Select Page

World Heritage Futures Lab to enhance the capacities of African creative technologists and local communities

World Heritage Futures Lab to enhance the capacities of African creative technologists and local communities

The “World Heritage Futures Lab: Southern and Eastern African edition” will be held at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in Windhoek from 25 to 27 January.

20 digital technologists and community representatives from Eastern and Southern Africa will participate in the lab that will be facilitated by regional and international experts from Electric South, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and UNESCO.

The “World Heritage Futures Lab: Southern and Eastern Africa edition” will facilitate the development and dissemination of dynamic digital content and products for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the contribution of World Heritage in Southern and Eastern Africa to sustainable development and lasting peace.

According to a statement, it will enhance the capacities of African creative technologists and local communities living in or around selected Southern and Eastern African World Heritage sites to interpret World Heritage values and contribute to the development of new attractive and engaging narratives about World Heritage sites in the two regions.

The lab will also enhance African creative technologists’ capacities in experiential and immersive digital technologies.

This initiative has been conceived as part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the UNESCO 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, “The Next 50”, which is an interdisciplinary reflection on the future of the World Heritage and aims to address one of the theme’s main priorities: digital transformation.

According to the statement, the lab will be preceded by a high-level round table discussion on 25 January under the theme “African World Heritage interpretation and digital technologies: challenges and opportunities”, followed by a 3-day workshop to strengthen the capacities of creative technologists and local community members in interpreting World Heritage values and developing experimental and experiential digital content and products.

The Minister of Education, Arts, and Culture, Ester Anna Nghipondoka is expected to officiate at the event.


 

About The Author

The Staff Reporter

The staff reporter is the most senior in-house Economist reporter. This designation is frequently used by the editor for articles submitted by third parties, especially businesses, but which had to be rewritten completely. - Ed.