You have organised the best exhibition of the year, or set up a ground-breaking educational program. You have worked hard with curators, conservators, educators, everything is ready to rock, but now you wonder… how can I bring people in? How can I reach my audience, and what should I be telling them? Informing and engaging the public is a crucial process for the success and sustainability of heritage institutions. However, heritage-related university programs do not usually include any training in Communications, and heritage managers who cannot afford to recur to external experts might find themselves in serious troubles when it comes to communicate and promote what they are doing.

Some HERMA students participating in the workshop

This is why last April HMO organised the first Workshop in Communication Strategy for a group of 15 students from the joint MA in Heritage Management of the University of Kent and Athens University Business School. The workshop took place in Elefsina, a few meters away from the archaeological site of ancient Eleusis. The course instructor, Derwin Johnson, has a 20-year experience as a journalist for CNN and ABC, and is a professional media consultant and trainer.

Workshop instructor Derwin Johnson

The aim of the workshop was to give heritage managers the basic tools to communicate the identity, activities and events of their cultural organisation effectively in order to engage the right audience with the right messages.
Participants learnt how to produce a communication strategy, starting with identifying the appropriate audiences through a “conversation map”, where you can visualise all the groups interested in your message and select the most convenient for you. Once they knew who they were talking to, the students could then draft their key messages, the core ideas that they needed to express, and then learnt how to tweak those messages depending on the different media they wanted to use: more informal and experience-focussed for a blog, more simple and informative for a press release, more condensed and witty for social media. They had the chance to experiment with a wide variety of styles, always keeping an eye on the core message and reminding the importance of consistency.

Students brainstorming

A considerable amount of time was dedicated to interview simulations, where the students had to talk about their organisation in front of a camera and answer questions from Derwin playing the role of a journalist. They learnt how to catch attention and stay focussed on their messages, but also how to improvise in case of unexpected remarks.
The most successful feature of the course was that applied work immediately followed the theoretical lectures. Participants could put into practice what they just learned by working in groups under the supervision of the instructor, and receiving immediate feedback and further advice. A good example for that is the press conference simulation that took place on the last course day: each team had to present in a structured manner their piece of news to a (fake) audience of journalists ready to leave if they were bored or ask tricky and uncomfortable questions. It was a matter of coordination and team work, and students learnt the importance of being inspirational and audience-oriented when communicating their mission and messages.

Philanthropy is a word that dates back to the ancient Greeks and there is no better place to learn the true meaning and actions of the word than in Greece itself. The three-day workshop provided by the University of Kent’s Philanthropic centre took place last February in Elefsina, just a few kilometres from Athens. It was lead by Dr Triona Fitton, Dr Eddy Hogg and Dr John McLoughlin of the University of Kent, experts in the field of social policy, social research and sociology.

Philanthropy is part of the third sector, with more importance in some places than others. However, giving needs to be recognised as more than parting ways with money, but as a large system that encompasses and embraces all of humankind. A sector that brings people together, whether that be through volunteering, giving or asking. The fundraising workshop explained how this could be possible.

We learnt what we mean when we say philanthropy, why people and companies give, the core elements of fundraising, the different types of fundraisers and fundraising, and above all, how to make “the ask” and how to approach potential givers.
However, not all the workshop was lecture-based. We did post-it exercises on whether we personally give and why, and we participated in the debate of why heritage is a priority for fundraisers. On the last day of the workshop we were split into teams and were to pitch our own ways to fundraise for the HMO (the Heritage Management Organization) summer school programmes in Greece. All of which were great ideas and given the right amount of time can be implemented correctly.

Participation in this workshop did not go without merit. At the very end we were examined through the Institute of Fundraising online exam… and we all passed!
The workshop explained why fundraising is a well worth while thing to pursue, especially in the heritage sector, when heritage relies on the ‘love of man’ to be sustained. After three days of hard work and learning, the workshop had trained and gained 22 members of the Institute of Fundraising, all raring and ready to help many worthy causes.

Elizabeth Kearsey – BA in Classical Civilisation (University of Nottingham) now a student of the MA in Heritage Management. Lifetime student (so far). I am new to the work field of heritage, having previously worked with people with learning disabilities.

