Culture is internationally considered the fourth pillar of sustainable development, and cultural and heritage diversity forms the base of this pillar. It is vital to raise the awareness of all the agents involved in heritage management, and to facilitate the appropriation of heritage by civil society. All the actions outlined in this project share the fundamental objective of raising awareness and disseminating the architectural and urban heritage of Equatorial Guinea, publicising it and helping to create a higher profile at local, national and international levels.
The various activities are directed at a broad spectrum of the population, ranging from children to heritage professionals. In the first phase, this takes the form of promoting research and creating tools to bring this knowledge to very different publics.
Educational dossiers about The City and Public Space in Malabo and Palaver Huts in Bata
In preparation for the heritage weeks in Malabo and Bata, educational dossiers for the activities will be published so they can be used in schools and introduced into the syllabus. They will deal with discovering, interpreting and recreating spaces and architectures that define specific ways of living together and socializing.
Heritage weeks in Bata and Malabo
Workshops on “Public Space” in Malabo and “Palaver Huts” in Bata will be the activities organized during the weeks dedicated to heritage. For five days, different schools will use the educational dossiers, with the active participation of teachers.
Congress: Architecture in Equatorial Guinea
The first congress on “Architecture in Equatorial Guinea” will be held in Malabo, open to national and international experts as well as students in different disciplines.
In addition to the keynote talks and the papers chosen by the scientific committee, the congress will include a specific area for debate with a variety of workshops.
Exhibition: GUINEA HERITAGE 2020: Kaleidoscope
A travelling exhibition is envisaged, directed at a broad sector of the population with the aim of involving and sensitising both civil society and professionals in the culture and tourism sectors.
Conceptually, it will be based on nine areas, analysing the various architectural and urban typologies. It will include models of different buildings, created specially for the exhibition.
All the exhibition texts will be in Spanish, though the various Equatoguinean languages will be used in each of the different blocks.
Catalogue raisonné of architectural and urban heritage
The expert team’s work on architecture and urban design will be documented in a publication bringing together the research and actions carried out by each member. An analysis of the various architectural and urban typologies; an account of ways of life in traditional settlements; an explanation of traditional construction techniques; a presentation of the projects for wooden houses in Bioko; the architecture of the modern movement, and the urban and architecture interventions currently being carried out are some of the aspects that will be given in-depth coverage in this publication.
It will include four monographics on works chosen for their value as complexes or their singularity. The catalogue will also include in its annexes a revised bibliography and a detailed exposition of the documentary holdings consulted.
Display: GUINEA HERITAGE 2020: Challenges in the Task of Revaluation
In December 2014 and January 2015, displays will be organized at Equatorial Guinea’s embassies around the world with the title “GUINEA HERITAGE 2020: Challenges in the Task of Revaluation”.
This is an initiative to promote knowledge of the country’s rich and varied heritage elements, and to plan actions for implementation up to 2020 with the aim of ensuring appreciation and protection as national and world monuments.
Merchandising
Giving heritage a higher profile will encourage the people of Equatorial Guinea to appropriate their heritage and enable visitors and tourists to recognise an international brand: GUINEA HERITAGE 2020. T-shirts and caps, notebooks and pencils, and postcards and bookmarks will be the products included in merchandising for all publics, including the youngest.
