Cultural heritage
May: Presidential Palace, Jakarta - Palace Museum Project (Stage 1)
November: Presidential Palace, Jakarta - Palace Museum Project (Stage 2)
Improved access to Indonesian Presidential Palace Museums
Jennifer Barrett, director of Museum Studies at the University of Sydney, is leading a project to help make the Indonesian Presidential Palaces more accessible to the people of Indonesia.
Disaster Preparedness Training Program for Yogyakarta's Heritage Collections and Museums in conjunction with the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Australia
The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, based in Darwin, Australia, will facilitate a training program focused on disaster preparedness management and collections management with Yogyakarta museums on 27 January - 5 February 2009. The aim of the program is to increase the awareness, skills and strategies available to Yogyakarta museum staff responsible for the preservation and protection of central Java's outstanding cultural heritage collections.
The training program will be delivered to the members of the Yogyakarta Museum Association (BARAMUS), which has an active membership of thirty government and non-government museums. The training will take place at the Sonobudoyo Museum, home to one of the most respected collections of Javanese cultural material.
The training will include theoretical lectures and 'learning-by-doing' scenarios, and simulated enactments of disasters resulting in a hazard assessment of the museum's collection, development of a counter disaster plan and reaction and recovery procedures following a disaster. Specific training in the implementation of preventative storage practices will be delivered by examining and improving the storage of the Sonobudoyo Museum’s valuable ceramic collection.
Students and staff from the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) will also participate in the training program, so as to build upon the existing work experience program operating between the Sonobudoyo Museum and the UGM.
The University of Sydney & The Presidential Palace Museum
Executive Training Program
In 2008 the Museum Studies Department at The University of Sydney will deliver an executive training program for senior staff from the Presidential Palace Museum in Jakarta and Cipanas. The program will develop important skills within the Presidential Palace Museum relevant to improving the general management of the Palace collections and prevention of further degradation to collection items. Through a combination of formal University coursework, and practical experience via an internship at a museum or art gallery, program participants will be able to take a leadership role in capacity building within the Presidential Palace Museum in key areas relating to conservation, collection management, collection interpretation and museum administration.
Staff from the Museum Studies Department at the University of Sydney - including Dr Jennifer Barrett, Director Museum Studies, Dr Chiara O'Reilly, Lecturer and Ms Jane Johnston, Internship Officer - will conduct a preliminary visit to the Palace to meet program participants and develop an understanding of the Presidential Palace Museum collections, management and administration. A follow-up visit will ensure that linkages are maintained with the Presidential Palace Museum and that opportunities for further collaboration are developed. This visit will also provide the opportunity for University of Sydney Museum Studies Department staff to monitor the application of key skills developed within the program and enable the provision of important follow-up training and support within the Indonesian cultural heritage and preservation context. In addition, a seminar for Presidential Palace Museum staff who were not able to attend the training program in Australia will be organised and thus a broader variety of staff will benefit from the knowledge and expertise of leading Australian academics in this field.
This training program will build linkages between Australia and the Presidential Palace through delivering high quality, specialised training to a key cultural government institution. Preserving the record of historical development of the Republic of Indonesia is a priority for the Indonesian Government at present and it is anticipated that the University of Sydney and the Australia International Cultural Council will be able to contribute to this goal on a longer term basis.