CIE - Centre for International Heritage Activities
Centrum voor Internationale Erfgoedactiviteiten
Projects with Brazil
Cultural Heritage Connections
Status: Complete
Duration: 2007-2013
Partners: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Introduction:
This project was developed within the framework of shared cultural heritage. It was decided to establish an interactive online database regarding shared heritage cooperation with the priority countries. This would benefit current and future heritage cooperation through the provision of one central platform where information could be found detailing all past, current and proposed projects could be found, along with information about the experts and organisations involved. The users can share information and interact with the cultural heritage connections community, thereby creating a common resource tool.
The platform aimed to unite expertise and knowledge of projects in one central location and was set up in close contact with experts and organisations who participate actively in determining the contents of the platform. It was designed by CIE to be a tool for the heritage field, for governments and researchers, allowing them to add information and search for heritage projects and potential partners.
CIE made an inventory of the international heritage activities carried out abroad and within the Netherlands, which fell under the Dutch Mutual Cultural Heritage Policy. All the heritage projects within a specific country were inventoried and placed into a database, to be integrated into the platform. For each of the priority countries CIE organised two heritage days, one in the Netherlands and a counterpart day in the respective country, these were effective ways to not only raise the profile of the database and gather data but also to discuss the current state of heritage cooperation between the two countries and explore possibilities for the future.
Results:
The Cultural Heritage Connections platform was developed and built by CIE and is now managed by Dutch Culture.
To visit the database please click here
In 2013 CIE finalised our research report as a summary of all our work surrounding the Cultural Heritage Connections programme. The report concentrates on defining the positive and the 'bottlenecks' in current cultural heritage cooperation, formulating conclusions and recommendations for the priority countries.
The report was the final step in the completion of the information for the database, with conclusions highlighting the successes and areas for improvement, as well as an overview of the involved experts, organisations and projects within the Netherlands and the Priority Countries.
Through this Cultural Heritage Connections Database CIE has had the opportunity to actively expand its network of contacts and partners for future cooperation. As a network organisation it was our mission to make this network available to an international field. CIE hopes that through this database we have further stimulated professionalism and international collaboration in the field of mutual heritage.
Cultural Heritage Connections Launch
Status: Complete
Duration: June 2011
In 2011 CIE organised an International Heritage Cooperation Event, which was attended by over 100 international and national heritage experts. The hightlight of the day was the launch of the Cultural Heritage Connections platform. It was officially launched by the Director of Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Coordinator of Culture, Sport and Development at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Representatives of international heritage organisations, museums, universities and national agencies discussed strategies and inspirational methods for international cooperation on cultural heritage. A panel of international and national heritage experts then discussed and debated if, or why, colonial heritage can become common ground for international cooperation.
Heritage Days in Brazil: Part One, Sao Paulo
Status: Complete
Duration: 2010
Partners: The Atlantic World and the Dutch (AWAD), Laboratorio de Technologia da Informacao of UFPE, Brasiliana University of Sao Paulo, Proreitoria de Culture e Extensao Universitaria (USP), Sugar Mill Sao Jorge dos Erasmos Ruins.
The south of Brazil has the most connection with Dutch immigration and migrant settlements, therefore Sao Paulo was a prime choice as a suitable location for this Heritage Day.
The first part of the Heritage Days held in Brazil, was held at the University of Sao Paulo. This aimed to commemorate the mutual heritage between the two countries and to draw attention to the past relations and future possibilities in this field.
The themes of the day were; cultural heritage cooperation, digitisation of collections, as well as history and material heritage.
During both days a number of completed, running and proposed projects relating to Dutch-Brazilian heritage, were presented through posters. These are a feature at all of CIE's heritage days as they give organisations and individuals an opportunity to present their projects to a diverse audience and discuss them with the participants.
Documents:
Part Two, Recife
Status: Complete
Duration: 2010
Partners: Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), University of Sao Paulo, Brasiliana Library, Netherlands Institute for Heritage, the Atlantic World and the Dutch (AWAD), Reinwardt Academy, Liber Lab and Science of Information Department at UFPE.
As the historical roots of Dutch Brazil lie in the state of Pernambuco, and as Recife was the main centre for the WIC during its colonial exploits here, the city was a logical choice as the location for this event.
At this Heritage Day several presentations were given by Brazilian and Dutch organisations on their experiences with mutual heritage projects.
The main themes of the day for discussion were; mutual cultural heritage, the history and archaeology of the Dutch period, as well as a travelling exhibition on Dutch Brazil.
Preparatory Visit to Brazil
Status: Complete
Duration: November-December 2009
CIE representatives visited Brazil to become further acquainted with the Brazilian heritage field cooperating with the Netherlands. They met with stakeholders in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Sao Paulo, aiming to use this opportunity to explain about the Heritage Day previously organised in Rotterdam, and to propose holding a similar one in Brazil. The idea for the Heritage Day in Brazil is that CIE would take on a supporting role, offering suggestions based upon our experiences in organising heritage days and report the outcomes in the Netherlands.
Many ideas were proposed and discussed relating to the joint heritage between the two countries, the main themes were centred around the settlement and WIC activities in the 17th Century and more recent migration from the Netherlands in the 20th Century.
Documents:
Report (English)
Report (Portuguese).
Heritage Day, Rotterdam
Status: Complete
Duration: 2009
Partners: Atlantic World and the Dutch (AWAD), Netherlands Institute for Heritage
On the 7th October 2009 the Heritage Day for Brazil took place at the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam. With every CIE Heritage Day, locations are carefully selected which have special relations or relevance for that country. The municipality of Rotterdam included an international theme within their 2009-2012 cultural policy. The first big event in this arts and culture programme was Brazil-Rotterdam, and the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen was involved with this, having held an exhibition on contemporary Brazilian artworks.
The morning's presentations were followed by panel discussions with different points of view on this shared heritage field. The afternoon period contained workshops based upon the themes of Academic Cooperation and Archives, Intangible Heritage, Tangible Heritage and the Mutuality of Mutual Heritage.
The day was organised to be a complimentary event in helping to develop our Mutual Cultural Heritage Database Project. The Heritage Days and inventory of heritage activities were a means to gain input for this project, an interactive database tool designed for the heritage field to allow users to add and search for international heritage projects.
Documents:
