‘Museums give insight on challenges’
MUSEUMS encourage people to reflect on the past and provide insight on how to overcome present-day challenges, says Iziko Museums of SA chief executive Rooksana Omar.
Yesterday was International Museum Day and this year’s theme was “Museums for a sustainable society”.
Omar said museums played a role in raising public awareness about the need for a society that was less wasteful, more co-operative and used resources in a way that respected living systems.
There are 14 Iziko Museums in Cape Town.
“A major role of Iziko Museums of SA is to conserve and preserve our heritage, whether that be natural resources or ancient artefacts.
“We also have a mission to create access to knowledge and education via our Education and Public Programmes, creating a sustainable society,” she said.
Omar said Iziko had a growing fan base and continued to attract local and international visitors.
They had had record visitor numbers during Heritage Week last year and at their inaugural Museum Night on February 26 this year. The high numbers “break the perception that museums are staid and lifeless”.
Curator of the SA Naval museum Leon Steyn said as sensitivity surrounding local history lessened, locals felt more comfortable visiting museums to find out about their own history.
He said the museum continued to attract predominantly young people and tourists. “Today people are more comfortable talking about their history and discover- ing their history. And a day like International Museum Day brings the focus back to museums. We have seen people come to this museum and walk away with a feeling of pride,” Steyn said.
The museum launched its transformation display last month, which highlights the historical role played by black people in the navy. The display focuses on naval history milestones, including the first black South African to serve in World War II and the first time coloured people were employed by the navy during the 1960s.
District Six Museum director Bonita Bennett said their museum was seeing an increase in visitor numbers. “We definitely see people taking an interest in their history, with many interested in their personal genealogy,” she said.
Bennett said many younger visitors were keen to know about the Group Areas Act and how this had affected people, considering that they were now able to go to places which black and coloured people had been banned from under apartheid.
Bennett said they were looking at ways of increasing their sustainable activities, with an emphasis on eco-awareness. “It is important to remember the history, but also important to look at the way we are contributing to current history.”