Posted on January 15, 2010
Museums provide platforms to showcase and present narratives about the historical layers, physical transformations, and changes taking place within communities. The presentations cover subject areas such as lifestyles, diet, clothing, household utilities, weapons, transport, trade, and conflicts. Other areas of themes may include structural with regards to buildings, construction materials, and architectural evolution amongst others. Museums capture through documentation different stages of historical layers and transformations within the society by collecting artifacts cultural and natural, movable and immovable. The materials both tangible and intangible in form, are collected, researched, interpreted, and presented to the public to engage with for leisure or learning (academic) purposes in an organized format.
Museolised (museum) objects usually range from exhibited movable heritage materials in a museum gallery to immovable ones such as; historical buildings, cemeteries, sacred grooves, sacred forests, rock art sites, cities, as well as open grounds and parks. The latter two could be due to their aesthetic values apart from cultural significances. By citing relevant examples, museum's mandates are examined and an argument put through that their roles should go beyond collections, research, and presentation to include active participation in development urban planning processes. Their involvement is seen to play a positive role of determining the city's social as well as economic growth; and that the museums involvement or lack of it can result in social, political and economic conflicts amongst their respective communities.
Every village, town and city has a unique story of its origin and growth. Some areas of significance in the process of a city's growth include the people, their leadership, and lifestyles. This is captured in museums through exhibitions by tools used by various communities in their everyday livelihood activities representation of identity. Other areas of interest in urban development include architecture and planning of basic infrastructural developments such as residential areas, social amenities such as schools, business districts, tourist attraction sites, hospitals, recreational areas, as well as building materials. Some of these details are found in Museum exhibits in different cities as a way of communicating to the public the town's growth covering different time periods.
For a long time, museums have presented urban development and growth in their exhibitions without actively participating in the process to determine the nature of this development. Museums can actively participate in the continuity of urban growth through partnerships with relevant departments, archaeological work, site survey and inventories, impact assessments, and documentation of the findings amongst others. This information can be used by museums for the production of cultural tourism places to improve the economic growth of a city and their countries by giving relevant advice from research undertakings that should connect the past and future developments in terms of integrated heritage values. Contemporary collecting is an important aspect of documenting the present, but museums should go a step further to participate in the planning and decision making in all developments projects planned in every part of the city. This will ensure the retention of old but relevant values in conformity with created new heritage values within the development processes. Museums active participation to shape the current growth of cities is able to ensure conformity and continuity of values and ideas of the founders.
City Museums:
What is a city museum? 'A city museum is a museum about and in the city. It is connected with both the strategy of the city and with its citizens' (1). The above description was given by the former Director of Amsterdam Historical Museum (AHM), while commenting on the relevance of a city museum to its communities. The Director went further to describe the AHM's development involvement by the following statement; 'the museum works with other sorts of collections material and immaterial (tangible and intangible) to give a balanced narration of Amsterdam and its inhabitants. The core objective of the museum's administration is to make it a place and a representation of all Amsterdammers. Therefore, the principles of the concept of social inclusion form the basis of all the exhibition programmes and educational work at the museum' (2). The statement captures the positive influences a museum should play in shaping the social aspects of its communities within the city.
During the fourth conference of the International association of City Museums in 2005, the statement from the then Director of Amsterdam Historical Museum was that AHM is not only active within the four walls of the museum, but have various activities and regular contacts with various kindred organizations in the city. Some of the organizations cited by the former Director are; the City Archive, the Historic Buildings and Heritage Services, as well as Universities. Organizations responsible for part of Amsterdam's heritage, which included; the Stedelijk Museum, which houses Municipal modern art collections and the Rijksmuseum which holds part of Amsterdam's old art collections on long-term loans since 1885 are some of the partners. Through partnerships, these institutions are closely connected with AHM in sharing collections and giving a wider audience a chance to interact with them. AHM's relevance in the ongoing development process in the city of Amsterdam is captured in the following statement by the former Director, 'The museum has established close connections with other cultural institutions in Amsterdam, municipal services and companies in order to provide efficient service deliveries to the people' (3). From the above activities, it is worth noting that AHM is not only physically in the middle of the city but figuratively too, hence playing its role as a development partner.
