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INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP "INNOVATIVE MUSEUM MARKETING"
Nairobi and Mfangano Island, Kenya – 22-26 Sept. 2008
- by Anne Avaro, Ecole du Patrimoine
Africain (EPA)
The first Anglophone technical
workshop in the framework of EPA's Museums
in the Service of Development programme took place in Nairobi
and Mfangano Island, Kenya, on the theme: "Improved marketing of the
museum: development of innovative products".
Eighteen participants assembled at
the National Museums of Kenya
in Nairobi for the first day, then the workshop continued at the
Abasuba Community Peace Museum on Mfangano Island, in lake Victoria. The participants, who came from 11
countries (Botswana, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Niger, South
Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), discovered through a
dozen presentations, their colleagues' experiences in the area of
public programmes and marketing. On the basis of experiences and
concepts presented during the talks, practical group work applied to
the Abasuba Community Peace Museum complemented the workshop. The work consisted in suggesting and
drawing up four public programmes for this new museum, which was
hosting visitors for the first time in its recently completed building.
A trip to Kwitone rock art site, which is
part of the museum's circuit, enabled participants to
evaluate, criticize and suggest improvements to the circuit.
The workshop was considered a success
by most participants, as is shown in the few following remarks:
"I was able to see that African museums
face similar challenges.
I discovered a variety of experiences from various museums that can be
used,
from the point of view of fundraising, marketing and involvement of the
community.
Our museum is a little behind; I must use these experiences if it has
to be a museum of the 21st century."
Candia Leone, Curator,
Natural History, Uganda Museum
"The practical group work enabled us to
develop four programmes for the Abasuba community museum.
We left them with 'homework' to do and to implement. But it will also
be very useful to us: we will be able to develop practical programmes
through this.
Also, the importance and the value of the workshop was in making
contacts:
we are starting a new type of museum and we don't have reference
points, so we need to share with others,
even if they don't specialise in fishing. It is important to share in
order to advance instead of being stuck."
Cássimo Marojo, Manager, Fisheries
Museum, Mozambique
"The workshop was an opportunity to
interact with others and learn from them.
It was also an opportunity for
benchmarking. It is only when interacting that you can know if you are
making progress.
Also, usually we think of ourselves when
developing an activity, but here we learnt to go from our audiences'
needs [...]".
Nakiso Kubanji,
Senior Curator, Education, Botswana National Museum
Special thanks to Lorna Abungu from Okello Abungu Heritage Consultants,
Terry Little from TARA,
Mubiana Luhila from CHDA,
and to the NMK and
Abasuba Community Peace Museum teams.
website
& images ©
2008 TARA