On 25 February 2026, HERITΛGE hosted the seventh online Network Convening for recipients of the Small Grants for African Heritage Projects, bringing together grantees, heritage professionals, members of the re-granting committee, and other partners supporting heritage initiatives across the continent.

The grants initiative is part of HerMaP Africa, HERITΛGE’s programme to strengthen heritage management capacity across the continent, funded by the Mellon Foundation. Through a series of small grants, the programme supports locally led heritage initiatives and fosters a growing network of heritage practitioners across Africa.

HERITΛGE has organised a series of grantee convenings, part of an ongoing effort to connect, support, and strengthen the network of African heritage practitioners funded through the grants programme. The seventh convening brought together participants from 30 funded and fiscally sponsored projects across Africa for two hours of presentations and discussion.

A Guest Address from the National Civil Rights Museum

Dr. Russell Wigginton of the National Civil Rights Museum

The session opened with welcoming remarks from Richard A. Brown, Head of Grants and Partnerships at HERITΛGE, who also introduced the guest of honour, Dr. Russell Wigginton, President of the National Civil Rights Museum.

Dr. Wigginton presented the history and mission of the museum, a complex of historic buildings and exhibitions in Memphis that traces the story of the civil rights movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present day. His presentation highlighted the museum’s role not only as a site of remembrance but also as a space for education, dialogue, and social engagement.

The presentation offered valuable perspectives for the participating African heritage professionals, many of whom are working on projects that similarly connect heritage preservation, community memory, and social history.

Grantees Present Heritage Projects from Across Africa

Following the keynote presentation, grantees presented their projects in a series of short presentations designed to showcase the diversity of initiatives supported through the programme.

Five projects were presented during the session:

• Phelile Chima (Zambia) — The Preservation and Promotion of Traditional Zambian Barkcloth
• Agness Onna Gidna (Tanzania) — Empowering Community Conservation for Sustainable Development at Engaruka Heritage Site
• Ahlam Ahmed Mohamed Othman (Egypt) — Preserving Bedouin Oral Literature
• Abel Assefa Girmay (Ethiopia) — Standardization, Documentation and Digitalization of Museum Collections for Effective Heritage Management
• Wacelia Marcelino Zacarias Zualo (Mozambique) — Weaving Resilience: Preserving Carpet Weaving and Cultural Knowledge in Palma, Cabo Delgado

As in previous convenings, presenters were given five minutes each to introduce their work, using a timer to ensure all speakers stayed within the allotted time. Following the presentations, participants engaged in an open question-and-answer discussion.

Several projects generated particular interest among the audience. Participants asked numerous questions about the traditional uses and cultural significance of Zambian barkcloth, while Ahlam Ahmed Mohamed Othman shared a video documenting Bedouin oral literature, providing a vivid glimpse into the storytelling traditions her project is working to preserve.

Strengthening a Network of Heritage Practitioners

As the session drew to a close, the team encouraged grantees to remain connected and continue sharing updates, experiences, and lessons learned.

Over the past two years, the convenings have become an important platform for mutual learning, peer support, and collaboration among heritage professionals working in diverse cultural contexts across Africa.

Even as the grant cycle concludes, HERITΛGE hopes that the relationships built through these sessions will continue to grow, ensuring that the community of African heritage practitioners supported through the programme remains active, collaborative, and engaged.

Coming up next: A Convening of our Fiscally Sponsored  project grantees.

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On 10 December 2025, the HERITΛGE Africa Grants Team held the sixth online networking convening for grantees awarded in 2024. The meeting brought together grantees, HERITΛGE staff, members of the Re-granting Committee, representatives of the Mellon Foundation, and other African donors, with 45 attendees. After welcoming remarks by Richard A. Brown, seven grantees shared their projects. These ranged from documenting traditional boat-making in Mauritius and supporting cultural teaching in Senegal to safeguarding heritage industries in Sudan and revitalising museums in Chad and Ghana.

“Hearing the diverse experiences of colleagues across Africa reminded me that we are part of a wider heritage community, facing similar challenges, but also drawing inspiration and new ideas from one another.”

After the presentations, grantees’ refelcted on presenting their work and learning from one another. Participants discussed how the experience of sharing their projects encouraged them to reconsider elements of documentation, community engagement, and youth involvement in heritage work. Several grantees noted that hearing from others sparked new thinking about how to approach their own initiatives and opened possibilities for collaboration across contexts.

The sixth convening highlighted the strength of these gatherings in creating a space for peer learning, shared reflection, and mutual support, reinforcing HERITΛGE’s commitment to fostering heritage initiatives across Africa.

The participants and projects featured were:

• Dr. Jayshree Mungur-Medhi, Mauritius: ‘Living the Heritage in Vieux Grand Port – Documentation and Transmission of Traditional Boat Making’

• Abdoulaye Diao Noumounthi, Senegal: ‘ElleSolaire Cultural Academy’

• Dr. Gafar Ali Fadol Ibrahim, Sudan: ‘Safeguarding Living Cultural Heritage in the Sudan at the Time of Conflict: Documentation of Cultural Industries (Pottery and Basketry) of Sinkat Locality in the Red Sea State’

• Yaw Mankatah Asare, Ghana: ‘Abibikwantuo (AK) Indigenous Sustainability Hub’

• Ngague Gaga Taguimbi, Chad (presenting on behalf of Ganda Bini Djabou): ‘Restoration and revitalization of the Sarh Museum’

• Prof. Pastory Magayane Bushozi, Tanzania: ‘Conservation and Promotion of Cultural Sites in the Eyasi Basin, Tanzania’

• Isaak Aduko, Ghana: ‘Protection, preservation and promotion of Fort Fredericksburg’

This was the sixth out of six planned events aimed at showcasing projects funded through our Small Grants for African Heritage Projects initiative, made possible through generous funding by the Mellon Foundation. 75 projects have received around $1 million in funding. You can read more about the specific projects on our Africa Grants page.

