From the 11th to 15th November 17 heritage professionals joined HERITAGE’s Community Tourism Planning & Development workshop that was organized in the framework of HerMaP Gambia, an initiative co-funded by the European Union that aims to enrich the understanding and appreciation of Gambian cultural heritage while enhancing the capacity of key stakeholders in the cultural and tourism sectors.

Tim Healing led the online course which was aimed at helping heritage professionals build the knowledge and skills necessary to develop sustainable community tourism projects. Through these projects, key stakeholders from the Gambia Tourist Board, Institute for Travel and Tourism of The Gambia, Juffureh Heritage Village Museum, Senegambia Stone Circle Tour Guide Association, JJB Kankurang Festival Committee as well as Independent participants, were encouraged to also address issues such as how to promote cultural preservation, economic empowerment, and environmental sustainability.

Participants worked on case studies from projects including Lamu in Kenya, Raqchi in Peru, Tourism Development in the Mursi Community of Ethiopia, The Green Valley Community Tourism Project, Managing Tourist Impact on the Cultural Events of the Maasai Mara Community, The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, and the Community-Based Tourism Initiative in Vietnam.

By focusing on community resource mobilisation, partnership building, financial literacy, and effective branding, the workshop aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to create authentic tourism experiences that support local development while increasing awareness of cultural heritage management . Participation with the workshop was lively with attendees demonstrating significant interest in the subject.  Despite being online, the workshop was also highly interactive, combining discussions, presentations, and group exercises which fostered an engaging learning environment. The collaborative activities encouraged the sharing of ideas and best practices, ensuring the content resonated with participants and was applicable to their local contexts.

“The workshop benefited greatly from the participants’ hands-on experience in community tourism, which added depth to the discussions and activities. Their practical knowledge allowed for a more insightful and relevant exchange of ideas, making the sessions both engaging and meaningful. I’m eager to see how they apply the strategies and concepts learned to further develop tourism projects,” said Mina Morou – HerMaP Gambia Project Manager.

*Tim Healing is our interim director of African Grants and capacity development officer, helping small heritage organizations in Africa develop an application and ensure they manage their grant efficiently. Tim has over thirty years’ experience working as a project manager and has a professional background in project management, community and NGO development.

HERITΛGE kicked off its 2024-2025 Online Workshop program with the Introduction to Heritage Interpretation for Site Managers workshop in early October. 19 participants from 15 different countries (Afghanistan, Botswana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Romania, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda) attended the online course which aimed to introduce the principles of quality heritage interpretation and how these can be applied to a range of sites.  

The course was led by Valya Stergioti, an interpretive trainer, planner and consultant who has run a multitude of heritage training interpretation workshops all over Europe. Penelope Gkini* delivered the keynote speech where she shared insights on Heritage Interpretation from her project in Armenoi village, Northwest Crete.

Heritage Interpretation provides a well-structured framework for non-formal learning, aimed at creating meaningful and unforgettable experiences for visitors. Over the course of three days, participants were introduced to the concept of heritage interpretation and through a combination of interactive exercises, group work, presentations and discussions, participants learned how to turn phenomena into experiences.  

The 3-day intensive workshop was well received and participants were able to develop knowledge of how to provoke resonance in visitors of heritage sites and foster a greater respect for all heritage across a range of sites in different countries.

“I’ve loved everything of this course. Particularly that we were able to take part in all discussions. As a person who wanted to know more about Heritage I was pleasantly surprised on what it entails,” said Miriam Uithaler, from the Jounou Arts and Culture Foundation

 “What I liked the most about the course is the opportunity it gave me to learn from other heritage site managers, to see the work that they are doing in their respective countries” said Pontso Masithela, from Sereti sa Makhoarane Heritage and Tourism Network.  “It really inspired me and increased my love and appreciation for heritage management. My project is going to benefit greatly because now I have acquired new skills and knowledge on ways to effectively interpret heritage sites or objects. And I am going to share it with my colleagues.”

 

From 23rd October to 1st November, HERITΛGE held a Street Art Workshop in the Gambia. Street art serves as a vibrant and dynamic medium to bring history, culture, and identity to life and the workshop aimed to emphasize the power of creative expression in preserving and showcasing cultural heritage. The workshop was led by Leonidas Giannakopoulos*, a Greek artist whose murals adorn a number of central buildings in Greece and beyond. Giannakopoulos also created a mural for the premises of The Gambia’s National Centre for the Arts and Culture (NCAC) during the workshop. 

The training is part of  HerMaP Gambia, an initiative co-funded by the EU that aims to enrich the understanding and appreciation of Gambian cultural heritage while enhancing the capacity of key stakeholders in the cultural sector. HERITΛGE has been working with the street artists of Galloya, a creative team of young locals that has also put together a local festival, for the past two years in the framework of HerMaP Gambia. 

Nine participants from around The Gambia joined the ten-day workshop where they delved into the history, significance, and key movements of graffiti and street art. Through this initiative, the program highlighted the importance of art as both a cultural tool and a means of celebrating and preserving heritage in a living, evolving form.

The workshop explored how cultural heritage can be commemorated through artistic representation, ensuring that elements of heritage resonate with the present generation. They also focused on practicing essential techniques like stencilling and design principles. On the third day, they focused on personal production, allowing each participant to create their own unique artwork. 

“I really enjoyed the big thirst for knowledge all our participants had and I hope everything I showed them and taught them was inspiring. I believe they will use all this knowledge because I saw a big thirst  for artistic expression. In their next works I believe they will apply all the things that they learned and they will keep on learning!” said trainer Leonidas Giannakopoulos. 

