Museum
13 September 2006
A community's heritage is part of its identity. The role of museums is to
create opportunities for individual and communities to identify who they are in
the world. The purpose of this Presidential Node Project is to transform the
Beaufort West Museum into an institution where previously marginalised
communities can discover their identity and in so doing, contribute towards the
national and provincial directives of building social and human capital.
The project will seek to collect, document, interpret and conserve the
heritage of the people of the Central Karoo region. It will be based on
scientific as well as community-based research thus allowing multiple voices
into the knowledge base of the museum and working within the thematic scope of
the museum.
"The history of the Beaufort Karoo, famous people of the region and the role
of the church," much can be done to transform the way in which this theme is
interpreted and presented to the public. Research will focus on community
origins, history and identity through the study and investigation of the
following themes:
* palaeontology (in partnership with Iziko Museums of Cape Town and the
Karoo National Park)
* archaeology
* the mission church, and focusing on the congregation rather than on the
missionaries
* development of infrastructure in the region (local history)
* local heroes or icons of Beaufort West and surroundings
* contemporary history and popular memory
The project was introduced to the people of Beaufort West at a public
meeting held on 28 March 2006. The Western Cape Education Department's local
management in the region was briefed on the project and how it can support the
curriculum. Arrangements were made to present outreach education programmes in
schools. The Museum Service developed teaching and learning materials. During
May 2006 oral history and family history education programmes, i.e. the theory
of oral history interviews, interview skills and a practical session, were
presented at the following schools:
* Merweville Laerskool: Grade 7 - 10 learners
* St Matthews Prim�re Skool: Grade 7 - 108 learners
* JD Crawford Prim�re Skool: Grade 7 - 107 learners
* Layton Prim�re Skool: Grade 5-7 - 16 learners
* Leeu-Gamka Prim�re Skool: Grade 7 - 61 learners
* Murraysburg Prim�re Skool Grade 7 - 119 learners
* Restvale Prim�re Skool: Grade 7 - 38 learners
* George Fredericks Prim�re Skool: Grade: 7 - 32 learners
* AH Barnard Prim�re Skool: Grade: 7 - 132 learners
* AH Barnard Prim�re Skool Grade: 5 - 32 learners
* Teske Gedenk Prim�re Skool Grade: 7 - 75 learners (at the museum).
On International Museum Day, 18 May 2006, grade 11 and 12 learners competed
in a debate on "My heritage" at the Beaufort West Museum. In the meanwhile,
Museum Scientific Service staff is pursuing research on the aforementioned
themes.
During September 2006 the Beaufort West Museum will mount an exhibition of
the memory projects done by the learners who participated in the education
programmes. The museum service will collect and evaluate the work prior to the
exhibition. It is hoped that a research assistant can be employed on a contract
basis to start collecting and archiving oral history recordings in the latter
part of the year.
The following members of staff of museum service form the project team:
* Pieter Schoonees - project leader
* Tessa Davids - collections manager
* Amanda Human - palaeontology
* Jaline de Villiers - archaeology and the built environment
* Leon Vorster - mission church
* Juna Malherbe - local heroes or icons and genealogy
* Michael Jonas - contemporary history and popular memory
Michael Jonas, Jaline de Villiers, Juna Malherbe and Jeremy Jeptha presented
the outreach education programmes. The above-mentioned staff members are not
exclusively dedicated to the project but are involved in many others as well.
Staff of the Beaufort West Museum are actively involved in the programme,
particularly the Museum Manager, Sandra Smit. The learners' projects will go a
long way in identifying which heritage and conservation issues are important to
the community. The museum's collection policy will then need to be reviewed and
an active programme of collecting under-represented material will commence in
conjunction with scholarly and community research. This is the basis upon which
new exhibitions are constructed and it is envisaged that it will take at least
three years before significant changes will be implemented at the Beaufort West
Museum.
Enquiries:
Beverley Thomas
Assistant Director: Museum Scientific Service
Tel: (021) 505 1534
Sandra Smit
Manager: Beaufort West Museum
Tel: (023) 415 2308
Issued by: Department of Sport and Cultural Affairs, Western Cape Provincial
Government
13 September 2006
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
