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| Sharing Heritage Expertise |
No.10, December 2019 |
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 | | Welcome to our 10th Sharing Heritage
Expertise newsletter and the last one of 2019! Our current article presents the
training ‘Sharing Stories on Contested Histories’, a unique three-year
programme initiated in 2018 by the Shared Cultural Heritage programme of the
Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. The 2019 training is currently
nearing its end, after two very busy and thought-provoking weeks. In Meet our
Partner, we introduce you to SteenhuisMeurs and we finish off with an overview
of our recent projects and activities. Good readings! |
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| .jpg?v=20191211120013 "Participants of the 2019 training at the Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam (photo: Kasper Marinus).") | | The ‘Sharing Stories on Contested Histories’ training programme |
| How do you tell
stories about shared cultural heritage? What should be the role of museums and
other cultural institutions in facilitating a dialogical and polyphonic
approach towards the presentation of histories that are contested? And how can
this be achieved? In 2018, and for the first time, an international training
programme focused on telling stories about contested histories was organised in
the Netherlands. Initiated by the Shared Cultural Heritage programme of the
Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), the ‘Sharing Stories on Contested Histories’ training was organised together with the
Reinwardt Academy, and the participants came from the 10 shared heritage
partner countries and from the Netherlands. As the second of three trainings is now nearing its end, our feature article explores this
unique programme and its added value for heritage and museum professionals and
academics.
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|  | | Meet our Partner, SteenhuisMeurs |
| SteenhuisMeurs is a research and consultancy firm focused on heritage transformations,
ranging from buildings to entire landscapes. The starting point of any of its
projects is the identification of the cultural-historical value of the heritage
at stake, which is then translated into new developments. This can be done in
the form of architectural and transformation guidelines, area visions and
project supervision. The experts of SteenhuisMeurs have vast expertise in
developing strategies for sustainable tourism, for adaptive re-use and the
redevelopment of buildings, complexes or urban districts (including listed
heritage), and for integral development, i.e. heritage conservation linked to
other challenges (such as water safety or economic development). SteenhuisMeurs
works with the public and private sectors, in the Netherlands and abroad.
SteenhuisMeurs often works together with the Shared
Cultural Heritage programme of the RCE. For instance, in October 2018, Paul
Meurs (SteenhuisMeurs) and Jean-Paul Corten (RCE) gave a workshop in Moscow on the redevelopment of industrial sites along the
Yauza River. And last September, SteenhuisMeurs contributed to the workshop ‘Recife exchange Holland’ (RxH 2019), with other institutions from the
Netherlands, including the RCE. This workshop was aimed at formulating a
sustainable future vision for the historic city centre of Recife, as integrated
into a larger urban landscape, while considering current issues related to
water, climate and mobility.
Besides workshops,
lectures and trainings, SteenhuisMeurs provides services such as advice and
supervision, it develops co-creation projects, publishes manuals and other
publications, and develops exhibitions. An example is the book ‘Re-use, redevelop and design: How the Dutch deal with Heritage’ and the namesake exhibition focused on the Dutch experience with adaptive reuse. Both constitute a
collaboration with the RCE in the context of the Shared Cultural Heritage
programme. For more information, please contact mail@steenhuismeurs.nl.
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| | | ‘Risk Management for
Collections’ workshop in Cape Town, South Africa // 25 – 29 November // Bart
Ankersmit (RCE) and Martijn de Ruijter (Reinwardt Academy) delivered a 5-day
training in the Slave Lodge Museum within the framework of the Shared Cultural
Heritage Programme. Organised in collaboration with Iziko Museums and the South
African Museum Association (SAMA), this training was aimed at mid-career museum
professionals. It was based on the RCE’s publication ‘Risk Management for Collections’, and consisted of practical
assignments for which the Slave Lodge Museum acted as a case study.
Participants learnt how cultural values can be analysed, utilised and
preserved and were trained in this integrated approach to risk management and
decision-making. The training also included discussions, and experiences and
views on integral decision-making were shared.
Training in textile
conservation in Kimberley, South Africa // 11 – 14 November // The
third training of a multi-year train-the-trainer programme on collection conservation
for museum professionals in South Africa took place in November, this time
about textile conservation. Three textile conservators of the Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam – Suzan Meijer, Carola Holz and Marjolein Koekas – and Alexandra van
Kleef of the RCE, travelled to the McGregor Museum in Kimberley in the
Northern Cape province. The training consisted of presentations, practical
workshops, discussions and networking opportunities. The participants learnt
about the differences between vegetable, animal and synthetic fibres, the
cleaning of dyed textiles, how to conserve beadwork and many other things
related to their daily work. The exchange of knowledge and experiences that
characterises these trainings is very valuable and inspirational for the South
African and the Dutch museum professionals.
