The Centre for Global Heritage and Development was represented at the Connected Through Heritage workshop in Abu Dhabi (14-15 April). The workshop organised by New York University in Abu Dhabi and CIE aimed to develop regional networks for heritage and museum studies in the Middle East. Central focus was the Gulf region in relation with its historically connected regions through cultural, trade and shipping relations. Participant came from Middle East (UAE, Oman, Bahrain), Africa (South Africa, Mozambique, Zanzibar), Asia (Sri Lanka, India) and Europe (Netherlands) and had different backgrounds (community worker, consultant, scholar etcetera). Participants were asked to have a critical look at funcitoning heritage networks and express their needs on knowledge sharing (and making) for the future.
During the workshop it was acknowledged that the traditional heritage management model is outdated, with segmented networks aimed at only one category of heritage or arts (i.e. built heritage, maritime heritage, music etcetera). Also these networks are mainly composed of single groups of professionals: heritage practicioners, scientists or policy makers. There is a need for a more layered network that also includes the narratives of the local population. we should empower individuals and have more multi-fasceted, complex networks. And we should acknowledge the different narratives connected to heritage; acknoledge but not necessarily reconcile. There should be more focus on intangible heritage, as you cannot distangle that from material culture. Instead of using 'shared heritage' as a vehicle for bilateral cooperation we should look at historical themes uniting countries and peoples, since this approach is more egalitarian and bottom up.
After this the concept of 'cloud network' was introduced. This cloud is an organically growing and evolving network starting with one group, in this case the workshop participants, expressing their needs on knowledge, capacity, funding and infrastructure within this network. This will be the experiment for the next months.