An example of how the museums participation and being taken seriously by other stakeholders can prevent or generate conflicts is captured in the following incident that happened in Mama Ngina Drive park, found in the coastal city of Mombasa, Kenya in 2008. The park is gazetted as a monument, and protected by an Act of parliament because of its cultural, natural, and aesthetic values. The conflict was sparked off when the Public works department went against the National Museums of Kenya's (NMK) advice not to construct a children's theme park in a certain part of the park. The reason for not constructing in this particular area was because of its archaeological significance as the first settlement of the current indigenous Mombasa residents; as well as the presence of giant baobab trees which mostly signifies burial places for the ancient settlements. The advice given for the development was to either look for an alternative place or not to dig deeper than two feet below the surface. The public works officials didn't heed the advice and the consequences were the exhumation of about twenty skeletons on the day of work commencement. What followed was uproar from the descendants and Mombasa townspeople led by the local politicians. Unfortunately, the anger was directed at the National Museums of Kenya as the custodians of peoples heritage before the people realized that it was the public works department that were to blame for the mess.
Shimoni slave cave monument on south coast region of Kenya, presents case how uncontrolled development, usually undertaken by private developers can endanger a heritage site. The above case witnessed the encroachment in the area by developers who constructing houses on top of the cave, reputed to have been used by Arab slave traders to store their captives before the arrival of ships to transport them to Zanzibar and Bagamoyo for auction. This historical site was being destroyed by local politicians and their cronies despite resistance from the National museums of Kenya (NMK) and the local community. The encroachment threatened survival of this important heritage site, and the NMK had to put up a court injunction to temporarily stop the destruction before the place was gazzetted as a conservation area by an Act of parliament in the year 2001, which stopped all unplanned development. Since the stoppage of individual development undertakings that were harmful to the heritage resources, the National Museums of Kenya has assisted the community in planning and undertaking controlled development projects which are beneficial to the whole community.
Currently, the cave attracts a large number of visitors annually, and the proceeds accrued from the entry charges are ploughed back into community projects. Some of the benefits to the community include; provision of medical supplies to the local dispensary, provision of clean piped water to the community which has eliminated waterborne diseases, payment of school fees to orphans and children from poor families, employment of school teachers to help cope up with high pupil enrollment due to free primary education and improvement of the area's general infrastructure. All these are geared towards sustainable community development which would not be possible if the National Museums of Kenya didn't play an active role in the conservation and preservation of the heritage resources, as well as playing an active role in urban development of Shimoni.
During some of class debates at the Reinwardt Academy, with regards to sustainable development, there were examples on how private developments, supported by corrupt government officials can impacted negatively by destroying key heritage landscapes. In Indonesia for example, the destruction is carried out to pave way for construction of establishments such as shopping malls. This problem is not only in a country like Indonesia, but is a common occurrence in any developing country, my own country Kenya included. In Kenya, the strengthening of relevant laws have reduced the negative impacts that were experienced earlier, while in a place like Indonesia, it is said that despite consorted efforts by activists, the destruction has continued because there is laxity from the museum's part which is a government controlled body. Museums that fail or are reluctant in voicing their opinion on development matters whether impacting negatively on people's heritage which they have been entrusted custodianship of by the same citizens can correctly be viewed as failures. However, it is important to note that conservation or heritage preservation doesn't mean a total freeze on developments projects. It is always ideal to have a common stakeholders approach including the museums that should undertake a heritage impact assessment and come up with information that will be used for mitigation amongst the partners (4). It is a common practice to preserve by records if the importance of intended development surpasses the value attached on the heritage site at the moment.
