‘Bridging Heritage and Livelihoods’ is part of a broader effort to convert the former dwelling house of Dame “Sesenne” Descartes into a community museum
As a tribute to Saint Lucia’s foremost ‘chantwelle’-folk singer, songstress and National Hero Dame Sesenne Descartes, her legacy is to be preserved with the creation of a national museum.
The Folk Research Centre (FRC) in collaboration with the National UNESCO Office successfully executed a project entitled “Bridging Heritage and Livelihoods”.
According to an FRC spokesperson, the project is part of a broader effort to convert the former dwelling house of Dame Marie Selipha “Sesenne” Descartes into a community museum.
The two major goals of FRC’s “Dame Marie Selipha “Sesenne” Descartes Museum Project are as follows:
– to complete the process of converting Sesenne’s residential home into a functional museum or a cultural site for nationals and visitors to experience and learn about the contributions of Saint Lucia’s Queen of Folk and cultural icon.
– to display some of the very important cultural artifacts from Saint Lucia that can be used to enrich the knowledge of visitors and to generate much needed revenue for the sustainable operations of the museum.
The specific objectives of the Bridging Heritage and Livelihoods – Plas Sesenne Museum Project were:
– to provide visitors and the Saint Lucian public with an opportunity to visit and learn about the legacy of a cultural hero in Saint Lucia;
– to organize a steady revenue stream that would help FRC develop and maintain a sustainable museum operation;
– to create employment for young persons interested in the cultural development of Saint Lucia; and
– to garner support for the ongoing work of the FRC in preserving the cultural identity of Saint Lucians.
The project covered four main components, namely: Training Workshops – it consisted of Museum Curating; A Foundation Course. The facilitators included Margo Thomas, National Archivist and Patrick Freeman, National Archives Authority of Saint Lucia.
The workshop was held over three days from January 16 -18 with 12 participants involved.
Museum Curating: Application of Technology. The facilitator for this session was Professor Schuyler Esprit PhD, of CREATE Caribbean Research Institute, Dominica. The workshop ran from February 7 – 9, with 13 participants in attendance.
Participants were drawn from the general public as well as local non-governmental organisations, such as the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF) and the Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT). Also, in attendance was a participant from the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College.
Safety and Security – Fire Prevention and Handling.
Facilitators for this component of the project, included Bryan Jawahir (Security Consultant) and. Hilton Oculien (Former Fire Officer and Former Safety Officer for ICC Cricket World Cup 2006)
Participants included FRC staffers and a representative from Saint Lucia National Commission for UNESCO.
Hands-on training was provided in the use of fire extinguishers.
Procurement Supplies and Equipment – Under the project, the FRC was able to strengthen and enhance its preservation efforts, through the procurement of digital equipment for the digitization of artifacts and documents for archival purposes, and presentation of educational information to locals and visitors alike.
In addition, the acquisition of surveillance equipment will enhance the security of the facility by providing the FRC remote monitoring capability. This will serve the dual purpose of monitoring access to the museum and internal monitoring of the artifacts on display.
Safety and Security Assessment – A safety and security of the proposed Plas Sesenne Museum site was also commissioned. A number of recommendations were submitted for implementation, in order to make the site a secure location for both the artifacts and visitors.
The FRC reports that the support provided by UNESCO, also facilitated the contracting of consultants for the delivery of the training workshops.
The FRC is currently drawing up plans for the museum. One of the key components of this plan, will be the conduct of stakeholder consultations with special emphasis on involving the Mon Repos, Patience community in discussions on what has been achieved. The upcoming phases of the initiative will ensure that there will be local ownership of this project.
The FRC acknowledges the input from the Saint Lucia National Commission for UNESCO for providing the requisite funding, support and guidance for the successful completion of this project.