Suriname: ‘MuseumN8’, workshops on re-using cultural heritage

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Paramaribo organised two workshops on shared cultural heritage on 27 May this year, working closely together with the ‘Vereniging Vrienden van Stadsherstel Suriname’(Friends of City Restoration in Suriname Association). The workshops specifically focussed on the exhibition ‘Re-use, Re-develop and Design’, and were led by four experts on the re-use of cultural heritage and urban planning and architecture: Sander Gelinck and Frank Strolenberg from the Netherlands, and Gerda Gehlen and Zarja Garmes Rojer from Curaçao. The goal of the activity was to trigger participants to think about how to re-use cultural heritage in Paramaribo. On 29 May, two additional workshops took place; the first being on the re-use of cultural heritage and the second on a car-free city centre, in which the city centre of Willemstad, Curaçao was used as a role model.

Museum Night
The workshops on 27 May took place during Museum Night, a special cultural event where all museums open up their doors for visitors in the evening. ‘MuseumN8’ is the Surinamese counterpart of the International Museum Day initiated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This year’s theme was ‘Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums’. The Museum Night has gained in popularity over the years, contributing to a growing awareness of the importance of culture and cultural heritage for society.