Tag Archives: workshops
Project Management Workshop: 20 participants from 18 countries
In December 2024, 20 participants from 18 countries joined HERITΛGE for the Project Management for Heritage Managers workshop. This 3-day online course aims to equip attendees with essential project management skills, guiding them through the entire project lifecycle.
The course instructor, Tim Healing, started day one with a discussion on the concept of a project, how it differs from everyday tasks and the key qualities of an effective manager. He then outlined the project manager’s responsibilities and essential skills before going over common pitfalls to avoid, equipping participants to recognise and address these issues early. These skills were then put into practice with a group analysis of a case study. The teams used this example to employ the project cycle framework and identify and resolve challenges, before drafting their own proposals.
The projects will be well planned, organized and with clear budgets to attract donor funding. The projects will also be evaluated and risks clearly assessed to have greater impact to the intended beneficiaries.
Walugembe Muzaphalu, Executive Director at Kanungu Empowerment and Support Organization
On the second day, training focused on the need for a structured agenda, with task outlines and risk identification the priority. Tim also introduced the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Critical Path Diagram and the SPECTRES risk assessment tool. Participants then worked on the Niger Restoration Project case study, ranking risks, proposing solutions, and identifying which risks should be mitigated before starting the project, applying the risk management techniques and SPECTRES framework already outlined.
I have found good insights in how to manage my project already in progress and it benefits to improve the rest of my project activities.
Rediat Messele, Lecturer in Archaeology and Heritage Management at Aksum University
The final day began with a session on developing project budgets, explaining direct and indirect costs through a publication case study. Participants worked in groups on the Sudan Museum Project case study, identifying monitoring concerns and strategies to stay on track, followed by group presentations and feedback.
The discussions remained lively to the end, and it was clear that participants had gained skills which they felt confident in applying in their own careers.
Participants were from Albania, Botswana, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, India, Lesotho, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Uganda, and the United States.
Read more about our upcoming workshops here.
Legacy Builders: Dr Habab Idriss Ahmed
Dr Habab Idriss Ahmed | Senior Archaeologist Inspector, National Corporation for Antiquities and Museums, Sudan
What workshops did you attend?
The Successful Fundraising for Heritage Managers: Strategies and Best Practices workshop in 2023 and the Conservation I and II workshops in 2024 (Introduction to the General Principles of Cultural Heritage Conservation and First Aid for Finds)
Were the workshops an opportunity to connect with and learn from peers?
The workshops were great opportunities to meet colleagues from different backgrounds and share knowledge and experiences in cultural heritage. We discussed the topics and the issues that arose in the workshops from different perspectives which helped me to broaden my knowledge about cultural heritage in different countries and the perspectives others have when it comes to this heritage and its management.
“The training I received has improved my skills and knowledge in conservation and documentation and in exchanging ideas.”
What knowledge and abilities did you gain?
Having completed the fundraising workshop, I now know how to support my project financially but more than this, the training I received has improved my skills and knowledge in conservation and documentation and in exchanging ideas, all of which is being reflected in my work.
“My project has benefited from sharing ideas and details and even more so by being used as case study”
Following of your training, have your projects benefited?
No doubt my project has benefited: it has benefited from sharing ideas and details and even more so by being used as case study. Sharing my project with colleagues who were working on similar projects and exchanging ideas and practices has allowed me to add new ideas in its documentation and conservation phases. I have also improved the quality of my project overall by applying new ideas and discussing details of each step of the project with colleagues.
Engaging Communities in Cultural Heritage Workshop
Over three days in October, fifteen heritage professionals joined our online workshop to learn more about engaging communities in heritage. Community engagement is one of the key strategies in heritage management and allows
HERITΛGE’s Aris Anagnostopoulos and Eleni Stefanou along with the Organization’s Director, Evangelos Kyriakidis, led the workshop, each working with participants on a different section and drawing on case studies from participants’ own work.
After an introduction into how local perspectives are essential in heritage conservation, participants explored the idea of values and examined how the values tied to heritage by the local community make these communities essential stakeholders in safeguarding the knowledge and importance of heritage sites. Over the course of the workshop, participants also learned techniques for engagement through ethnographic research, values identification, collaborative design and representation of the whole community, looking at case studies from around the world and in different types of sites.
“What I liked most about this course was how it showed the importance of involving communities in preserving heritage,” said eter Adewale Jegede, Curator at Nigeria-based On Your Mark. “I now have a better understanding of how to build trust, encourage collaboration, and ensure that heritage initiatives are inclusive and sustainable. This knowledge will help me design projects that respect community perspectives and create stronger connections between people and their cultural heritage.”
