EU supports Namibia in museum project

A workshop where key stakeholders will meet to start planning the museum will be held on 19 and 20 February 2018.

Launched by EU ambassador to Namibia Jana Hybaskova, the project received €237 025 ($280 700) from the EU. Implemented by the Museums Association of Namibia (MAN) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, it will be used to invite musicians and members of the public to assist by identifying musical instruments, recordings, photographs or stories that could be included in the museum.

“The aim of the project is to create two new permanent museums and two new mobile exhibitions that help to celebrate and promote culture,” MAN director Jeremy Sylvester said.

“The first is the concept of a museum that will celebrate, document and educate visitors about Namibia’s musical heritage. Namibian music has its roots in our cultural diversity and the museum can reflect both traditional and contemporary music.

“We know that we have a dynamic and creative music industry in Namibia and we believe that a museum of music will be very different and probably much noisier than our existing museums. We know that there has been quite a bit of research done on Namibian music. We have sociology, we have biology and we also have musicology.”

Sylvester thanked the EU, the Namibian government and other industry players for contributing towards this cause. “We are happy that the EU has agreed to provide financial support for our proposal to support Museum Development as a Tool to Strengthen Cultural Rights. After we heard the news we could not stop smiling for a week.

“The financial support of the EU means so much, especially in these difficult economic times. However, I would also like to acknowledge the support of the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture through the Directorate of Heritage and Culture,” he said.

Speaking at the same occasion, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture Sanet Steenkamp said: “The ministry is very happy that in their project proposal MAN has identified two museum buildings, in Omuthiya and Katima Mulilo, that have never previously opened to the public”.

“The funding from the EU will enable these important resources to become operational with the design of exhibitions that will create museums that will attract both domestic and international visitors.”

The museum has called on artists to submit vibrant and unique logo designs that speak to the rich and distinctive heritage of Namibian music. The competition closes on 31 January 2018.