Prince Albert to host Annual Heritage Symposium

-Judy Mcquire-

The Prince Albert Cultural Foundation/Kultuurstigting, supported by the Fransie Pienaar Museum and Southern Cape branch of the Simon van der Stel Foundation will be hosting the annual Symposium and AGM of Heritage South Africa, a national body comprising affiliated branches of the Simon van der Stel Foundation, Heritage Trusts and heritage bodies from many villages and towns of South Africa.

The focus of interest of Heritage South Africa is the conservation of all aspects of heritage: whether this takes the form of elements of the built environment and its contextual landscape or intangible heritage such as oral traditions, histories, and local traditional skills.

The Symposium will take place from 10 ­-11 August and includes three sessions each of which will address a different portion of the heritage timescale.

The first two will address archaeology and rock art, and village life and the problems associated with protecting heritage in small villages.

The third will be structured to facilitate a discussion of what constitutes our respective cultural identity - pertinent questions in a social milieu where people are questioning and redefining themselves (and their identity and cultures) and there is Constitutional protection of cultural identity overlain with the need for nation-building ­ seemingly two contradictory goals.

Stimulating speakers from each of the cultural groups will lead the discussion. There will be interesting excursions on both days.

Persons wishing to know more please contact :
Judy at 023 5411 713
(PA Cultural Foundation) or
Virna at 023 5411 172
(Fransie Pienaar Museum).