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1.The HerMaP Gambia successful completion

In February, HERITΛGE marked the successful completion of HerMaP Gambia, an initiative co-funded by the EU, by celebrating a milestone in community-driven heritage management. A certificate ceremony and visual art exhibition was held as part of The Gambia’s 60th Independence Anniversary celebrations, bringing together EU representatives, parliamentarians, and the Chair of the National Assembly to honour the dedication of the programme’s trainees. One week later, the Minister of Tourism, Members of Parliament, EU representatives, and a broad range of stakeholders convened for a high-level stakeholder lunch focused on sustaining the transformative results of the project. Already, we are seeing HerMaP Gambia graduates applying their new skills across the country—strengthening local heritage initiatives, engaging communities, and even training others. The programme’s impact is now firmly rooted in the sector, creating momentum that will shape heritage management in The Gambia for years to come.

2. HerMaP Africa: Building Capacity and Partnerships Across Three Countries

In 2025, HERITΛGE deepened its impact across Ethiopia, Ghana, and Rwanda through targeted capacity building, strategic partnerships, and close engagement with local cultural ecosystems, as part of the HerMaP Africa initiative supported by the Mellon Foundation. In Ethiopia, HERITΛGE delivered seven workshops and trained 127 participants, with a strong emphasis on hands-on, in-person conservation training. Notably, conservation workshops in Harar focused on equipping the next generation of staff from the Culture and Tourism Bureau with practical skills to safeguard this unique living heritage site, reinforcing long-term, community-based preservation. Institutional collaboration was further strengthened through the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding with key Ethiopian organisations. In Ghana, HERITΛGE delivered four workshops and trained 80 participants, ensuring broad regional representation and inclusive access to capacity building beyond major urban centres. A national networking roundtable brought together stakeholders and project leaders to exchange experiences, align priorities, and address shared challenges in the heritage sector, alongside the signing of two strategic MoUs. In Rwanda, four workshops trained 78 participants, and three MoUs were signed with leading institutions, including a milestone partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Arts. HERITΛGE also contributed to the Ubumuntu Arts Festival through programme consultations and a participatory session with young creatives, strengthening connections between heritage, contemporary culture, and youth engagement. Across all three countries, a dedicated Train-the-Trainers programme equipped 19 heritage professionals to act as HERITΛGE ambassadors, significantly amplifying local capacity and long-term impact.

3. Small Grants for African Heritage

The regranting phase of HerMaP Africa reached its conclusion, marking one of the most ambitious and impactful heritage-support programmes on the continent. Since 2023, HERITΛGE has received more than 2,500 applications from across Africa and funded over 74 small heritage projects, each led by local actors working to safeguard, reinterpret, and activate their cultural heritage. This regranting initiative was made possible with the generous support of the Mellon Foundation. Throughout the year, grantees participated in six regional convenings, creating spaces to exchange experiences, strengthen their skills, and learn from peers—building a growing network of practitioners committed to community-centred heritage work. Several more convenings are planned for 2026 to continue nurturing this collaborative ecosystem. The results have been remarkable: from revitalised cultural practices to restored and more resilient cultural sites, to new opportunities for local development, these projects are already transforming lives. We are proud to showcase this work through dedicated social media features and a new publication that brings together the stories, challenges, and achievements of the HerMaP Africa grantees.

4. HerMaP Mexico: Launching a New Border Region Initiative

This year also marked the launch of HerMaP Mexico, a major new initiative that expands HERITΛGE’s work into North America and supports cultural heritage actors across Mexico’s northern border states. Funded by the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place programme, the project brings a comprehensive, community-focused approach to heritage management through mapping, training, networking, and small grants. In 2025 we established the foundations of the programme: building local partnerships, initiating the mapping of heritage professionals and institutions across six states, and preparing the first round of capacity-building workshops to be delivered in both Spanish and English. HerMaP Mexico responds to the region’s unique cultural landscape—shaped by Indigenous, mestizo, migrant, and Chicano communities—and aims to strengthen local skills while creating new opportunities for collaboration and sustainable development. As the project moves forward, it will support locally led initiatives and grow into a long-term platform that connects heritage practitioners across the border region with global networks and resources.

