Network of Community Museums: Workshop Report

Report on Network of Community Museums- Dates: 4- 5 August 2011
Khanya College Winter School 2011

In the previous Community Museums Network Workshop during the Winter School 2010 participants discussed the legislative and political context in which community museums in South Africa operate. The discussion was based on a detailed analysis of the relevant heritage legislation affecting museums in general. Delegates identified major shortfalls of the policy documents with regards to recognising the particular significance and invaluable role of community museums for the heritage sector. It was concluded that policies are catering mainly for government run national flagship museums. Current legislation also offers no guidelines for communities on how to take up community memory and heritage projects or the creation of community based museums, the group assessed,. The debate on evident gaps of national policies resulted into a proposal for the potential creation of new policy documents for community museums as well as on a draft programme of action that the network could initiate to achieve the inclusion of community museums in the national agenda of heritage preservation and promotion. It was further stressed that community museums have a special quality and relevancy for communities and can offer alternatives in heritage practices often because of their independence from government structures. The need for awareness raising for the invaluable contribution of community museums for the development of communities in South Africa on a national level and among stakeholder networks was confirmed.

In the light of the fact that since last year the discussion on the creation of special policies for community museums and the drafted “steps forward towards the inclusion of community museums in the national agenda”  has not been continued, this year’s workshop took up that thread and developed a defined political agenda and programme for the network. Prior to revisiting the programme of action drafted in 2010, a refreshed debate on joint political goals and the definition of political priorities of the organisations involved seemed necessary. For example, the notes of the 2010 discussions flag two different positions regarding the relationship of community museums with government: One position stresses the need to increase the level of trust between national government and community museums, while another position suggests to act independent of government for “there is no freedom of community expression when working with government”. This year we focused on the relationship between the community museums themselves and defining their roles within the communities they represent. Finally we also developed a strategic plan on how we can work hand in hand as community museums from the end of the Winter School to the next in 2012.

4th of August 2011

This year the network was represented by the following museums: District Six Museum, Lwandle Museum of Migrant Labour, Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre, Hector Pieterson Museum, Workers Library Museum/ Khanya College (Daphine Mlambo), University of Johannesburg, Phansi Museum, Kliptown Museum, Africa Unite and Africa unite Initiatives.

Facilitation was divided between Mandy Sanger of District Six Museum and Daphine Mlambo of Khanya College/ Workers Library Museum.

There were 12 participants in total eight being women and four men. 

We addressed set questions towards developing a strategy.

In our first session we looked at definitions and positioning of community museums and kinds of programmes that community museums can work on.

• What characterises/ describes community museums in SA?
-  Community museums are about political education- historical consciousness
-  Reconciliation in society- building bridges
-  Social Justice
-  Building healthy communities or societies by learning from the past
-  Museological practice as in exhibition design, curating, collecting, research and education

In the same session we also problematised community museums in the following ways:
-  They are becoming sites of tourism/ curios where social information is owed by the elite.
-  There is consumerism where certain visitors come e.g. white schools for sustainability.

What is the purpose of community museums?
-  To preserve culture, history in opposition to colonial history
-  Community participation in setting up, running of programmes. There should be joint heritage events and public holiday programmes
-  Oral history programmes
-  Public space for children with interactive ideas.
-  Interaction with community structures
-  Working in the interest of communities displaced or traumatised.
-  Not acting in the interest of specific political parties/ religious groups/ business interests.

In the second session we looked at developing and enhancing programmes for community museums and the network and prepared for the plenary report back.

NB. Some key questions asked include: How do we relate political education to science and transport museums?
-  Science and transport excludes in other words it silences the past and present.
-  Teachers need to present and participate with children in museums.

How do you explain about pain and suffering / Role of community Museums:
-  We should have different stakeholders
-  Try past and present to build a future
-  Find a strategy to work with young people
-  Find techniques of storytelling
-  Create safe spaces
-  Role play/ performances
-  Visual art/ music
-  Ppartnership with day care centres
-  Community museums must not become white elephants
-  Parents should be involved in learning and there must be an integrating strategy

Summary on Strategies to build the community Museums Network

1. To develop a long term/ ongoing programme to make visible the life-histories associated with our sites. To do this we will expand the network to include activists, artists (visual and performance), heritage centres, writers, poets, theatre practitioners e.t.c who work with memory and heritage(e.g. Credo Mutwa Heritage centre)

2. Develop a programme for the network that includes preparation activities for the Khanya winter school so that this is not a one off event.