Woke up to a surprisingly warm day in late winter, taking abnormally uncrowded public transport from Elefsina to Acropolis station, which was perfect to pass the time with an engaging book. I caught up with the Museum Management class inside the Acropolis museum, stepping in on Dr Nota Pantzou’s description on finding hidden clues about how artefacts and statues were used, and what their imperfections could tell us about the people that handled them. We were taken through the museum investigating management responses to modern times, such as a new display of tools for marble carving, or recently exhibited replicas of ancient statues showing original colours.

Display of tools used for marble carving in ancient times (Acropolis Museum, replicas).

The next museum to see was the Athens University History Museum, which was reachable from the Acropolis Museum over a sloped, narrow road, and a great surrounding view of the Acropolis and Lykavittos Hill. The museum contained registries, paintings, monuments and laboratory equipment of the first university in Athens. The museum’s life is heightened by the organisation of educational programmes and cultural events performed within the museum’s unique courtyards.
After a downhill walk past the Roman Agora, passing street musicians and merchants, through to Thissio – where one can spot the Temple of Hephaestus sitting majestically within the Ancient Agora – the Public Archaeology tour had just begun. Our lecturer Dr Stelios Lekakis walked us to the starting point of our journey up the Eridanos river, seen at the centre of the Kerameikos archaeological site. A narrative of public occupation throughout ancient to modern times was told, as we walked past Roman attempts at river and road engineering, modern day flood management (would have preferred the Roman attempts), and 19th-20th century architecture such as the Eclectic and Neo-Classical style, seamlessly infused within contemporary buildings. Our bodies were walking on modern streets, but our minds were centred on the millennia of stratified urban construction hiding away a once majestic river, with only the occasional olive tree pointing us in the right direction. We also arrived just in time to witness the disciplined “Changing of the Guards” in front of Parliament in Syntagma square.

Steep view of road from the base Lykavittos towards Kolonaki, showing the river flow direction of the ancient Eridanos.

After an uphill stroll past Syntagma and Kolonaki, passing many archaeological sites oblivious to the public eye, we finally reached the exact location of the old spring that used to heavily feed the Eridanos river. Unfortunately it has now been built over by a pompous building, inside of which holds a fountain. From an urban perspective however, the natural topography that nurtured Athens’ ancient rivers could still be recognised from downhill views between city structures. So it was a bittersweet ending to the tour, teaching us how to investigate the past through a microscope on public space. We took a much deserved and very relaxing coffee at a lovely cafe nearby, reliving the day’s events and having a laugh or two.

Changing of the Guards routine in front of the Greek Parliament in Syntagma Square.

Photos by Alex Costas

Michael Williams, BA in Ancient History, GDip in Maritime Archaeology. Particularly interested in Maritime Heritage of the ancient Mediterranean. I have worked in Indigenous Aboriginal sites around New South Wales and in underwater sites in Port Macdonnell. Experience with archaeological drawing.

The museum is small, and if you pass by too quickly you will miss it. From the outside you wouldn’t know what an extraordinary part of humanity and human history is kept inside, all for our—the public’s— sake.
There seems to be one thing above all others that human beings give readily to one another, freely and without reserve, and usually without regret — cruelty. All the world’s histories are riddled with it and the twentieth century saw some of the best of the stuff we could muster. Greece is no exception, although her recent dark history is often overlooked.

Sketch of a displayed lion mask created by the exiled artist Katerina Hariati-Sismani, used in a theatrical production on the island by and for the exiles. The text (“Η ΦΟΝΗ ΤΟΥ ΕΧΟΡΙΣΤΟΥ”- “The Voice of the Exile”) is from the exiles’ self-published newspaper, and the barbed-wire is fashioned after a detail from an exile’s wood-block print.

The Museum of Political Exiles “Ai Stratis” has documented, archived, and displayed tangible and intangible memories of just such cruelty which occurred in Greece from the 1920s through to the late 1960s: the exile of “dangerous” individuals in the remotest islands of the country. The extraordinary thing about the Ai Stratis museum is that the Greeks who were internally exiled consciously documented their lives and works on the island with the intention of later creating a place to exhibit their experience. What they were unable to do their descendants took up and completed, and created a place for the public to learn and remember.

Engraved stone depicting life in exile. Tsakiris, Kyriakos.

Exiles’ self-published hand-written newspaper “The Voice of the Exile”. OSPE, 1947.

The island of Ai Stratis was home to a local population which cohabitated with thousands of political exiles imprisoned there over a span of forty-plus years. The exhibition includes the material remains of the exiles’ life on the island, from a mock-up of a typical male bedroom-hut to artifacts from daily life. What made the biggest impression, touched me the deepest, was that the exhibition isn’t one of photo-documentation, walls of pictures of people emaciated and dying, but one of beautiful art. There is darkness reflected in that art, yes, but there is tenderness, and happiness, joy, entertainment, and hope too. The nature of political exile usually includes a nation’s intelligentsia, artists, writers and poets and Ai Stratis was no exception. That these people continued to live and practice their art, the highest level of humanity, in the face of the lowest level, is what impresses. What’s more is that other exiles who did not already possess a talent for art used their time and the scant resources on the island to learn and to create; the results, as we see displayed in the museum, are some of the most wonderful sculptures, paintings, engravings, prints, poetry and even theatrical masks created in this part of the world in the twentieth century.
The Museum of Political Exiles “Ai Stratis” is a place for the public to witness and interact with the remains of memories, both good and bad, of Greek exiles who transcended their dark circumstance and cruelty. The experience of that museum, and having class conducted in it, was brilliant.
Photos and sketch by Alex Costas.

Alexandros Costas has a BA (Hons) in Comparative Religious Studies (San Jose State University) and is now a student of the MA in Heritage Management. He worked in study abroad in Greece for over ten years, and through that experience observed the interactions of foreign students with Greek heritage, inspiring him to learn more about heritage and the public.

The future of Namibian heritage lies in the hands of learners and students in schools, colleges and universities.
When Namibia gained its independence from South Africa’s apartheid regime in 1990, it inherited an extremely biased educational system, the “Bantu Education”, which used Afrikaans and English as teaching languages, made no reference to Namibian heritage, and only limited mention of Namibian history. Unfortunately, I myself was educated under this teacher-centered system that neither promoted independent thinking, nor used examples familiar to us in any of the subjects we were taught.
In 1998, just a year before the end of my high school, new learner-centered syllabi were introduced which tried to include more familiar contents, with Namibian case studies as examples. But this was probably not enough. In fact, in 2010 the Namibian Institute for Educational Development (NIED, the national centre for curriculum development), asked the Museum Association of Namibia to carry out research in order to assess how well heritage was integrated in school syllabi and tertiary education, and to propose recommendations that could be applied during the coming syllabi review. I had the chance to be part of the team tasked with doing this research, and I was thrilled to give my contribution.
We started with an analysis of school syllabi and universities course outlines. Subjects ranged from Science and Geography to History, Arts & Design, and Religion. For the tertiary level we considered departments including Visual and Performing Arts, Biology, Tourism, and Language. The study clearly showed that most subjects lacked any correlation to our past and present heritage. Therefore, we made suggestions to include heritage-related examples not only in the Humanities, but also in the area of Science. For instance, in Physics, to explain the notion of “friction” in Grade 8, we proposed to introduce as an example the traditional ways the San community used to obtain fire by rubbing sticks.

School students showcasing their research findings at SCAMX 2010

As for the methodology, we suggested to encourage site visits and school competitions, such as the School Clubs and Museums Exhibition (SCAMX), an annual event dedicated to young people engagement in museum and heritage development, aiming at making Namibian museums more inclusive and education-oriented. We also proposed to establish synergies between curriculum developers, heritage institutions and local communities, so as to include local traditional knowledge in the syllabi for the new generations.