Some museums have opted for independence from their respective government's active control and gained autonomy or semi autonomy status. A museum such as Amsterdam Historical Museum, Netherlands has gained some form of autonomy or independence from government control since 1st January 2009 (5). The National Museums of Kenya is a semi-autonomous body. But how does being independent affect the museum's contribution to urban development? According to Annemarie, head of education department AHM, this means that with the current independence, the museum can now fundraise and reach out more effectively to the people at all levels. This is captured in her words; 'It is really a money thing, previously we got regular funding but were restricted in regards to private sponsorship. Now, we can seek other ways to fundraise' (6). It is possible now to start a volunteer organization for the museum, by advertising for volunteers in local papers. Asked how this independence affects the museum, Annemarie's answer was as follows; 'City government can give money for projects but we also have ability to find new partners and create new models to empower people and create social cohesion' (7). The above statement by Annemarie leads to the question of the role of museums in the sensitive subject of social inclusion within the city's communities.
Should museums play an active role in social inclusion issues of different stakeholders in their cities and countries? According to Annemarie, head of education department at Amsterdam Historical Museums, the challenge is always getting everyone in the museum interested in Social Inclusion issues because people always feel threatened by change and wants to follow the way it has always been done. Annemarie's observation is a common occurrence in any other undertaking the museum should play a part of because in most cases, staffs feel restricted by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) definition of museums as places that carry out specific tailored duties defined as collecting, researching, interpreting and presenting to the public. However, the presentation should not be restricted to the museum objects but to the cityscape, social amenities and their locations, and people's attitudes as well.
In France, the Haussmann renovations often referred to as Haussmannization of Paris was a work commissioned by Napoleon III and led by the Seine prefect, Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann between 1852 and 1870 (8). During my internship in Paris (UNESCO) from early April to late July 2009, I had a unique chance of going through a historical tour of Paris conducted in a beautiful evening by my Lecturers at the Reinwardt Academy,Peter and Leontine van Mensch (9). That memorable evening, it became very clear why Paris looks the way it does with; its long straight, wide boulevards with their cafés and shops. It is Haussmann's boulevards that established the foundation of what is today the popular representation of the French capital around the world, by cutting through the old Paris of dense and irregular medieval alleyways into a rational city with wide avenues and open spaces which extended outwards far beyond the old city limits (10).
The results of the project are the current Boulevards and wide streets which had very significant social, political and economic impacts on Paris and France in general. People who could not afford high rents as a result of the improvements were displaced to the peripheries. On the other hand, constant riots and barricading of the narrow streets by Parisians was eliminated by the government due to the wide streets and positioning of anti riot police stations in strategic places of the city (11). Paris is therefore an object in itself that presents historical layers of developments in France as a nation. During the same tour, there came a discussion to the effect that there is an ongoing debate between various stakeholders including historians and museum professionals about the formation of a French National Museum. Some of the stakeholders feel that Paris, due to its planning and infrastructural development is already conveying the historical, social, economic and political message very well and there is no need to invest on a National Museum. At the same time, there are those who argue that Paris is not the only representation of France as a nation, hence a need to widen the scope to include other areas in a national museum. It will be important for the museum professionals in France to take a central role in the debate and participate fully in the decision making of this important national event, which is bound to shape the history of France as a nation.
In 1975, the National Museums of Kenya and the Ministry of Lands and Settlement sponsored a detailed study of Lamu's old town and the antiquities of Lamu District with the objective of fostering conservation and sensitive development of the area. The study which was the first of its kind in Kenya is said to have helped place Lamu among the historical sites valued worldwide for their contribution to cultural heritage. The study saw a close co operation between the Lamu community, the Department of Physical Planning, the Ministry of Local Government and the National Museums of Kenya. The Lamu conservation plan is said to have grown out of necessity to fill the gap of lack of relevant legal framework that provides a means of guiding conservation and future urban developments. According to the former Director of the National Museums of Kenya, Dr. Richard Leakey; 'throughout the planning process, we have viewed conservation as a tool for better development and the plan itself as a blueprint for future action.' The plan should be regarded as part of an ongoing process, an important step towards better management of our towns and cultural heritage (12). Coming as early as 1975, this step is a challenge to the National Museums of Kenya to take a very central role in Kenya's urban planning and development processes.
