, as well as globalisation and Africa and changes over time in the nature and focus of African Studies.
http://www.archivalplatform.org/projects/resources/africa_past/
Comments
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