The District Six Museum

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The District Six Museum

• 1994 - 2005

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Enabling Policy Framework

• Contributions to human rights education/influence
  on the curriculum
• suggest a variation on the declared institution
  model
• request 2/3 funding from local, provincial and
  national govt and continue to raise 1/3 or more
  thro fundraising. 

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From Hands Off! to Hands On
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A Profile

• 60 000 visitors in 2003
• Has grown from a volunteers organisation in 1994
  to 25 staff in 2005
• Annual Budget of R5 million.
• R1 million self- generated. Can improve.

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The District Six Museum

• Mobilised land issues since 1988. 10 Years old
  in 2004
• A national and international reputation (Prince
  Claus Award, Arts and Culture Trust, Architects
  Award, Khula Award)
• Most celebrated community museum in the country

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District Six Museum Strengths

• Linked to civic/ land movement
• Recognition of memory and History
• Custom designed
• Self articulated
• Grassroots character
• Local, national and international character
• Research and intellectual focus

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Intersections and layers
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Coming Home I
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People Matter
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Youth Programmes

• National Heritage Ambassadors
• Reimagine Carnival and Homecoming Festival
• Youth Club
• Archeology Kit
• Memory Boxes

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Public Programmes

• Public Education
• Open Days
• Exhibition openings
• Lectures, film screenings
• Reunions and gatherings

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Performance Programming

• Music Heritage Projects
• District Six Museum Band
• Reminiscence Theatre
• Reimagining Carnival

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Supporting Business Development

• Business plan development
• Crafts and products
• New Tours
• Skills Development
• Music CD
• Publications

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Marking the landscape
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District Six Memorial Park
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A National Heritage of Forced Removals

• A National Symbol of Forced Removals and the
  disposession of land.
• Restitution
• museums as vehicles of development
• arts and culture as vehicles of development
• Sites of conscience
• Human Rights work

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A National Heritage Site in 2005
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Coming Home II

• 2000 returnee families will contribute to urban
  regeneration
• In 2003 the first 24 houses were built.
• Another 100 returnees have been named

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Coming Home III

• The First nine families are now entrenched in new
  homes. A new community is forming.
• Another 15 received symbolic keys on Friday 11
  February 2005.

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Community Complex
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Building Cultural Assets

• Homecoming Centre
• Education space
• Conservation space
• Exhibition space
• Local craft innovation, eg. Carnival
• Community Theatre
• Commercial shopfront

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Indicators for Success

• Redevelopment of District Six
• City Bowl Improvement Initiatives
• Base for Cape Township Tour
• Provincial Tourism Magnet
• Nomination as National Heritage Site
• Strong Museum Networks, eg. SAMA, International
  Coalition of Historic Site Museums of Conscience

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Community Musuem Advocacy

• Tramway Road
• Protea Village (Kirstenbosch)
• Manenberg Peoples Centre
• Langa Heritage Museum
• Ndabeni
• South End
• East Bank
• Sophiatown
• Cato Manor
• Paternoster

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Challenges for Emerging Sector

• Strengthen local knowledge base
• Integrate community concerns and needs
• Build defences against tourist gaze
• Build self-articulation
• Build partnerships from independent position

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Leveraging Support and Partnerships

• Potential for partnership with national
  government
• A contribition to the National Estate
• High visibility
• International profile

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Challenges for sustainability

• Reduce reliance on foreign donors
• Ad hoc state support
• No National, Provincial or Metropolitan policy
  framework for community museums and heritage
• Need enabling framework for Community Museums

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An Emerging Sector

• Emergence linked to social transformation
• Projects reclaiming citizenship through history
• Coincides with growing tourism opportunities/
  dependence
• Needs intellectual and other capacities

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Optimistic Future Scenario

• Stronger independent sector
• Links to local civil society
• Mobilising memory for civic dialogue and action
• Tourism as positive spinoff effect
• Strong enabling environment

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Vision

• A forward looking institution mobilising memory
  for the future
• A National Heritage Site Museum
• Inviting new partnerships
• A city of people, not races
• An international site of conscience

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Summary

• An enabling policy framework for community museum
  with a national brief
• Not a burden to the state