heritage
11 May 2006
The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport in conjunction
with the National Heritage Council (NHC) will host a Heritage Consultative
Conference on Saturday, 13 May 2006, from 09h00 to 19h00 at the Gateway to
Robben Island, Clock Tower Precinct, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town. The theme
of the conference is âChallenges of Heritage in the Age of Hope.â
The main aim of the Consultative Heritage Conference is to allow the sector
to address the state of heritage and assist in drafting a provincial heritage
development plan. It is anticipated that the plan will strategise how the
heritage sector will contribute to tourism, economic growth, poverty
alleviation, spatial development frameworks, and the Provincial Growth and
Development Strategy (PGDS). The outcome of the conference will form part of
the national heritage transformation programme led by the NHC.
The conference will ensure that the preservation and development of heritage
takes into account the 2010 Soccer World Cup and its implications to cultural
tourism as well as the cultural identity of the province.
Among all the provinces, the Western Cape features prominently in the
history of slavery and should take a leading role in this regard. The
Consultative Heritage Conference will also deal with the commemoration of slave
history. Robben Island is very symbolic both as a World Heritage Site as well
as the site where struggles for human rights were staged. It also has strong
links to the history of slavery as well as a colonial entry point. The Western
Cape is very symbolic for its history of dispossession since the Khoi-San
people interacted with colonial settlers.
The Consultative Heritage Conference will ensure that the heritage sector in
the Western Cape agree on issues pertaining to the review of the current
heritage legislation and policies. Emphasis will be placed on the following
heritage sub-sectors:
* Community museums,
* State-aided museums,
* Geographical names,
* Archives, libraries and symbols,
* Khoi-San heritage,
* Slave heritage,
* Living heritage,
Heritage practitioners, academics, municipalities, institutions and
community organisations will be part of the conference.
The media is invited to attend the conference and a media briefing at 11h00
at the same venue.
For enquiries please contact:
Mandla Yeki
Departmental Spokesperson
Tel: (021) 483 9804
Cell: 082 5533 477
Danny Goulkan
Marketing and Communications Manager
The National Heritage Council
Tel: (012) 348 1663
Cell: 072 952 2260
Issued by: Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, Western Cape Provincial
Government
11 May 2006