Exhibition of traditional houses at SCAMX 2010

Overall, our aim was to incorporate in Namibian education the value of our environment and our cultural heritage so as to allow young people to learn about their own history and heritage and thus form their identity. The desk and field research were the most interesting parts for me because I had the chance to discuss with curriculum developers and heads of departments, and understand through hands-on experience the real significance of heritage and its role in society. This was a good start for Namibia, I am looking forward to seeing the revised syllabi!
Photos by the Museum Association of Namibia

 Helvi Inotila Elago has a Bachelor in Education (Economics and Business Studies), a PGD (hons.) in Museum and Heritage Studies, and is currently a student of the MA in Heritage Management. She has worked in heritage for 5 years and she would like to focus on the preservation of heritage through education and public engagement.

Chilly December winds hit the face as I embark on the first 8:45 am ferry to Mount Athos from the port of Ouranoupolis. Mount Athos is an enormous World Heritage Site, which is lawfully Greek, though ecclesiastically it is under the Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople (Istanbul). The boat journey starts with an ever-changing landscape that turns wilder and untouched. The boat makes a series of stops before reaching the final destination at the port of Dafni. On the way, there are these amazing sea-edged monasteries which have been there for over a millennium. They seem to be nothing less than the creation of a dream seller. The tall towers and the spires that perch out of wilderness harmonise with the raw untamed landscape.

Agiou Panteleimonos monastery

After reaching Dafni, my class-mate Glenn Martin and I start our adventurous journey to the Monastery of Simonos Petra (Σίμωνος Πέτρα or Σιμωνόπετρα), which is multicultural in its composition, hosting monks from across the world. The walk to the monastery is a 6-hour trek with capturing views of the marine landscape with the sun cracking through the dark cold clouds and shining over the slate laid roofs of distant monasteries. On our way, we come across some kellis, clusters of quaint wooden and stone construction houses, which are self-sufficient micro-communities of monks.
Our destination, Simonos Petra, is an outstanding piece of architecture. This edge hugging seven storied monasteries is a perfect sojourn for me, as I have waited so long to see this sophistication of ancient architectural marvel. The guest rooms, on the mid-levels, have wooden cantilevered balconies that shoot out into the vast open sea. The construction details, long oil-lamp lit corridors, oversize gears to move the doors, the mechanical aqueducts and materials give us the illusion of being back in the medieval ages. The enchanted aura of this place is also due to the fact that many things in the monastery are still carried out in a traditional manual way.

Simonopetra monastery

These monasteries allow visitors to stay overnight, and during our four-day stay on Mount Athos we experience life in monks’ shoes. It is a fascinating schedule that starts with the 4:00 am service, when they venerate the treasured relics and portable icons in the dark candle lit church with shining gold-leaf interiors. This is followed by the first meal of the day at 8:00 am. The day ends with a service at 3:00 pm and the last meal of the day at 4:00 pm.
The monastery is a living organism: it sustains its monks providing all they need. We are fortunate enough to be allowed to see the book-making room – where the monks work on conserving and binding the precious manuscripts, and the stepped greens which are their source of organic and vegetarian diet. It is thought-provoking to listen to the stories of some of them who came to this island a long time ago and never left as they found their own self here. Each monk walking around in the pitch black cloak has a captivating story of how they reached this place.

A monk at work

Our journey then unfolds like a labyrinth of stories. Each monastery is a breathing storyteller, unique architecturally as well as in its functions. These monasteries are an excellent example of how a product of mind can fuse in so well with a product of nature. The uses of materials and the construction techniques, among other details, are a metaphor of these monks who are unique but simple. These monasteries teach us that we don’t need new materials: it is the idea that counts, the concept and its logical application that can lead to such brilliant long lasting examples of timeless construction.
Such an amazing lesson for professionals in our field like architects and conservators.

Uncharted paths on Mount Athos

Skete of St. Andrew (Athos)

Photos by Siddhant Shah.

Siddhant Shah is an Architect with Majors in Indian Aesthetics. He has worked with the State Archaeological Department (Mumbai) and has undertaken Heritage Volunteer training for UNESCO and ICOMOS. He is currently based in Greece, completing an MA in Heritage Management, and focuses on Management, Marketing and Disabled-Friendliness of Archaeological/Heritage Sites.