Open Museum BlogProject Profile: Mpophomeni, South Africa
Mpophomeni Ecomuseum
Province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
May 2007
O V E R V I E W
Mpophomeni township is home to the Montrose House, a black stone farm house built in 1880 by the Afrikaner family, Lund. In 1972, the Apartheid Government forcibly removed the Lund family, except for the family patriarch who committed suicide rather than be removed, in order to found the black township of Mpophomeni.
During the Apartheid era, the township was as at the heart of the anti-apartheid struggle, most notably the Sarmcol Uprising, which was the first Black worker strike in South Africa and started in Mpophomeni. Since the end of Apartheid, the Montrose House belongs to the municipality of Mpophomeni. The former black township continues to be economically depressed and a large percentage of the population is afflicted by AIDS.
A community group, inspired about 6 years ago by two university students, is working to create an eco-museum in Mpophomeni, dedicated to the discovery of the history of Mpophomeni and its current social, cultural and ecological situation. The museum which will record and present the oral history of the community will play an important role in the general development program called Zulu-Mpophomeni Tourism Experienc (ZMTE) whose mission is to provide the visitor to the township with a genuine cultural experience of the community. The museum also provides an opportunity for the community members to collectively reconstruct their past as part of a process of shaping an identity for the future.
Recently, the Mpophomeni municipal goverment dedicated half of the Montrose House to the Museum. The other half is currently used by the town administration, but will be completely dedicated to the museum in the near future, once the building has been renovated adequately to accommodate museums collections, exhibitions and programs.
O B J E C T I V E S
The overall objective is to convert the Montrose building and surrounding grounds into a museum dedicated to the discovery of the history of Mpophomeni and its current social, cultural and ecological situation.
The short term objectives include planning the first round of renovations to the building to accommodate the following: 1) a permanent exhibit dedicated to local history during the Apartheid era 2) a collections reserve 3) museum administrative offices 4) a temporary exhibits space.
Long term objectives include the planning of a second round of renovations to include: 1) an outdoor exhibit on the local ecosystem, which includes wetlands 2) infrastructure to receive visitors (i.e. bathrooms, water) 3) organization and implementation of an oral history program and 4) the incorporation of the "Wall of Remembrance" into the Museum.
H E R I T A N C E A C T I O N S
In May 2007, Heritance conducted 4 days of workshops on site with the Mpophomeni Museum Committe. Jean Bermon (pictured), who facilitated the workshops, also completed 4 days of architectural consultations.
W O R K S H O P O U T C O M E S
- Heritance worked with Mpophomeni Museum Committee (MEM) to create the project team, generate the detailed list of objectives listed above and to set up a web-based project management system for shared communications, planning, decision-making.
- MEM identified the Mpophomeni Ecomuseum exhibit themes, including its permanent exhibit about the Sarmcol uprising.
- An architect from the South African Historic Preservation Department conducted a building survey.
- Heritance's Jean Bermon completed a set of architectural plans for the Montrose House and the first of two round of renovations to the building.
- Heritance's Jean Bermon completed a plan, mock up (see images on left) and photos of the permanent exhibits room on the theme of the Sarmcol uprising. See also the Themes and Courses plan here
- Heritance will research the possibility of applying for the designation of "site of conscience".
- MEM will designate a leader of the oral history program, to be advised by the Professor of Oral History, Philippe Denis.
- Heritance recommends that MEM choose a name for the museum.
- MEM will explore the possibility of turning the construction phase of the renovation into a school-workshop for community members.
- Heritance will find environmental consultant to work with MEM on creating outdoor museum dedicated to surrounding wetlands.
- MEM will discuss ways in which to integrate into the museum the memorial wall commemorating the Sarmcol uprisings.
- MEM submit the Heritance architectural plans as part of an application for administrative and financial support in order to realize the construction.
- Heritance will hold a follow up workshop on site in January 2008.
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