Improving African Futures Using Lessons from the Past (IAfF) – 2018 Workshop

Workshop Dates: November 19- 23, 2018

Location: University of Ghana, Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies

Participants: University of Ghana, Dept. of Archaeology and Heritage Studies Faculty and Students, Ghana Museum and Monuments Board Staff, University of Ghana, Institute of African Studies

Workshop Instructors: Ann Stahl, University of Victoria, Dept. of Anthropology, Lisa Goddard, University of Victoria Libraries, Rachel Fernandez, Center for Digital Antiquity

Recently, our Senior Digital Curator, Rachel Fernandez, along with Ann Stahl and Lisa Goddard from the University of Victoria, had the opportunity to lead a week-long workshop at the University of Ghana in Accra. This workshop is part of a larger Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada Partnership Development grant titled, “Improving African Future Using Lessons from the Past” (IAfF). Partners on this grant include the University of Victoria, the University of Ghana, Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Center for Digital Antiquity, and the Banda Traditional Council. The grant focuses on creating digital heritage collections that are not only relevant to scholars but to local communities and the broader public, with the idea of fostering digital heritage “communities of practice.”

At the kickoff workshop for the grant, a great group of 30 students, faculty, and staff participated in a series of lectures and hands-on activities throughout the week that touched upon topics such as best practices for digital data management and converting slides into digitized files.

By the end of the intensive week, the group had the chance to digitize documents, sort and digitize color slides, take photos and videos with audio, organize documents and add important metadata, and lastly, make draft digital data management plans to help them organize their own projects.  

Rachel was able to not only talk about the curation and planning activities that the Center for Digital Antiquity is able to provide, but also learned  about the challenges and innovative projects that are happening in Ghana. This partnership and workshop is a great example of how the archaeological community can come together with broader local and national communities to provide greater accessibility and increase preservation of valuable cultural heritage resources. We look forward to continuing working on this project and assisting in the workshops to come.

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