Tag Archives: heritage
Strategic Planning for Heritage Managers
From 9 to 11 May 2025, HERITΛGE hosted an online workshop on strategic planning for heritage managers, led by Dr Alexandros Papalexandris. The workshop brought together 18 participants from 13 countries across Africa and Europe, aiming to strengthen strategic thinking, build organisational capacity, and support long term planning in the heritage field.
Over three days, participants explored key concepts such as vision and mission setting, stakeholder engagement, SMART objectives, and the role of values in strategy. They learned to use practical tools including SWOT and PESTEL analysis to assess internal and external environments, and examined the differences between planned and emergent strategies.
Working in teams, participants applied these concepts to four real projects: digitising rural culture in South Africa, preserving traditional African sports and games, creating a youth heritage club in Uganda, and documenting a historic monastery collection in Ethiopia. These case studies encouraged collaborative learning and practical application.
The second day featured a guest lecture by Debashish Nayak, a leading architect and heritage expert, who shared insights from over three decades of work on urban conservation in India. His talk highlighted the importance of community involvement and education in heritage preservation, drawing on his experience leading Ahmedabad to become India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City.
The course leader really articulated everything till I really understood and I appreciate his patience through out. [The course will help me to] strategic plan and execute our vision and mission and align them.
~Paidamoyo Mandizvidza, Deputy Director Digital Content and Multimedia Broadcasting at African Traditional Sports and Games Confederation
The final day focused on competitive advantage, strategic implementation, and evaluation. Participants discussed how to align resources with organisational goals and studied cases from institutions such as the British Museum and Cirque du Soleil. They also explored the use of feasibility studies and business plans to support strategic initiatives.
The workshop was a great success, equipping participants with practical tools and strategic insights tailored to the needs of the heritage sector. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the value of real case studies, expert guidance, and peer learning.
For more information about HERITΛGE’s workshops, go to our open courses page, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter / X, LinkedIn or Instagram.
Countries represented: Czech Republic, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Communication Strategy and Strategic Marketing for Cultural Organisations Workshop in Rwanda
From 19 to 21 May 2025, HERITΛGE hosted an online workshop on communication strategy and strategic marketing for cultural heritage professionals in Rwanda. Led by media professional Derwin Johnson, the training brought together 15 heritage and tourism practitioners from across Rwanda to strengthen communication practices, improve audience engagement, and support the long-term sustainability of their institutions.
Participants represented ten organisations involved in cultural preservation and tourism, including Shalom Safaris Rwanda, Red Rocks Rwanda, Ubumuntu Arts Organisation, and others.* The workshop created an opportunity for professionals to share experiences and gain practical knowledge in areas relevant to their work.
“Time keeping, interactive, appropriate to our environment and sectors, with a nice mood and feeling – the live session felt as if it was on site.”
Esi Chantal Umuraza – Art & Travel Ltd – Founder
Over three days, the group explored a range of topics related to communication planning and outreach. The first day focused on storytelling techniques and media writing. Participants worked on developing clear and compelling messages for different audiences, including journalists and the general public.
The second day covered digital communication, with an emphasis on social media strategies. Sessions addressed how organisations can use various platforms to reach wider audiences, plan and manage content, and evaluate the effectiveness of their online communication efforts.
“I mostly like how our invigilator communicated on time. The instructor helped us during this course. He’s very professional in terms of providing learning methodology, and we wish we could have more days, as the more we get deep, the more we like and become familiar with the course.”
Jean Aime Nisingizwe – Shalom Safaris Rwanda – Chief of operations officer
The final day dealt with communication during times of crisis. Participants learned how to prepare for and respond to difficult situations in a clear and professional manner. A practical simulation, including a mock interview and press conference, gave participants the chance to apply these skills in a realistic scenario.
The workshop was designed to be interactive and practical, with small group activities and hands-on exercises throughout. Project Manager Eirini Oikonomidi said “I really enjoyed the interaction among the participants, both with each other and with the trainer. The group exercises were very effective and enjoyable for everyone involved.”
For more information about HERITΛGE’s workshops, go to our open courses page, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter / X, LinkedIn or Instagram.
*Organisations represented included:
FASHA HUMANITY and UMUTI MU NGANZO
Muze Tubyine and cultural preservation
Bwishyura Kivu Boat Co-operative (BKBC)
Communication Strategy and Strategic Marketing for Cultural Organisations Online Training Programme
22 participants joined us in March for the Communication Strategy and Strategic Marketing for Cultural Organizations training programme. The course was led by Derwin Johnson, an independent senior communication consultant with more than 30 years experience as a journalist, communication executive and educator. Derwin guided participants through the three day course which covered crafting effective communication messages, developing communication toolkits, managing media relations, and conducting crisis simulations.