Ibrahim Hassan Gafar Ali Fadolr, Director at University of Nyala Centre for Darfur Heritage said that “Major benefits of this training course shall be used in better planning, implementation and review of performance in dealing with communities with different backgrounds, cultures and linguistic variances. ”
“We were lacking skills of how to bring communities at odd to work jointly together to achieve success on behalf of everyone,” he added.
HERITΛGE offers regular 3-day workshops on Community Engagement in Cultural Heritage, as well as an annual Summer Field School, held in Greece and online.
Introducing the principles of quality heritage interpretation for site managers
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.”
* Penelope Gkini, studied Communication and Media in Athens Kapodistrian Univeristy, Arts and Languages in Dijon’s University and in 2022 she finished the Master of Science in Alternative Approaches of Psychology in Education at the University of Crete. She is interested in travelling, natural and cultural heritage interpretation, piano and nature. She works as a mountain guide since 2007, she has participated in the collective work of Aristotle University” Environmental journalism and communication. She conceives and implements some programs in the countryside (The postman’s road) and she runs the “Porizo” project with psycho-pedagogical objectives.
Legacy Builders: Simen André Singstad Knutssøn
Simen André Singstad Knutssøn | Advisor, Nordland County Council, Norway
Which workshop did you attend?
Successful Fundraising for Heritage Managers: Strategies and Best Practices.
Was the training an opportunity to enhance your connection with your peers?
Yes, the workshop gave me the opportunity to meet with others from my field across the world. I found it rewarding to learn from their perspectives.
Has the training contributed towards the improvement of your career?
Indeed it has. I received a slight pay raise, but the biggest benefit for me has been that I consider funding in a different way than I did before attending the course.
The biggest benefit for me has been that I consider funding in a different way.
Do you feel that your ability to perform relevant tasks has improved?
Yes. My job allows me to both ensure funding for external projects through grants and, more often, to evaluate incoming grant applications. I believe I can give better advice to applicants, and better evaluate applications than before.
I can give better advice to applicants, and better evaluate applications than before.
Following the completion of the training, has your project benefited?
No doubt my project has benefited from my participation in the HERITΛGE management training. The project I brought into the course was “Fotefar mot Nord” (Trails to the North) which is under revitalization. During the workshop, I learnt about different organizations that can give funding to such projects and this has given us new ideas and perspectives.
Would you recommend this training to others?
I would recommend the course to cultural heritage officers to increase their understanding of applying for grants. I believe the course might be more beneficial to NGO’s than to public sector workers, but it was well worth my time.
Legacy Builders: Zoitsa Gkinni
Dr Zoitsa (Zoe) Gkinni | Senior Book and Paper Conservator, National Library of Greece
Which workshop did you attend?
Strategic Planning for Heritage Managers (2020) & Successful Fundraising for Heritage Managers: Strategies and Best Practices (2021)
Were the training workshops opportunities to enhance your connections with your peers?
Yes in a number of ways. To begin with I started feeling safer when I was training, as I also train people. During these training sessions you come across people from different communities, the workshops are intercultural meetings, and this enriches us participants professionally, in the way we approach things. I benefited both by acquiring knowledge and by enhancing my understanding of peers from around the world, from diverse cultural backgrounds. I became conscious of theses benefits when I went on to take part in working groups with peers from North Africa and Asia.
The workshops are intercultural meetings and this enriches us professionally in the way we approach things.
The training workshops also helped me enhance my mentoring work for the International Institute of Conservation by widening my horizons and giving me yet another solid foundation that I could then share with mentees.
Do you feel that your ability to perform relevant tasks has improved?
Yes, my heritage management and fundraising skills have been upgraded. I was part of the team that coordinated the National Library of Greece’s move to its new building and that experience, along with the heritage management training workshops, helped me gain a deeper understanding of many aspects of my work.I feel confident to use the knowledge and skills I gained in the fundraising workshop in practice when approaching third parties and writing funding proposals.
The fundraising workshop has proved particularly helpful when I am part of organising committees for conferences or events; it has proved very useful when approaching people or companies to fundraise.
Following of your training, have your projects benefited?
Yes, I feel the projects I have worked on have benefited from the HERITΛGE training I received. I do not fundraise every day but I have had to fundraise and I will need to do so in the future. I have also discussed the workshops with colleagues and I have recommended that they also sign up for the fundraising workshop with the Heritage Management Organization. I believe it is a very compact training session that provides a great amount of knowledge. I always have what I learned during the fundraising workshop at the back of my head when I am organising conference and events and it has proved very useful when approaching people in order to fundraise.
How would you summarise your HERITΛGE training experience in your own words?
The training offered by the Heritage Management Organization is well-organised, well-designed, and the instructors are well-selected. I have attended a number of training workshops with a variety of providers and I am very satisfied with how the HERITΛGE workshops were organised and how they were delivered and as a result I have recommended them to colleagues and I will keep recommending them in the future.
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