Archiving, Training Courses, Workshops, Web awereness and much more: Sayan

Ideas and Techniques:

Museums act as resource Centre for Heritage Management and also form a very important treasure for any country. Fortunately this year (2009) I am one of the participants of British Museum International Curatorial Training, Programme. I have learnt very important theoretical and practical issues and methods about the Museum management, such as-

 1)      Archiving methods

2)      Database management

3)      Notion of Display

4)      Exhibition plan

5)      Conservation and Preservation

6)      Storage management

7)      Adult learning programme.

8)      School learning programme.

9)      Marketing

10)  Fund raising

11)  Strategic Planning

12)  Archaeological Heritage Management. (Open air museum, old buildings etc.)

Listening and taking notes

Implementing the ideas which I have gained from British Museum in relation to my Job.

I will definitely implement the ideas and experiences in my job, mainly in the following sectors-

1) Archiving

2) Training Courses

3) Workshops

4) Exhibitions

5) Public relation

6) Web awareness

7) Printing and designing

1) Archiving

Photo archive is something that I think is going to be ever more important for anyone working in the museum and archaeological sector. The documentation team of AIIS has completed the photo-documentation project. They have documented the entire range of sculptures more then half a dozen state museums in West Bengal. They have documented about 3000 stone and metal objects of these museums. Now Centre for Archaeological Studies & Training, Eastern India and State Archaeological Museums will create a complete photo archive and database with all these photographs. Fortunately I am responsible for this photo archive. I will definitely imply my knowledge which I am carrying from British Museum and also put my innovative ideas to create this Photo archive. My main aim will be to enable a centralized access to this treasure of information which will be, for the first time, open to the public and scholarly community. 

 2) Training Courses

According to me it’s one of the major events to create heritage awareness among the people. It’s also very interesting for them who are academically not connected with Archaeology, Museum Studies or Heritage management but have tremendous interest for the same. I often handle this kind of situation. Some times it’s difficult to get them for the course because we run some professional courses as well. But I will try to implement some basic and hands on training for these kinds of enthusiastic people.

3) Workshops

Mainly we have not done any thing yet for the school children. We have done few workshops but all for professional level. I will definitely arrange some workshop with School Children, Teachers, Parents and Teenagers. I think it’s very important for us because in my country now days due to some reason the awareness of our cultural past is decreasing. I am very much impressed to see the amount of school children visiting in the British Museum and they really enjoy their time with gallery session- sausage (food) and shop.

 4) Exhibitions

I must say it is a highly specialized job. I have noticed a few exhibitions in The British Museum and Birmingham Museum as well. Every where I felt the same thing ‘specialized job’ and every time I said in my mind ‘Excellent’.  There are so many things to work on- Display, Light, Story line, Showcasing , Marketing, Ideas for engaging children as well as large viewers, hands on activities, selling items for the shop, etc. I personally organized two photographic exhibitions but now I can understand may be I will do better for my next exhibition with all these ideas.

 5) Public relations:

A good museum with all the necessary needs, a good library with outstanding facilities, we all are very much curious to create this kind of environment. But the main question is that for whom we want to do all this? Answer is surely for PUBLIC. I have a very good museum but no body knows about that – then it’s really a pain for us. That is why I am very much keen to create and maintain relationship with public. To let them know my institution has a very good library, we offer training courses, we have very good photo archive and we are also having an attachment with a very good museum that is West Bengal State Archaeological Museum. This sector- Public relation and marketing is very much lacking in our area. One of my major aims is to highlight my institute in a polite way like The British Museum does.  

 6) Web awareness

Website is a very much important tool for any institute working in any sector for promoting or sharing their views, products, ideas to the large public with a minimal cost. We are nowadays computer savvy.  I want to use this option for promoting my vision to larger audience. I went through the British Museum website; it’s really a meaningful venture. I really liked the research section. I will try to develop many more things in my office website to attract many people.

 7) Printing and designing

I often design posters, cards, and hand out for my office events. I have also gathered some interesting ideas about how to make all these more meaningful and appreciable to the people. One good design with good print can say so many things, which can also touch people’s heart and mind. I have seen so many good printed information in the British Museum which is really a ton of art which also helped to reflect the reflection of worlds cultural past.

 

 Sayan Bhattacharya

Centre for Archaeological Studies & Training,

Eastern India.