5. Professional Training and Executive Leadership Education Programmes

HERITΛGE continued to strengthen its leadership in professional training by expanding its Executive Leadership Education programmes and reinforcing its global learning community. A key milestone was the introduction of Community Tourism and Development into the curriculum, responding to the growing need for heritage managers to understand how cultural resources can generate sustainable economic benefits while reinforcing social cohesion, identity, and community resilience. This year also saw the first alumni conference of the Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage Summer School, bringing together former participants from around the world to share research, field experiences, and community-based practices. Alongside this, HERITΛGE successfully delivered its Conservation Series Training Programmes for the second time, expanding the offer to include First Aid for Finds and Preventive Conservation, and equipping participants with practical skills applicable across diverse heritage contexts. The Training of Trainers (ToT) programme continued to grow, building a global cohort of HERITΛGE Ambassadors—heritage professionals trained to deliver high-quality, cross-cultural capacity building within their own communities. Together, these initiatives reflect HERITΛGE’s ongoing commitment to community-centred heritage management, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the empowerment of professionals working at the intersection of culture, development, and sustainability, supported by a vibrant international network united by shared values and collective impact.

6. Advancing Audience-Centred Heritage Practice through AHEAD

In 2025, HERITΛGE advanced its work on audience-centred heritage practice through AHEAD (Accessible Heritage Experience for Audience Development), a project co-funded by Creative Europe  and dedicated to strengthening participation, co-creation, and sustainability across the cultural heritage sector. At the Archaeological Museum of Messara, the project’s Greek hub, HERITΛGE hosted a series of co-creation labs in early 2025, followed by a study visit  for AHEAD project partners in May, creating space for peer learning and in-depth exchange around participatory heritage approaches. In July, the 3rd AHEAD Networking Event brought together practitioners and researchers, and featured the presentation of the Living Heritage Network in Greece by Theodosia Maroutsi, highlighting how community-led approaches can be embedded in national heritage ecosystems. In September, HERITΛGE organised a dedicated Multiplier event in Athens to share the results of AHEAD with heritage managers, researchers, and cultural professionals. The project culminated in October with the presentation of AHEAD and its outcomes in Brussels and, for the Greek hub, a public event at the Archaeological Museum of Messara, where Elektra Angelopoulou, the project’s artist-in-residence, presented a site-specific artwork co-created with the local community. Alongside these events, AHEAD produced a dedicated magazine and learning resources that document the project’s insights and offer practical tools for fostering co-creation, inclusion, and long-term sustainability in cultural heritage practice.

7. SHIFT: Inclusive Digital Innovation for the Future of Cultural Heritage

HERITΛGE and its SHIFT consortium partners concluded this ambitious Horizon Europe project aimed at making cultural heritage more accessible, inclusive, and engaging through advanced technologies. Over its lifetime, SHIFT delivered a suite of innovative tools—including an Image-to-Video generator, affective speech synthesis, haptics interfaces, and a platform designed to support inclusive digital storytelling—alongside a pioneering Extended Reality (XR) Accessibility Framework. These results were tested and refined through four pilot events in Germany, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia, ensuring that the tools responded to real needs within museums, libraries, and cultural organisations. The project’s achievements were showcased at major gatherings such as the Digital Heritage World Congress and Expo in Siena, highlighting SHIFT’s contribution to the future of digital cultural heritage. As part of our commitment to long-term impact, HERITΛGE developed a set of training modules to equip cultural heritage professionals with the skills they need to adopt and apply these new technologies in their own contexts.

8. Strengthening a National Platform for Living Heritage

HERITΛGE strengthened its commitment to living heritage in Greece as a founding member of the country’s Living Heritage Network, with our Greek Programmes Manager, Theodosia Maroutsi, serving for the third year on its coordinating committee. In this role, HERITΛGE actively contributed to the Network’s 2nd National Meeting, held in Athens on 21–23 February, a major highlight of the year, where Theodosia welcomed participants and drove the dialogue during the “Living Heritage Network: Formation and Perspectives” roundtable “ reflecting on the Network’s development and future direction. HERITΛGE also delivered one of the leading side events of the 2nd National Meeting, a hands-on workshop, for 30 participants, titled “Working on the Narrative Interpretation of Living Cultural Heritage,” supporting practitioners in exploring narrative approaches to interpreting living heritage. Our impact extended well beyond the 2nd National Meeting’s floor. HERITΛGE was instrumental in drafting the Network’s Mapping Questionnaire, which was also launched in autumn of 2025. This Mapping is a crucial initiative designed to identify the essential needs of the living heritage ecosystem. The Network’s work was further amplified through HERITΛGE’s involvement in European projects: it was featured in AHEAD, where Theodosia participated in the 3rd Online Networking Event and was interviewed for the project’s magazine—freely available in English, Greek, Italian, and Spanish—and in EMPATHS, where the Network informed stakeholder mapping, cross-sector interviews, and co-design findings. Together, these activities positioned the Living Heritage Network as a key grassroots platform for participatory, community-led heritage practice in Greece and beyond.

9. Safeguarding Pakistan’s Most Significant and Vulnerable Cultural Landscapes

HERITΛGE and our partners completed the first phase of the project Preservation of Buddhist Rock Reliefs in the Swat Valley, safeguarding one of Pakistan’s most significant and vulnerable cultural landscapes. The initiative documented and conserved Buddhist rock carvings dating from the 8th to the 10th centuries, while also recording oral histories, legends, and traditional arts and crafts that link Pashtun culture with the Valley’s Buddhist past. Using advanced digital techniques, 78 rock reliefs were documented and made accessible through a public website featuring interactive maps and 3D models, and first aid conservation was carried out on 39 of the most at-risk sites. Capacity building was central to the project, with local participants trained in digital documentation and climate change adaptation. This first phase concluded with a public event at the Swat Museum and was presented internationally, including at the Lahore Museum, the Venice Biennale, and COP30, where it was cited as a strong example of heritage resilience in the face of climate change. Funded by the British Council’s Cultural Protection Fund and implemented with local and international partners, the project demonstrates how conservation, community engagement, and digital innovation can work together to protect heritage for future generations.