3. We suggested different regional sessions which shall be discussed below that will lead to a major feedback in August 2012 at the Winter school.

4.Develop a communication strategy for the network e.g. e-mails, newsletters, pamphlet, database, feedback, publications on issues that are important to us.

Summary on Tactics we will use
1. Develop a list or database for broader participation in this network. Look at Africa as a whole too and include artists, board members who work in a range of ways with memory, heritage and history.
2. Develop regional and local networks, - sessions like Imbizos, open days e.t.c.
3. Membership of Sites of Conscience- to build the African Region
4. Part of a broader communication strategy- e-mail network/ newsletter/ t-shirt/ pamphlet/ facebook page

Summary on Tools to Build the Community Museums Network
1. Community Museums Day at each museum in the network- Where there will be popular education in form of arts, performances, sports and senior citizens walks.
2. Imbizo at different museums and themes can be discussed upon.
3.Use media like radio, TV , publications and short films.

Where to start?
1. Create a ‘centre’ for this network at Khanya College where the following will be kept:a database, reports, Logo and slogan formulated, newsletter and a communication channel developed
2. Develop network logo
3. Name of network needs to change to something like (Cultural and Heritage network/ Heritage and community museums network)
4. Preparation strategy for the year until August 2012
5. Fundraising starttegy to support the work of this network. (compiling proposals to Lotto/NHC and we have October as a deadline)

5th of August 2011

We looked at how we can kick start network activities in our own organisations and within our regions. The group was divided into two regions, one for Gauteng including Durban and the other for Eastern and Western Cape.

1. Gauteng Province with Durban included
•  Who will we invite?
-  Academics, Mandela Museum, HPM/ Kliptown museums,
-  Sophiatown (Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre), Workers Library Museum, SAPS, Museum Africa
-  Phansi Museum (Durban), Kwa’Muhle, Killy Campbell (Kwazulu museum), Durban Museum, Durban art gallery/ NSA
-  Johannesburg Art gallery, local NGOs, tour operators
- Poets, musicians, story makers e.t.c.
- Councillors, City of Johannesburg, stakeholders in the hospitality industry

What activities can we do until August 2012?
-  Fun walks and these should be thematic and we should develop t-shirts for the walks: May- June 2012
-  Commemorations such as June 16 and others: ongoing depending on event
-  Outreach programmes to schools: February- March 2012
-  Cultural day for the network: A day to be decided on but in September 2011
-  Culture and heritage workshop: 11/10/01
-  Youth, arts and musical concert/ festival: 6 December 2011
-  Museums familiarisation programmes: End August- September 2011
-  Senior citizens’ day (free entry, story telling): 11/10/01

2. Cape Region (Eastern and Western Cape)
•  Who will we invite?
-  Africa Unite, District Six Museums, Lwandle Museum, Ray Alex Memory centre (Gugulethu/ Heideveldt)
-  Babuleka network, Guga sitheba, Gugulethu Seven, Amy Behl foundation, Iziko museum, Elsies River museums, Comart, NWL- HIM Society, Khayelitsha Museum, Get up!Stand up!. Africa unite initiatives, SOS, Mayibuye, Simonstown/ Somerset West museum, Crosby, Black Dilinga, Sugah
-  From Lwandle: musicians, migrant labour/ Langa pass, community libraries, SKOM Productions, Bulelani Mvoto/ Umbono’omhle, Iliso Labantu, Cape Township film makers, Workers World MP, Chimurenga, CATA (Boarder rural), African Communities Assembly, Amatolo Museum District, Mandela Museum (Qunu), Our heritage, Southend Museum, Oeoni peoples, Footline Africa.

Activities
-  Introduce the Khanya College initiative
-  Get people’s commitment
-  Initiate projects such as music, heritage programmes, community museums day project, exhibition design, booklet

Preparation
-  Organising committee meeting (Lwandle, District Six museum, Africa Unite, Africa Unite Initiatives): 17th of August at 2pm
-  Ideas of t-shirts and design

The major recommendation made by participants was that Khanya should try and make follow up plans instead of waiting until the next winter school as this will appear as if network discussion are beginning again.

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