Currently, some of the relevant examples of museum involvement in urban planning and development include Zanzibar old stone town Tanzania, Lamu and Mombasa old towns in Kenya that have well developed conservation offices under the umbrella of the National museums of Tanzania and Kenya respectively. The stone town Zanzibar Office and Mombasa old Town Conservation Office for both Mombasa and Lamu towns are equipped with complete relevant resources including human resource of Architects, draftsmen and engineers to help with the planning and implementation of controlled developments projects within these ancient cities (13). Both countries National museum's involvement in the development of these cities resulted in Zanzibar Stone town and Lamu being given global recognition which resulted in their listing by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites with Outstanding Universal Values.
In Macao, the museum developed an exhibition themed 'Macau Urban Development Exhibition Room' to showcase the history and progress of modern activities, and a blueprint of what Macau is going to be. 'It is adorned with all modern building projects carried on or being done in Macau' (14). According to available information, the Macau Urban Development Exhibition Room was dedicated to the community in January, 2003, and is one of the few museums holding themes of modern urban development in such a large scale. The following statement from their web site provides a precise summary of the impact of the museum; 'Located near the Cultural Centre at the NAPE avenue, this 112-square meter museum includes three-dimensional replicas, architectural renderings and photographs with printed descriptions, audio-visual gadgets and an interactive amusement zone to educate the visitors with the new projects and their consequence on the Macau landscape ' (15). Although the Macau Urban Development Exhibition Room was built with a goal of attracting foreign investors, it has managed to generate attention from local residents and tourists interested in modern architectural wonders as well. The visitors 'can also get a glimpse of the several ongoing and proposed exciting new projects presently underway in Macau' (16). The museum in this case is playing its role in informing the population about the development of their habitat.
The roles and influences of museums in cultural and economic development of cities with emphasis in European experience and the Interrelationship of Urban Economic and Cultural Development is also seen in the Case of Greek Museums (17). The narration here is that in the recent past decades, there is a clear demonstration of the weight of cultural factor in urban development focusing on economic dimension, and that in the course of searching the relationship between cultural and economic development, the museums have constituted, and continue to constitute, a particularly interesting research object (18). Some of the concepts and practices that are related with museums are identifies as follows; construction of the 'cultural image' of cities, the quest for cultural identity, and the support and promotion of these elements as 'goods' in the external environment of cities, and the combination of tourist resources (19).
Further analysis and examination of the international experience in this particular case comes up with three critical questions; a) in what ways, and with what means, is museum management connected with the effective promotion and support of the 'cultural image' of the cities?, b) in what ways is the effective promotion and support of the 'cultural image' connected with the creation of a competitive advantage for the particular city and its sustainable economic development, and c) does the 'selling of cultural identity' of the cities constitute an imperative need or a necessary evil that the cities cannot avoid in both cases? (20). By posing these crucial questions, the role the role of museums in urban tourism development process is correctly interrogated, since tourism constitutes one of the strongest productivity factors in many European cities and the world in general. The paper therefore reinforces the idea that museums are potential active participants in urban development's process.
Conclusion:
While conducting the Masters Class group's social inclusion research work at the Amsterdam Historical Museum, part of the process involved an interview with the head of education department (Ms Annemarie), and the following question was posed to her; 'In a nutshell how should museums deal with social inclusion?' (21). And her answer was; 'It depends on the museum's goal. In a city museum it is to create a dialogue place for the people'. In other words, the museum provides a forum for the people to determine how they want to be presented not only in the museum but outside the walls in terms of infrastructural developments, education, school curriculum development, economic, and political decisions as well. From the above examples, and as organizations entrusted by the people as custodians of their heritage, museums must play a more active role in urban development to ensure that the values of the forefathers and founders of these centres/cities are preserved and utilized in a sustainable manner for future posterity. Museums involvement will ensure sustainability of the development projects by integrating cultural values in the undertakings, because a people without culture are like a vessel without a navigator.