State Visit and new and
continuing collaborations in Kerala, India // 17 – 19 October // During
the Shared Cultural Heritage session as part of the State Visit of the King and
Queen of the Netherlands to Kerala, Jinna Smit, Programme Director Shared
Cultural Heritage (RCE), spoke about how the Netherlands and India work
together to ensure a sustainable future for our shared cultural heritage.
Subsequently, she spoke with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) about
their plan to realise a Dutch Gallery in Mattancherry Palace in Kochi and she
visited St. Francis Church in Kochi to talk about their plans for the Dutch
Cemetery in Kochi. Also, a round table was held with the Muziris Heritage
Project, focusing on collaboration between the RCE and this project group on
the urban revitalization of Alleppey. In 2020, these discussions will result in
collaborations with ASI, St. Francis Church and the Muziris Heritage Project.
Revival
of the Hill organ at Wolvendahl Church in Colombo, Sri Lanka // 30 September – 14 October
// Start of the second phase of the restoration project of two pipe organs in two Dutch reformed churches
in Sri Lanka. The Hill organ (1870) in the Wolvendaal church in Colombo is the
first instrument to resound after years of silence. In the context of the
Shared Cultural Heritage programme of the RCE, the Dutch organ builders firm
Elbertse worked together with local artisans to repair and maintain these
musical instruments. Central to this project is making knowledge and skills
available in Sri Lanka for future maintenance. This project is supported by the
Christian Reformed Church in Sri Lanka and by the Netherlands Embassy in Sri
Lanka.
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| | Workshop ‘Shared Heritage Lab’
in Semarang, Indonesia // 28 October – 4 November // This joint workshop of the technical universities of Bandung and Delft is a preparation for
the graduation project for the students of both institutions. The RCE’s Shared
Cultural Heritage programme supported this workshop by sharing knowledge and
expertise. During the workshop, the students jointly investigated if and how
the historical qualities of the city can contribute to current social
challenges. One of the urgencies in Semarang is the periodic flood. Because of
the water issues, the Dutch architectural firm MLA+ also took part in the
workshop, at the invitation of the RCE. The results of the workshop are shared
with the municipality and thus serve not only the graduation of the students
involved, but also the local authorities.
HUL Quick Scan training in
Banjarmasin, Indonesia // 27 October – 2 November // Banjarmasin’s (Borneo) historic urban
landscape consists of numerous settlements near and on the water and several
distinct historical kampungs. Today, Banjarmasin is facing rapid modernisation
and urbanisation and its riverside settlements suffer from pollution and urban
degeneration. How can Banjarmasin maintain its unique water-related identity?
And how to revitalise its historical riverside kampungs? This was the focus of the workshop organised by the Municipality of Banjarmasin, Heritage Hands-On, IPB University,
Trisakti University and the RCE. Students and young professionals from several
cities in Indonesia and local stakeholders followed the Quick Scan method
developed by the RCE (based on the principles of UNESCO’s HUL approach) to
address these issues.
Exhibition
‘Reuse, Redevelop and Design’ in Kazan, Russia // 7 – 22 October //
This exhibition, focused on sustainable re-use, has been travelling across Russia and was exhibited in Kazan in October. A workshop
on the possibilities of re-use and sustainable redevelopment of the industrial
monuments on the shores of Lake Kaban took place, and it was aimed at Russian
architecture and urban design students. The goal of this workshop was to
contribute to the development of the Kaban district. The workshop took place at
the request of AUIPIK, one of the RCE’s partner organisations in Russia, and
was carried out by the RCE in collaboration with Mei Architects and Planners
and Novascape, together with Russian experts.
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| | Collaborative research on shared military and
maritime heritage // In recent months, Bas
Kreuger (commissioned by the Maritime Heritage International Programme of the
RCE), carried out research at the National Archives of Australia and the Australian War Memorial.
This was part of the research on the Drama of Broome, the Japanese attack on
the north-western Australian city of Broome on 3 March 1942. During this
attack, 11 Dutch airplanes were lost and between 70 and 100 people, mostly
civilians, were killed. Agreements were made with the Western
Australia Museum on an above and underwater archaeological research into the
four still missing Dutch aircrafts of the Naval Aviation Service. This research
expedition is planned for 2020. Furthermore, a start was made
on investigating a Dutch bomber (B-25 bomber N5-254) who was killed in an
emergency landing in north-western Australia in October 1945 and had a large
amount of money on board destined for the former Dutch East Indies (present day
Indonesia) to restart the economy after the Japanese occupation.
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| | Sharing Heritage Expertise is the newsletter of the Shared Cultural Heritage Programme of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. This programme follows from the International Cultural Policy Framework of the Dutch government. Other organisations executing the national Shared Cultural Heritage Programme are DutchCulture and the National Archives of the Netherlands, and the Embassies of the Netherlands in the 10 partner countries. For more information on their activities, see their respective websites.
For more information, please visit our website (English and Dutch) or contact the editor, Sofia Lovegrove (lovegrove.sofia@gmail.com). We welcome comments and suggestions regarding the content of our newsletter. |
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