ITP Conference Grant awarded to Namrata Sarmah (India, ITP 2018)
Written by Claire Messenger, Manager, International Training Programme.
We are excited to announce that our first ITP Conference Grant of 2023 has been awarded to Namrata Sarmah (India, ITP 2018).
Namrata will be using her support grant to travel to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS), Mumbai, India from 8 March – 10 March 2023 for a workshop which will look at Museum Education and Outreach.
Namrata is a museum professional based in Assam working on consultancy for various museums across the region. She is currently working with NRL (Numaligarh Oil Refinery) on CSR projects/ Labour and Wage laws. Namrata is also working as a resource person to support various cultural institutions in the state and is associated with her initiative on Eco-museum for museum collections and narration.
The Museum Education and Outreach conference will be held at CSMVS, Mumbai on the 9th and 10th March 2023. The two-day conference will include presentations by invited educators and discussion forums on themes that can shape the future of museum outreach in a digitally engaged world. It will also explore how museums in India can work collaboratively towards launching a museum educators’ forum that can exchange ideas and initiatives.
Namrata hopes the conference will help her grow a network of individuals to work on a personal initiative – the creation and development of a platform to continue to work on her eco-museums and outreach activities project. This conference will help her realise the transformative potential of museums education and outreach for sustainable development and welfare.
Eco Museum – An Evolving Cultural Phenomenon in India.
Majuli Exhibit: https://majuliecomuseum.wordpress.com/
Field Trip to Enchanting Majuli: The Largest River Island in the World.
Namrata is an active member of the ITP global network. In March 2019, she took part in the ITP+ Course on Museums and Education held at CSMVS Mumbai which focused on the vital role museums can play in education, learning and social development. The workshop was attended by ITP fellows from India, Malaysia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe as well as UK partners and British Museum colleagues.
In October 2019 Namrata also participated in the ITP MA Conference programme in Brighton. With fellows from Egypt, Nepal, China and Malaysia, Namrata attended a programme structured around the 3-day MA Conference on Sustainable and Ethical Museums in a Globalised World.
Since her participation on the ITP, Namrata has also written for every issue of the ITP Newsletter – sharing articles covering topics such as silk production in Assam; inclusivity and social responsibility in India: engaging with medical professionals; health and wellness in a pandemic and the story of the palanquin. She has also shared her skills, knowledge and professional development through the ITP blogsite.
The ITP has been delighted to partnered with CSMVS many times over the years – to welcome ITP Fellows onto the Annual Programme and to deliver legacy projects – and this will ensure that Namrata has the opportunity to network and re-connect with colleagues from across the ITP global network.
ITP Research and Conference Grants are available for 2023. For more information and how to apply for a grant visit the link below: