Museum reforms and Children activities
in India; Practice and Implications
Sayan Bhattacharya
Centre for Archaeological Studies & Training,
Eastern India
Implementing the ideas which I have gained from British Museum
International Curatorial Training Programme-2009
About my work
Museum Reforms Project
Workshop
Children activities
COMMUNICATION
SPACE WITH THE
UNDERPRIVILEGED
AND STREET CHILDREN
Archiving
Training Courses
Architecture
Seminars and Lectures
Iconography
About the project
Sri. Jawahar Sircar (Honourable Secretary, Ministry of Culture) has proposed a
document on Museums in India; Problems and Prospects: A Global
Perspective. The fundamental goal of this project is to study the various
problems and prospects of the museums in India through a global perspective.
This project has compiled all the data available on the internet and some
information from the published documents as well.
Sri. Jawahar Sircar generously proposed fourteen issues about the museum
management among which we have selected three issues.
This project was funded by the Indian Museum and the Ministry of Culture and
executed through the Center for Archaeological Studies and Training, Eastern
India.
Dr. Gautam Sengupta, Director General, Archaeological Survey of India and
myself have coordinated this project with Mr. Debanjan Mitra, Miss.Kazima
Khan and Miss. Rupsa Munsi as project assistants.
1. Collection & Stores
Management.
2. Proper/Scientific
Display of Artefacts.
3. Information,
Signages, Floor Plans
& Visitor Facilities.
4. Museum Shops and
Souvenirs.
5. Multi-Media, Audio
Visuals & Guide
Facilities.
6. Attract Various
Audience Segments,
including
Students/Children.
7. Image Building,
Publicity and Cultural
Events
8. Visiting & Travelling
Exhibitions
9. Expansion &
Acquisition of
Collections
10. Professional
Development of
Museum Personnel
11. Implementation of
Plan Schemes
12. Security: Modern
Techniques
13. Conservation and
Restoration
14. Interactions with
Academics,
Archaeologists and Artists
We have submitted our report to the Indian Museum and Ministry of Culture ,
Government of India.
About the project:
This project is mainly for heritage awareness among the underprivileged and street children, in both
the urban and rural areas, with the help of Indian Museum, West Bengal State Archaeological
Museum and other District Museums of West Bengal. The events or programs will include
underprivileged and street children of an age-group of 9 - 16 years. The venue will be mobile and
will change with the changing region and locality of the project, but preferably museums (local) and
also be the Indian Museum and State Archaeological Museum, Kolkata.
Activity Kits:
In addition to the drawing and clay-modeling kit they will also be presented some souvenirs, which
will include school bag , some graphic booklets, Certificate, Drawing books-pencils, and Tshirts and caps . They will also be provided with lunch and refreshments. Initially, we are
planning to host this programme twenty times in a year with 30 children each time.
Creative (Clay
modeling and
painting )
Learning
(Presentation
s, movie,
books etc.)
Interactive
(Interaction with the
children during
gallery visit and also
hands on training)
2009: Actively participated and lectured (human evolution) with Dr. Suchira Roychoudhury on the
workshop for STREET CHILDREN at the State Archaeological Museum, Kolkata supported by the Centre
for Archaeological Studies & Training, Eastern India on 23rd November,2009 and 30th December, 2010.
Interactive
Children
Activities
Workshop
Learning
Creative
This year we are working on the collections from North East (Total number of pictures:
1213) gifted by Dr. Gautam Sengupta, Director General, ASI. We have applied for some
financial grant from the National Archives of India, Government of India.
Iconography
Coordinated the one month course on Hindu and Buddhist Iconography combined
with the related Epigraphic Studies between 27.01.2010 & 26.02.2010.
Architecture
Centre for Archaeological Studies and Training, Eastern India presently hosting three
month course on History of Indian Architecture, to be conducted between 23rd February
& 31st May, 2010. Fifteen students from archaeology, ancient history, museology and
Islamic history background participating in the course. The students will also attend a
short field trip to Bishnupur between 3rd & 6th April,2010. I am Coordinating this course
and also lectured on Protohistoric Architecture.
TARAPADA SANTRA MEMORIAL LECTURE
Confronting the Present Archiving the Past by Prof: Lotika Varadarajan, December11, 2009.
OCCASIONAL LECTURES:
•Cultural Transfer between India and Cambodia by
Prof. Adalbert Gail 2010 on 9th March, 2010.
•Creation of a database on the history of the
knowledge and restoration of Greek vases in the 18th
and 19th centuries by Ariane de Sacxe on 9th March,
2010.
Attended Seminar/Workshop/Meeting•
Presented a paper on “Cultural Resources and Heritage means
of Indic Studies Interaction between Children and Museum” in
the International INDOLOGY CONFERENCE (TRADITION AND
MODERNITY IN INDIAN CULTURE, INDOLOGY & EDUCATION
ABOUT INDIA) supported by the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR), Sofia University, Bulgaria and Indian Mission
between 25 & 26th September,2009 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The
participation was supported by the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations (ICCR).
•
2009: Attended a Workshop on Museum Reforms organized by the
Ministry of Culture, Government of India as a Resource person in
Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) New Delhi on 2nd
November, 2009.
•
2009: Participated in a meeting with the Director General,
Archaeological Survey of India and his team in Delhi with regard
to discussion on future collaboration of the Centre with
Archaeological Survey of India.
Attended Excavations:
2010: Participated in Mangalkot Excavation, excavated by Centre for Archaeological Studies &
Training, Eastern India.
2010: Participated in Manikpatna Excavation, excavated by Deccan College Post Graduate &
Research Institute, Pune.
Attended Explorations
2010: Exploration at Dihar and surrounding area with Mrs. Sharmistha Chatterjee.
2009: Exploration at Kotasur and surrounding places, Birbhum, West Bengal as a part of PhD
research programme.
2009: Explored sand dune ridges (Contai formation) in March 2009 with Mr. Kaushik
Gangopadhyay.
Publication
2009: (Co-author- Sharmistha Chatterjee), A Preliminary Note on Archaeological
Investigation in Dantan and Its Adjoining Region, West Medinipur, Jahan, Shahnaj
Husne (Ed) Abhijñān: Studies in South Asian Archaeology and Art History of Artefacts,
Felicitating A.K.M. Zakariah. (British Archaeological Reports, International Series S1974)
Oxford, pp: 21-27.
Kotasur, Birbhum