HERITAGE NEWS

Revitalisation on the cards for the Centre for Heritage Development in Africa The Board of the Centre for Heritage Development in Africa, previously, Program for Museums Development in Africa has the great pleasure in announcing Ms Deirdre Prins-Solani as Director of the Centre for Heritage Development in Africa. Ms Prins-Solani has been instrumental in the development of academic programs in Heritage Management, such as, the African Program for Museums and Heritage Studies, a collaborative post graduate diploma offered by the Universities of Cape Town, Western Cape and Robben Island Museum. She has previously served as President of the South African Museums Association and currently serves as President of AFRICOM. She has also served on the South African Committee of the SANCH (South African National Cultural Heritage, a Training and Technology Program in collaboration between the RSA and the USA), and as member of the Cape Town Committee of the Institutions of Public Culture, a collaborative program between the Centre for the Study of Public Scholarship Emory University and various US and RSA based institutions. Her publications include a chapter called; “The Art of Memory Making” in the Trentham Books Series on Social and Critical Practice in Art. With her combined experience of developing and implementing creative and dynamic educational and public programming strategies, policy development, development of conservation management plans, fundraising and leadership at a strategic level, we are confident as a Board, that with our support, she will lead CHDA into a new and exciting era. Dr Farah, CHDA Board Chairperson Call on Past Participants! The appointment of Ms Prins-Solani comes in the wake of a revitalization strategy planned for CHDA. The Board reviewed the existing structure and proposed one which would optimize the potential of CHDA in becoming a Centre of Excellence for Heritage Development on the continent. Best known for its work in the provision of training for heritage professionals in Movable and Immovable Heritage, the Centre now aims to include Intangible Cultural Heritage and a dynamic public programming strategy. The former in an effort to develop capacity in the management of InCH and the latter strategy aims to ensure that CHDA meets the need for greater public access to dialogue and a shared knowledge of heritage. Activities planned for 2009 include the final Africa 2009 3 month course on the Conservation of Immovable Heritage, Phase II of training in the preparation of Nomination Dossiers for World Heritage status in Africa countries and the revitalization of the CHDA website. CHDA invites past participants of all its activities; as PMDA and CHDA to send letters, articles, photographs which would illustrate the impact the training has had on their site, museum, local and national efforts at conservation, education and socio-economic development. Please send articles; not more than 500 words and illustrative photographs with captions clearly stating the date taken, place, activity & names of people reflected. Short letters and reflections are also invited. The first run submissions deadline: 3 April 2009 Post to; pmda@heritageinafrica.org AND copied to dprins-solani@heritageinafrica.org