10. EMPATHS: Advancing Participatory Heritage Interpretation Across Europe

In 2025, HERITΛGE deepened its engagement in the Erasmus+–funded EMPATHS project, which aims to equip heritage professionals with the skills needed for participatory, community-driven heritage interpretation. Early in the year, the project contributed to international dialogue through a LDnet webinar on empowering local communities for smart and sustainable cultural heritage, while in May it published the EMPATHS Baseline Report, offering a comprehensive overview of current practices, challenges, and opportunities in participatory heritage interpretation across Europe and beyond. EMPATHS was further showcased at the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) Congress in Belgrade, through the session “Voices of the Past, Hands of the Present: Collaborative Pathways in Archaeology and Heritage Interpretation.” In parallel, HERITΛGE led two online co-design sessions in Greece with heritage professionals from Alexandroupoli and Rizía, marking the project’s first structured dialogue between technical partners and piloting organisations and directly informing the design of the forthcoming training programme. Over the summer, EMPATHS published four key deliverables, including stakeholder mapping, cross-sector interviews, and co-design findings, all reinforcing the demand for skills in facilitation, storytelling, and emotionally resonant communication. The year culminated with the project’s second Transnational Project Meeting in Athens, where partners advanced work on the EMPATHS methodological compendium and training framework, the presentation of the project during a Global Alliance for Heritage Interpretation Webinar, and, importantly, with the publication of the EMPATHS Manifesto—a collective call to move beyond top-down interpretation and embrace heritage as a shared, democratic, and future-oriented process shaped with communities.

11. Community-Led Preservation of Earthen Architecture in Shibam, Yemen

In Yemen, HERITΛGE advanced a major effort to safeguard the cultural heritage of Shibam through the ALIPH-funded project Preserving the Unique Earthen Architecture of Shibam. In early 2025, museum experts Shatha Safi and Khulod Najjar travelled to the UNESCO World Heritage city to guide the community-led planning of a new museum that will bring together collections currently scattered across Shibam and create dedicated spaces for traditional arts, crafts, and digital learning. Their visit marked a pivotal moment in the project, with consultations held with local authorities, heritage institutions, and women from the community to ensure the museum reflects the lived experiences, history, and aspirations of Shibam’s residents. Alongside this vision-setting, HERITΛGE is training local professionals on-site, with four trainees already working with our team on the documentation of the South Palace—future home of the museum. Complemented by architectural assessments and a climate action study, the project is laying the groundwork for a resilient cultural hub that will support preservation and community engagement for years to come.

12. Safeguarding Architectural Heritage in Times of War in Ukraine

In Ukraine, HERITΛGE advanced critical work to protect architectural heritage threatened by war through the project Architectural Heritage Preservation in Times of War: The Ukrainian Model, delivered with the Kharkiv School of Architecture and 3D documentation specialists Skeiron. Launched in September 2024, the programme trained 30 students and 10 educators from across the country in cutting-edge documentation and conservation techniques—from photogrammetry and 3D laser scanning to international heritage standards—while providing hands-on field internships in Western Ukraine. Together, they created high-resolution digital records of 15 at-risk sites, safeguarding knowledge even as physical structures remain vulnerable. Through educator training and a series of public webinars, the project also planted the seeds for a new nationwide curriculum in architectural heritage preservation. Its impact extends far beyond a single academic year: it has built a cohort of young architects and teachers equipped with the skills, networks, and resolve to protect Ukraine’s cultural memory during conflict and beyond. Their work stands as a reminder that preserving heritage is not only an act of conservation, but an act of resilience and recovery.

13. New Projects for the Digital Transformation of Cultural Heritage

In 2025, HERITΛGE became a consortium partner in two new projects funded under the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, both contributing to the ECHOES initiative and the development of the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH). ECHOES aims to establish a shared digital infrastructure that brings together currently fragmented cultural heritage communities, offering access to data, advanced digital tools, scientific resources, and training materials developed collaboratively by heritage professionals and researchers. HERITΛGE participates in MusicSphere, a project dedicated to preserving and interpreting traditional musical organs—such as pipe organs and their ancient Greek counterpart, the hydraulis—through high-fidelity digital replicas, acoustic modelling, and immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences that capture both their physical structure and sonic interaction with architectural spaces. HERITΛGE is also a partner in EXCALIBUR, which focuses on burial sites, excavation contexts, artefacts, and human remains, developing human-centred, affordable digital twin technologies to support research, conservation, restoration, and museum interpretation. Together, these projects contribute to the long-term preservation, study, and public understanding of complex heritage assets, while ensuring that open, interoperable, and practitioner-driven tools are shared through the ECCCH platform for broad professional and societal impact.