Day one kicked off with a comprehensive introduction to content management. The instructor outlined key objectives such as crafting impactful messages, managing media relations, and preparing for crisis communication. Participants explored their organisations’ core identities, drafted mission statements, and developed key messages. Through presentations and personalised feedback, they learned how to tailor their communication to resonate with target audiences.
The most compelling aspect of this Heritage Communication course was its emphasis on the dynamic interplay between cultural heritage and modern communication strategies. The course effectively bridged theoretical foundations with practical applications, highlighting the role of digital media, community engagement, and policy frameworks in preserving and promoting heritage.
~Mohammad Idrees Tahiri, PM Senior Conservation Architect at Turquoise Mountain
On day two, the focus shifted to storytelling and media engagement. Participants were instructed how to think like journalists, considering news angles, timing, and audience relevance. They practised pitching stories via simulated phone calls, received guidance on writing letters to the editor, and explored traditional and digital PR tactics. The session concluded with the creation of communication maps to guide audience engagement across a range of platforms.
The final day concentrated on crisis communication. Participants learned how to respond effectively under pressure, developing clear, key messages reinforced by strong evidence. A crisis simulation exercise brought the theory to life, as teams navigated a mock media storm, fielding questions from the instructor in the role of journalist. The recorded sessions provided valuable feedback, strengthening their confidence and strategic thinking.
The instructor made the content easy to digest and online learning (over the weekend) manageable.
~Martha Mosha, Research assistant at Commission for Archaeology of Non European Cultures KAAK
The level of engagement throughout the workshop was excellent and it was great to see the enthusiasm displayed by participants. We look forward to seeing how these skills are put to use in heritage organisations throughout Africa, Asia and Europe.*
Read more about our upcoming workshops here.
*Afghanistan, Albania, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Iraq, Italy, Lesotho, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, United Kingdom
What can cultural heritage do for business in Africa?
WIA Webinar Poster
HERITΛGE celebrated African Heritage Day on May 5th by taking part in an online webinar organized by the Women in Africa Initiative (WIA). WIA is the leading international platform for the economic development and support of African women entrepreneurs and, accordingly, the topic under discussion was whether preserving a country’s heritage assets can serve as the basis for building a successful business.
Dr. Evangelos Kyriakidis, HERITΛGE Director, and the organization’s Head of Africa Programmes, Mina Morou, both contributed to the webinar which was moderated by Oluwatoyin Adegbite-Moore, Founder & CEO of Nigeria’s SHEAFAM & TAM, a consulting business, and Executive Vice-President for Africa & Europe, for financial services company REACH HQ.
They were joined on the panel by Harriet Ng’Ok, Founder of Harriet’s Botanicals and HERITΛGE alumna, and Zaahirah Muthy, Founder OF ZeeArts Gallery, philanthropist, artist activist, and WIA Ambassador.
Adegbite-Moore kicked off the discussion by asking whether heritage can help business and how can business help heritage.
“In many ways, heritage consists of unique content, of privileged knowledge for local communities anywhere. And this privileged knowledge can become a unique selling point for business and can help business branding, business quality, etc. while at the same time, business with its products and services can actually really strengthen these heritage values and empower them,” said Dr. Kyriakidis.
Ng’Ok founded Harriet’s Botanicals, an African-sourced wellness products company, after being helped herself by her community’s traditional medicine that uses locally-found plants. She joined the discussion from Kenya.
“My idea was to bring cultural practitioners together and formalize their trade… we have grown in leaps and bounds. We now have a factory and manufacture up to 500 bottles on any given day … We are the beginning of African medicine featuring on a global platform just like other cultures, like the Chinese and the Ayurvedic are,” Ng’Ok said.
“The reason I named our first product Arorwet and maintained the name of this tree is that people in the village would begin to understand the value of the traditional indigenous trees and not cut them for firewood or for sale and would start instead to regrow them on their farms,” she added.
Below you can find out more and watch the webinar which was on the day attended by around 1000 people on the day.
ABOUT AFRICAN WORLD HERITAGE DAY: Proclaimed by UNESCO in 2015, African World Heritage Day (5 May) is an opportunity for people around the world, particularly Africans, to celebrate the Continent’s unique cultural and natural heritage. While Africa is underrepresented on the World Heritage List (African properties account for some 12% of all inscribed sites worldwide), a disproportionally high percentage (39%) of these properties are on the World Heritage List in Danger. It is therefore more urgent than ever that this irreplaceable heritage be protected and preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.
HERITΛGE is currently working to untap the potential of heritage in Africa through its Heritage Management Project – Africa (HerMaP-Africa) program which is funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place program and through its HerMaP Gambia program which is co-funded by the European Union.