References:
1. Renée Kistemaker; quoting Steven Thielemans description during the Ghent workshop attended by four city museums in 2000 during the proceedings of the Fourth Conference of the International Association of City Museums, Amsterdam, 3-5 November 2005: City Museums as centres of civic dialogue? Amsterdam Historical Museum, 2005 p.5.
2. Pauline Kruseman, former director, Amsterdam Historical Museum, during Proceedings of the Fourth Conference of the International Association of City Museums, Amsterdam, 3-5 November 2005: City Museums as centres of civic dialogue? Amsterdam Historical Museum, 2005 p.1.
3. Ibid, p.2.
4. Class discussion by Dr. Deacon during the APMHS Academic year 2006 in Robben Island Cape Town
5. Verbal discussion with Renee Kistemaker, former Director of Amsterdam Historical Museum and Dr. Rudo Sithole Director, AFRICOM on 16/12/2009 in Amsterdam
6. Interview with Annemarie by the Social Inclusion group on 05/02/09 at the Amsterdam historical Museum.
7. Ibid.
8. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann's_renovation_of_Paris (accessed on 14/08/09)
9. Personal tour of Paris by Peter and Leontine van Mensch on 27/06/09
10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann's_renovation_of_Paris (accessed on 14/08/09)
11. Peter van Mensch explanation during the Paris tour on 26/07/2009
12. Quotes Dr. Richard Leakey on his foreword contribution to the book: Planning Lamu, Conservation of an East African Seaport: Francesco Siravo and Pulver
13. My personal experience in the African heritage landscape.
14. Macau Urban Development Exhibition Room: http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/macau/macau-museums/macau-urban-development-exhibition-room.html (accessed on 14/08/09)
15. Ibid 11
16. Ibid 11
17. The Interrelationship of Urban Economic and Cultural Development: the Case of Greek Museums: http://ideas.repec.org/p/wiw/wiwrsa/ersa03p206.html (accessed on 13/08/09)
18. Ibid 14
19. Ibid 14
20. Ibid 14
21. Question to Annemarie by Patrick Abungu on behalf of the social inclusion group during the interview on 05/02/2009
22. Unnanimous
Reference list:
1. Siravo F, Pulver. (1986), Planning Lamu, Conservation of an East African Seaport. preface
2. City Museums as centres of civic dialogue? Amsterdam Historical Museum, 2005. Pp 1 - 5
Web sites
3. The Interrelationship of Urban Economic and Cultural Development: the Case of Greek Museums: http://ideas.repec.org/p/wiw/wiwrsa/ersa03p206.html, (accessed on 12/05/2009)
4. Wikipedia. Haussmann's renovation of Paris: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann's_renovation_of_Paris (accessed on 12/05/2009)
5. Macau Urban Development Exhibition Room: http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/macau/macau-museums/macau-urban-development-exhibition-room.html (accessed on 12/05/2009)
Other sources
6. Class discussion by Dr. Deacon during the APMHS Academic year 2006 in Robben Island Cape Town
7. Interview with Annemarie by the Social Inclusion group on 05/02/09 at the Amsterdam historical Museum
8. Personal experience in the African heritage landscape
9. Personal tour of Paris by Peter and Leontine van Mensch on 27/06/09
10. Verbal discussion with Renée Kistemaker, former Director of Amsterdam Historical Museum and Dr. Rudo Sithole Director, AFRICOM on 16/12/2009 in Amsterdam
Patrick O. Abungu
The Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam School of the Arts, International Masters of Museology Degree Class 2008 - 2009