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Building Peace Across Borders in East Africa. Members of women’s forums are enjoying their newfound voice and role in cross border peace building. USAID’s PEACE III supports key actors, including local leaders, women and youth in the targeted cross-border cluster areas to deepen and broaden transformative social reconciliation processes.
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Photo Credit: Tine Frank /USAID East Africa Regional. Original public domain image from Flickr

On 29 October 2025, the HERITΛGE Africa Grants Team hosted its fifth network convening bringing together grantees, HERITΛGE staff, Re-granting Committee members, representatives from the Mellon Foundation, and other African donors. 65 people attended the meeting. The convening differed from previous ones as it included simultaneous interpretation to accommodate Francophone speakers, who represented the majority of presenters, which was valuable.

The session opened with welcoming remarks from Richard A. Brown, with eleven grantees then presenting their work. These covered projects in Guinea, Benin, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger, Cameroon, Uganda, Nigeria, Egypt, and Côte d’Ivoire. Projects ranged from mapping and documenting cultural heritage in Guinea to the restoration of cultural sites and the promotion of sustainable tourism and heritage museums across Africa.*

Following the presentations, participants joined breakout rooms organised by project type. These smaller groups facilitated discussions on challenges faced during project implementation, opportunities for collaboration, and strategies for engaging local communities and governments. Participants shared experiences, best practices, and networking contacts, highlighting the value of HERITΛGE workshops and the importance of training in areas such as heritage marketing, documentation, and sustainable tourism.

This fifth convening reinforced the importance of these gatherings as spaces for knowledge exchange, peer learning, and fostering collaboration across diverse heritage projects. It also highlighted the need to maintain inclusive practices, such as interpretation services, to ensure all grantees can actively participate. HERITΛGE will continue to provide support and explore structured plans for future in-person and virtual engagements.

*Lansana Keita, Guinea: ‘Mapping and documenting cultural heritage of Guinée Forestière’
Franck Serge Wouantègnon Alokpowanou, Benin: ‘Renovation and innovative management of the Ondo sacred forest of Pobe’
Louis Hermann Tinwende Nikiema, Burkina Faso: ‘Restoration of Cultural Heritage’ (‘Restauration du Patrimonie Culturel’)
Katalay Katy Bumba Jean-Paul, Democratic Republic of Congo: ‘Transformation of the colonial residence in a tourism and community center’
Adiza Amadou, Niger: ‘Preserving the Tradition of Handweaving in Niger’
Dr Loumpet Germain, Cameroon: ‘Conservation and Enhancement of a Biodiversity Site Among the Pygmies (Sauvegarde, valorisation un site de biodiversité chez les Pygmées)’
Mfitundinda Herbert, Uganda: ‘Enhancing Indigenous Batwa Livelihood Through Cultural Heritage Experiences in Uganda’
Geofrey Junior Waako, Uganda: ‘Cultural Oasis: Jinja’s Sustainable Heritage Hub’
Adeoluwa Onamade, Nigeria: ‘Sustainable Project to strengthen Bilikisu-Sungbo heritage’
Hassan Refaat Hassan Badawy, Egypt: ‘Documentation and Marketing of El- Quseir’s ICH for Sustainable Community Development’
Edi Ako Victorien Constant, Cote d’Ivoire: ‘Cooperative Training in the Animation of a Community Agricultural Museum in Agboville: The MCAA Project’ (‘Formation coopérative à l’animation d’un Musée Communautaire Agricole à Agboville : Le Projet MCAA’)

This was the fifth out of six planned events aimed at showcasing projects funded through our Small Grants for African Heritage Projects initiative, made possible through generous funding by the Mellon Foundation. 75 projects have received around $1million in funding. You can read more about the specific projects on our Africa Grants page which is continually being updated.

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On 3 September 2025, the HERITΛGE Africa Grants Team held the fourth online networking convening for grantees awarded in 2024. The meeting brought together grantees, Heritage staff, committee members, Mellon Foundation representatives, and other African donors, with 76 attendees.

After welcoming remarks by Richard A. Brown and an introduction to the day’s agenda by HERITΛGE Director, Evangelos Kyriakidis, eleven grantees shared their projects. These ranged from protecting Ethiopia’s Azwa Maryam Monastery to revitalizing Namibia’s Oshikulu Cultural Village, and from creating inclusive museum spaces in South Africa to empowering community-based tourism in Rwanda.

“What we are learning, we are impacting our communities and our leadership to say that this is what we are, where we are going and all of these have been made possible just because we are part of this fellowship”

Moses Mkumpha, Malawi

Following the presentations, the conversation turned to capacity-building and HERITΛGE’s training programmes. Past participants shared how these courses had strengthened their projects, expanded their professional networks, and provided practical skills in fundraising, project management, and heritage conservation. Grantees from Sudan, Nigeria, Malawi, Botswana, Zambia, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Namibia* described how the trainings had been transformative, enabling them to achieve higher success in proposal writing, project implementation, and community engagement, while also inspiring leadership and innovation. The breakout discussions allowed participants to continue sharing experiences and reflect on how these opportunities enhanced their work and impact.

The fourth convening highlighted the value of combining financial support with professional development, reinforcing HERITΛGE’s commitment to strengthening heritage initiatives across Africa and fostering a growing community of heritage professionals. The session left participants energised and motivated to apply their learnings, collaborate across borders, and continue advancing the preservation and promotion of African heritage.