Participants were enthusiastic and fully engaged, producing creative and thought-provoking street art reflecting local culture.  “The knowledge and skills we gained during this experience have been truly invaluable” said Amadou Mousa, a street artist from Galloya and one of the founders of the local festival. “Leonidas’ guidance has not only enhanced our artistic abilities but also inspired us to explore new ways of expressing creativity within our community,” he added. 

Following this intensive workshop, an additional five days were devoted to the creation of a public artwork at the NCAC premises. During this time, participants observed advanced techniques and engaged closely with the detailed process of producing impactful public art. They gained hands-on experience in conceptualization, production, and project management, enhancing their appreciation for the commitment and precision behind large-scale street art projects.

“I wanted to create an artwork that refers to the people here in The Gambia, to the country’s young people that bring the future,”  said Giannakopoulos. “So I wanted to paint the portrait of a young child from the area of Banjul and express  the culture of this country by painting him with a mask of a hyena over a landscape of baobab trees, a very powerful tree that gives so many things to the people, it is not only about food or drink but is also spiritual.”

*Leonidas Giannakopoulos studied painting and printmaking at the School of Ffine Arts of Athens, and has since been commissioned to paint several murals for municipalities, festivals, public buildings and private companies around the world. 

**Photos by Leonidas Giannakopoulos, Nefeli Papanagiotou, and the HerMaP Gambia team and beneficiaries in The Gambia

Over 16^th and 17^th of October, 27 participants from 10 institutions across Gambia joined us for the Festival Management and Operations Training. The two-day course aimed at enhancing participants’ understanding of essential concepts and practices to create impactful, well-organized, and environmentally conscious festivals that engage and benefit their communities.

It was led by Hanine-K Lakkis, a cultural specialist, events director, and trainer, and Mina Morou, The Gambia Programmes Manager for HERITΛGE.

The training is part of  HerMap Gambia, an initiative co-funded by the EU that aims to enrich the understanding and appreciation of Gambian cultural heritage while enhancing the capacity of key stakeholders in the cultural sector. It was developed in direct response to requests from five distinct festival organizing groups seeking our expertise to enhance their event planning and management skills. Recognizing the unique challenges and opportunities within festival management, HERITΛGE designed this program to equip participants with essential skills in festival planning, marketing, operations, safety, and sustainability.

By addressing these core areas, HERITΛGE aims to strengthen the capacity of local actors to create impactful, well-organized, and environmentally conscious festivals that engage and benefit their communities. This tailored approach ensures that participants can meet both their organizational goals and the growing expectations of their audiences.

On the first day, participants from Kankurang, Wassu Stone Circles, Niumi Fort Bullen,  Roots,  Galloya Street Art Festivals as well as Kubuneh and Galloya Cultural Festivals and National Centre for the Arts and Culture (NCAC), Gambia Tourist Board, the Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce and independent organizers were instructed in the fundamentals of festivals, including their types, purposes, and impacts, along with detailed guidance on planning aspects such as venue selection, programming, and marketing strategies. On the second, they went over operational considerations, such as risk and crowd management, and sustainable practices to minimize environmental impact.

“I want, on behalf of the National Centre for Arts and Culture, to express our sincere appreciation to the Heritage Management Organization and all the Facilitators for offering this valuable training opportunity to our festival organizers,” said Sanna B. Jarju, Head of the Department for Literature, Performing and Fine Arts of the NCAC.

“The training is done at a time when there are a large number of emerging community-based  festivals, most of whom strive for sustainability…Festivals are an important way to safeguard our cultural heritage and enable the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in The Gambia,” he added.

Our teams are working around the world to fulfill the HERITΛGE mission. Here is how some of our work has been featured in the press in the last few months.

Heritage Threatened by Conflict

HERITΛGE has launched a new project to safeguard Ukraine’s cultural heritage. Architectural Heritage Preservation in Times of War: The Ukrainian Model is being realized in cooperation with the Kharkiv School of Architecture and Skeiron, with generous support from the U.S. Embassy’s Public Diplomacy Section in Ukraine. The project has been featured in the latest issue of Popular Archaeology as well as in Ukrainian media.

HerMaP Gambia

The Gambia’s National Assembly’s Committee for Culture and Tourism recently embarked on a Parliamentary Study Tour in Thessaloniki. This visit, conducted as part of the HerMaP Gambia program co-funded by the European Union, was widely covered in the Gambian media, including prominent news programs and The Voice newspaper.

Watch the QTV bulletin (start at 14:18) or read the article in The Voice.

HERITΛGE also delivered workshops in The Gambia on various aspects of cultural management, including Festival Management, which was covered by The Voice.

Read more here.

African Heritage Grants

HERITΛGE’s small grants for African heritage initiative, supported by the Mellon Foundation, recently funded Restoring Ilukwe House, a project by the NGO Legacy to restore a historic building in Lagos’ railway compound. Coverage of this initiative appeared in Nigeria’s The Guardian.

Read the article here.

The Republic, a Nigeria-based magazine and platform of socio-economic and political commentary, criticism and cultural discourse, has received a substantial grant from the Mellon Foundation to support its mission to establish itself as a regional, leading hub/platform for Black and Africa-focused ideas and critical perspectives; and to further connect Africa and the African diaspora on critical issues, with the help of HERITΛGE.

Learn more about this here.

Greek Living Heritage Network

As a founding member of the Living Heritage Network in Greece, HERITΛGE continues to support and celebrate Greece’s living heritage. Theodosia Maroutsi recently discussed the Network on NaMaste, a cultural program on Greece’s national broadcaster ERA2.

Greek speakers can listen to the show here.