The 2023 edition of Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth conversations will take place this week (Tuesday, 14th March 2023) in Mombasa, Kenya.

Dubbed ‘Tamaduni Conversations’, the conversations hosted by the British Council and Twaweza Communications will once again feature in-person discussions, keynote speeches and panel conversations on cross-cutting issues including cultural heritage and technology, gender, inclusive growth and climate.

The sessions will be live-streamed across The British Council’s social media platforms: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Leading with the theme of Safeguarding the Cultural Heritage of Mombasa County, Opportunities and Challenges, this year’s Tamaduni Conversations brings together cultural practitioners, government institutions, academics and policymakers to discuss and exchange on various issues contributing to the protection, valuing, discovery and sharing of the cultural heritage of Mombasa county and its people. 

In regards to the choice to take the Tamaduni conversations to the coastal city of Kenya, Prof Kimani Njogu, Executive Director, Twaweza Communications says, “The Tamaduni Conversations will explore the opportunities created by cultural heritage. The coastal region has a very rich cultural heritage that needs to be valued, shared and safeguarded for posterity.” 

He adds, “Our organization, Twaweza Communications, is working with the British Council to bring forward a platform to discuss the connections between heritage and the ocean-driven economy, historical and sacred sites, and restitution of cultural heritage in Mombasa. We hope that we can come up with concrete actions to anchor cultural heritage in community and government initiatives.”

It is hoped that the conversations will enable participants in the Cultural Heritage Programme to identify and create new businesses, and facilitate new jobs and new skills in the domains of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

Under tangible cultural heritage, participants will gain skills related to movable cultural heritage (such as paintings, sculptures, etc.) and immovable cultural heritage (including monuments and archaeological sites etc.). 

There will also be knowledge shared about underwater cultural heritage. With regard to intangible cultural heritage, opportunities for businesses and jobs will be shared and skills developed in the areas of oral traditions, performing arts, festivals, social practices and rituals.

The involvement of county governments in organizing cultural festivals with diverse offerings will be underscored and opportunities in cultural heritage trade and tourism explored.

The participants will be drawn from public and private sectors, institutions and individuals involved in policy making in the cultural heritage sector and practitioners in cultural heritage.