The participants and projects featured were:

Getaneh Addis Tessema, Ethiopia: ‘Protection and Promotion of Azwa Maryam Monastery’
Francis Kwarayire,  Ghana: ‘Re-use of Old Cocoa Shed Building as a Contemporary Art Museum’
Aisha Pearl Mayekiso, South Africa: ‘Creating inclusive museum spaces, products, and services for all’
Adebunmi Akinbo, Nigeria: ‘Restoring Ilukwe House – A research center promoting Nigerian heritage’
Gasenone Kediseng, Botswana: ‘Khama III Memorial Museum Kitchen and Restaurant’
Dounama Biri, Niger: ‘Art Culture and Heritage of the Women of Boubon Niger’
Foday Dampha, The Gambia: ‘Rehabilitation of Genieri Community Museum and Building of Human Capacities’
Ahmed Magem, Nigeria: ‘Restoration, Preservation and Protection of Tangale Culture and Heritage’
Ursha Faal, The Gambia: ‘Fulani Heritage Haven’
Greg Bacunzi, Rwanda: ‘Empowering Youth and Women in Community-based Tourism’
Serak S O Shidhudhu, Namibia: ‘Oshikulu Cultural Village – Revitalizing Cultural Roots: Safeguarding Heritage, Empowering Communities’

This was the fourth out of six planned events aimed at showcasing projects funded through our Small Grants for African Heritage Projects initiative, made possible through generous funding by the Mellon Foundation. 75 projects have received around $1million in funding. You can read more about the specific projects on our Africa Grants page.

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AI-generated image sourced from Canva

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) has taken the world by storm — transforming the way we write, design, and make decisions. But at HERITΛGE, we’re exploring how it can achieve something even more meaningful: help us understand, evaluate, and support community-led cultural heritage projects.

In 2023 HERITΛGE launched a call inviting and receiving hundreds of proposals from organizations, communities, and individuals in Africa to apply for small grants for Africa heritage projects — from traditional crafts and oral histories to sustainable tourism and cultural education. This was part of our HerMaP Africa initiative, supported by the Mellon Foundation.

The response was phenomenal. We received an unprecedented number of proposals from around the continent, over 1,700. A committee of experts was set up to examine them and decide which projects would be funded – no easy task!

To ensure that our funding decisions were fair, transparent, and data-driven, following the completion of the committee’s work, we joined forces with researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) – also our partners in the EU-funded SHIFT project, and the Group on Language, Audio, and Music (GLAM), at Imperial College London. Together, we set out to answer a simple but powerful question:

Can open, ethical AI help us make smarter and more equitable funding decisions?

The researchers, including HERITΛGE director, Dr. Evangelos Kyriakidis,introduced a framework that developed a new framework to analyze large collections of project proposals in the cultural heritage field — using a mix of established methods and the latest artificial intelligence (AI).

Our goal was to understand what themes and priorities appeared most often in proposals, and what factors might influenced their success.

To do this, we combined traditional topic modeling tools (which find recurring themes in texts) with large language models (LLMs) — the same kind of advanced AI behind tools like ChatGPT.

First, the traditional models identified broad topics across more than 1,700 project proposals focused on protecting and promoting heritage in Africa. Then,  newer AI models refined these themes, helping us define them more precisely and in ways that make sense for the heritage field.

We also looked at how language was used in the proposals — for example, how complex the writing was, what tone it used (positive or negative), and whether certain patterns in language might influence how proposals are received.

This approach helped uncover hidden insights about how funding is distributed and what kinds of projects tend to succeed. Ultimately, the aim is to support more transparent and equitable funding decisions and to help cultural heritage organizations better tailor their proposals for impact.

Putting Ethics and Privacy First

While many people are familiar with AI tools like ChatGPT, these are proprietary systems that store data on external servers. When dealing with sensitive information such as grant proposals, that’s a serious concern.
Instead of sending data to the cloud, we used an open-source AI model (LLaMA3) and ran it entirely on our own secure systems. This ensured that all proposal data remained private and compliant with our ethical standards.

Finding Meaning in 1,700 Proposals

Our analysis identified 25 meaningful categories reflecting heritage priorities and emerging trends in real work on the ground in Africa— from agricultural heritage to sustainable crafts and inclusive education.

What we learnt was that Community Development, Heritage Preservation, and Culture emerged as the most common and well-funded themes. The figure below depicts how over $1 million of total allocations was apportioned among the 25 refined topics. Three leading categories—Community Development, Heritage Preservation, and Culture—each received close to $600,000. Meanwhile, areas like Social Services and Education fell below $50,000, indicating potential gaps in support.

Interestingly, Tourism and Academic work secured comparatively large allocations despite a smaller share of total applications, highlighting a more targeted focus in these areas. Keep in mind here that applicants had to demonstrate that their project has a lasting impact, develops capacity, builds networks, strengthens local skills, and has a strong, measurable impact for the protection of heritage and the benefit of local people.

Some topics tended to appear together. Our analysis showed that strong overlaps emerged among Community Development, Culture, and Heritage Preservation, implying that community-driven initiatives often intersect with preserving local culture. Similarly, Sustainability, Conservation, and Agriculture frequently clustered, reflecting an expanding emphasis on environmentally responsible heritage initiatives. By contrast, topics like Training, Business, and Economics tended to appear in isolation—suggesting room for more integrated, cross-cutting proposals (e.g. heritage based social enterprises).

We also used sentiment analysis, readability measures, and inclusivity keywords to study the “linguistic fingerprint” of each proposal: we found that sentiment, readabilitty and inclusivity all mattered.  Accepted proposals scored higher in positivity, suggesting that evaluators respond well to an upbeat, confident tone. Both successful and unsuccessful proposals were typically quite technical, indicating that complexity alone isn’t a deal-breaker. However, a moderate level of clarity—i.e., avoiding overly dense jargon—tended to correlate with better outcomes. Terms like “diversity” and “accessibility,” as well as a moderate usage of gendered pronouns, appeared more frequently in awarded projects. This underscores the value placed on inclusivity and social impact within cultural heritage funding.

In plain terms, AI confirmed that trojects using positive and inclusive language tended to perform better with evaluators, showing that tone and clarity influence evaluation outcomes. These insights can guide future applicants toward stronger, more effective proposals.

Why It Matters

By uncovering patterns in both what applicants propose and how they articulate their projects, we can provide clearer guidance for future calls and better ensure that funding reaches impactful cultural heritage initiatives.

This study shows that AI, when used ethically, can help cultural heritage professionals make funding processes more transparent, efficient, and fair. It’s not about replacing human judgment but enhancing it with better data and insights — ensuring that resources reach the initiatives with the greatest impact.

HERITΛGE and its partners will continue refining this approach as a new call for proposals for heritage projects in Mexico will soon be published, under our recently launched HerMaP Mexico initiative.

You can find the study and more information on the TUM website.

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We are happy to share that TraciKwai’s Fisher Child VR Experience, one of the 75 projects funded by our Small Grants for Africa, an initiative generously supported by the Mellon Foundation, had its official launch on June 21st.

Project Fisher Child is a multidisciplinary storytelling experience that weaves together VR, AR, and QR technologies. Each element offers a unique narrative that intersects and overlaps with the others, creating a rich, immersive journey. Whether you are engaging on-site or from wherever you are, the stories remain accessible and impactful.

The launch event was a great success and was attended by 100 people who gathered at the small community hall in Kalk Bay.The guests came from both the local fishing community and the wider Cape Town area and queued in front of each of the two-by-two marked out squares, patiently waiting for their turn to experience the Virtual Reality, Living Museum of stories and images housed inside a 3D world; a repository of archival material including images, old photographs and the ancient sound of the Poedjies unique to the area.

A multi-sensory experience of sight and sound combined with the flavours and aromas of fresh indigenous food:  “viskop sop”, smoor snoek en gebakte brood (fish head soup, fish stew and freshly baked bread) topped with home made preserves and spicy tea.

Community members were brought to tears as they heard the voices of old friends and family members who were no longer there and young voices gave them a sense of hope and pride and belonging.

The VR experience made them feel as though they were immersed under the sea and created feelings of nostalgia and they were able to share those memories with us after.

Age was no barrier. This experience was enjoyed by five year olds and eighty five year olds alike.

The Augmented Reality Museum Jars were also a big success, with quite a few sold on the day. Participants were so engrossed in the experience that many needed gentle encouragement to exit!

All in all a very successful community event!

Experience some of the exhibits yourself here.

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HERITAGE’s Richard A. Brown opened the session with a warm welcome, followed by Dimitra Gialesa of the Network Convening Taskforce, who thanked attendees and introduced the agenda. In this convening, twelve grantees presented their projects. The projects showcased a wide range of heritage work across Africa, including efforts to revitalise historic sites in Tanzania, promote cultural heritage in Cameroon, empower refugee women in Uganda, and build heritage museums in The Gambia.*

Following presentations, participants joined six breakout rooms organised by project type and facilitated by HERITAGE staff. These smaller groups encouraged peer discussions on common challenges and potential collaborations, with one member of the Grants Committee joining each. Discussions ranged from capacity building and craft training, restoration and documentation, to infrastructure support and heritage tourism.  Encouragingly, connections were made that may lead to future collaborations.

Overall, the convening reinforced the value of these gatherings as platforms for connection and shared learning, while also highlighting challenges in participation. The team plans to maintain thematic breakout groups and encourage more focused discussions on challenges and collaboration in future convenings.

*Kelvin Fella  Tanzania: ‘Improving Community Wellbeing to Rescue Bagamoyo Old
Stone Town’
Nfor Blessing Mbontu Cameroon: ‘’Smart Sacred Forests Reforestation Project’
James Agbor Ayamba Cameroon: ‘Protecting Heritage Through Promoting Culture’
Margaret Dear Kasande Uganda: ‘Supporting women and refugees in the Rwenzoris to
acquire skills and earn income from traditional basket weaving’
Hassoum Ceesay The Gambia: ‘Fort Bullen Revitalization’ (presentation delivered by
the manager Mamat Sallah)
Habab Idriss Ahmed Idriss  Sudan: ‘Documentation and Protection of Hillat Dongola’
Elhadj Ould Brahim Mauritania: ‘Preserving Haratin Bondja and Medh Musical
Traditions (first stage: Adrar Region, Mauritania)’
Nfamara Tamba The Gambia: ‘’Kubuneh-Galloya Heritage Trail (The Gambia)’
(presentation delivered by Dimitra Gialesa at the end because Nfamara was facing
internet connection issues through the meeting and he was disconnecting regularly)
Sanya Gilbert Lesotho: ‘Empowering Communities: Sustainable Tourism, Heritage
Preservation and Economic Empowerment Project at Kome Caves’
Anaclet Karangwa Rwanda: ‘The Development of Imanzi Heritage Village’
Hewan Goitom Berhane Ethiopia: ‘Addis Ababa Heritage Buildings Photogrammetry
Documentation Training and Exhibition’
Bala Saho The Gambia: ‘Building A Heritage Museum and Training on the Collection
and Management of Artifacts and Oral Traditions’

