Cultural Preservation
No continent boasts such diverse and vibrant cultures such as ours, we owe it to the future generations to protect our traditions.
CULTURAL PRESERVATION
By taking a leading role in efforts to preserve cultural heritage, we show our respect for our culture and others by protecting our traditions. Across the world, communities mark major transitions in life through celebrations and ceremonies. From birth to death, these rites of passage regulate and give expression to meaningful changes in people's lives.
The development objective of the Heritage Library is to enhance the awareness of our African roots and through that, help strengthen cultural identity and social cohesion at this difficult time where race relations are at their lowest. In this age of technological advancement we can recreate 3D images of heritage items and avail these to schools and cultural gatherings for people to have a close up image of artefacts of interest.
This technology can also assist in the preservation and restoration of historical monuments, stocking archival equipment and computerizing the archives.
Heritage comes in many shapes – in tangible forms such as sites, buildings, landscapes, or as intangibles, like memories, emotions, values and customs. Heritage usually represents a phenomenon within a traditional historical discourse and occurs in different arenas and takes on significance as a vehicle for political, cultural as well as educational purposes.
Our cultural heritage contributes to the shaping of national stereotypes and regional identity, in South Africa it is more evident in the geographic settlements of different nations where Xhosa and Zulu are settled along the east coast and Basotho in the central regions. Developing awareness of heritage supports a sense of belonging and also helps us to understand and respect the values of other cultures.
Many forms of cultural expression are particularly at risk when buffeted by time and change. Dependent as they are to human practitioners, expressive forms of culture such as dance, music, language and crafts can easily disappear with the passing of a generation or the disruption of a community as seen during colonialism and apartheid after.
In order to prevent this, we must take advantage of the technological tools at our disposal, which can enable us to document photographic and audio visual recordings of these activities for archiving. The same data will be used to create child friendly animations for children to enjoy and emulate in the comfort of their homes.
The development objective of the Heritage Library is to enhance the awareness of our African roots and through that, help strengthen cultural identity and social cohesion at this difficult time where race relations are at their lowest. In this age of technological advancement we can recreate 3D images of heritage items and avail these to schools and cultural gatherings for people to have a close up image of artefacts of interest.
This technology can also assist in the preservation and restoration of historical monuments, stocking archival equipment and computerizing the archives.
Heritage comes in many shapes – in tangible forms such as sites, buildings, landscapes, or as intangibles, like memories, emotions, values and customs. Heritage usually represents a phenomenon within a traditional historical discourse and occurs in different arenas and takes on significance as a vehicle for political, cultural as well as educational purposes.
Our cultural heritage contributes to the shaping of national stereotypes and regional identity, in South Africa it is more evident in the geographic settlements of different nations where Xhosa and Zulu are settled along the east coast and Basotho in the central regions. Developing awareness of heritage supports a sense of belonging and also helps us to understand and respect the values of other cultures.
Many forms of cultural expression are particularly at risk when buffeted by time and change. Dependent as they are to human practitioners, expressive forms of culture such as dance, music, language and crafts can easily disappear with the passing of a generation or the disruption of a community as seen during colonialism and apartheid after.
In order to prevent this, we must take advantage of the technological tools at our disposal, which can enable us to document photographic and audio visual recordings of these activities for archiving. The same data will be used to create child friendly animations for children to enjoy and emulate in the comfort of their homes.
“Without your own cultural identity, you become anything they tell you you are”
~ Unknown
Our channel will be focusing on broadcasting episodes that bring attention to the following:
Documenting a record of black Africans achievements and diversity, demonstrating
the richness and complexity of different cultures around the continent.
Cultural artefacts will be assessed, catalogued and then made available to the public via our online catalogue.
Documenting a cultures expressions can breathe new life into them, helping younger generations to reclaim traditions on the brink of extinction
All episodes will be designed to establish a connection between the modern audience, history and heritage through these animations.
There can be no excuse for Africans to delay the preservation of ritual celebrations, songs, games and other threatened folklore cultural activities in our communities. The channel will broadcast productions of numerous episodes detailing specific activities to create awareness and interest in African folklore for our children to consume.
Cultural artefacts will be assessed, catalogued and then made available to the public via our online catalogue.
Documenting a cultures expressions can breathe new life into them, helping younger generations to reclaim traditions on the brink of extinction
All episodes will be designed to establish a connection between the modern audience, history and heritage through these animations.
There can be no excuse for Africans to delay the preservation of ritual celebrations, songs, games and other threatened folklore cultural activities in our communities. The channel will broadcast productions of numerous episodes detailing specific activities to create awareness and interest in African folklore for our children to consume.
COLLABORATE WITH
HERITAGE LIBRARY
Although we already have a vast collection of literature, we would like your help. If you are a scholar, student or professor, please register and share your studies, stories and knowledge with us so we may preserve it for the future.
To read more about how you can become part of Heritage Library click on the learn more link.