This was the third out of six planned events aimed at showcasing projects funded through our Small Grants for African Heritage Projects initiative, made possible through generous funding by the Mellon Foundation. 75 projects have received around $1million in funding. You can read more about the specific projects on our Africa Grants page which is continually being updated.

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On 30th April, our Africa Grants Team hosted the Second Networking Convening for recipients of our Small Grants for Africa, bringing together over 60 participants from across Africa for a virtual session. Our small grants initiative is made possible with the support of the Mellon Foundation.

The event featured grantees, HERITΛGE staff, members of the Re-granting Committee, and representatives from several foundations, including the Mellon Foundation, ALIPH Foundation, Arcadia Fund, DRK Foundation, and Kaplan Foundation. 12 grantees presented  projects from Algeria, Eswatini, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. They showcased a broad range of community-driven heritage work, from the restoration of Keana Salt Village in Nigeria to the conservation of rock paintings in Uganda.

“Heritage and culture are so important in many different ways in addressing social issues, economic issues and environmental issues”

Justin Garrett Moore, Director, Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place Program 

After the presentations, Justin Garrett Moore from the Mellon Foundation highlighted the significant role that heritage plays in addressing various societal challenges. “We’ve supported this work because heritage and culture are so important in many different ways in addressing social issues, economic issues,  and environmental issues. And I think all of the work you’ve shared here today has been showing jus the power  that work has,” he told attendees./

The convening concluded with a breakout session, where participants were divided into smaller groups to discuss their projects more informally. It was also a great opportunity for participants to network with each other and promoted collaborations between individuals and groups.

This was the second out of six planned events aimed at showcasing projects funded through our Small Grants for African Heritage Projects initiative, made possible through generous funding by the Mellon Foundation. 75 projects have received around $1million in funding. You can read more about the specific projects on our Africa Grants page which is continually being updated.

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Justin Garrett Moore, Director, Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place Program 

Last month, we held our first Online Networking Convening of the 2024 Africa Grants Programme. The meeting, which was attended by representatives from 49 organisations, was a fantastic opportunity for grant recipients to share the successes of their projects with other grantees. It was also a chance to celebrate the projects and thank everyone involved including representatives from the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place Program and the Re-granting Committee members. 

Richard Brown opened the meeting by outlining the positive impact of the Africa Grants Programme which has provided over $1,000,000 to 75 organisations in 32 countries across Africa. HERITAGE Director, Evangelos Kyriakidis, then emphasised the importance of the meeting itself as an opportunity for grantees to learn from other heritage professionals across the continent to build a stronger heritage sector saying “it is the only continent where there is such enormous diversity and wealth of heritage alive”. 

This diversity was emphasised in the following presentations where 12 organisations outlined what each grant had been used to fund. These projects included tangible and intangible heritage, natural and built, covered a range of cultures, varying religions and spanned eight different countries including Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa.* You can read more about the specific projects on our Africa Grants page, but it was a great opportunity to hear directly from the teams who have worked so diligently to champion their heritage. We look forward to hearing from more organisations in the following meetings!

*The 12 projects presented at the first meeting included: 

Mahmoud Malik Saako | Ghana: ‘Islamic Heritage in northern Ghana’

Vitalice Ochieng | Kenya: ‘Cultural Heritage Promotion and Conservation of the Kaya Forests, Kenya’

Chifundo Dalireni | Malawi: ‘Protecting Chongoni heritage sites through community participation and effective governance’

Getinet Fetene Engida | Ethiopia: ‘Protecting Heritages in monasteries of UNESCO Lake Tana Biosphere Reserve’

William Mutta Tsaka | Kenya: ‘Restoration Work and Museum Establishment at Masee House in Kenya’

Moses Mkumpha | Malawi: ‘Restoration of Anti-Slave trade buildings and opening of Museums’

Daniel Ishaya Mwada | Nigeria: ‘Rehabilitation of Rabih’s Fort, Dikwa National Monument’

Kamya Stephen Kyobe | Uganda: ‘Uganda bark cloth revitalization Consortium; promoting communal Conservation / protection’

Eunitah Viriri | Zimbabwe: ‘Towards the Preservation and Promotion of Matendere Ruins in Zimbabwe’

Didas Mzirai | Kenya: ‘Bustani Resort – The Taveta Cultural and Agro-Ecotourism Center’

Njung Gislane Bih | Nigeria: ‘Solarization of National Museum Onikan (Lagos)’ (presentation  delivered by her partner Tolulope Falola)

Tracey Viljoen | South Africa: ‘The Fisher Child and other stories. Sites of memory project’

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