Ethics of Curating African Collections

We are proud to announce the launch of Ethics of Curating African Collections, an intensive workshop developed through a partnership between the Cultural Heritage Collections service of the AfricaMuseum (Belgium) and the Bahir Dar University Museum (Ethiopia).

This five-day course explores the ethical, historical, and practical dimensions of working with African collections in museums today. Drawing on case studies, hands-on exercises, and expert insights, the program invites participants to reflect on the responsibilities and possibilities of curating in a postcolonial world. 

Topics range from the origins of ethnographic museums to contemporary approaches to exhibition design, collaborative curating, and ethical conservation practices. Participants will engage directly with object analysis, thematic storytelling, and critical reflection on how collections are managed, interpreted, and shared. 

Key components of the program include:

• Ethical approaches to conservation and long-term collection care
• Object analysis workshops using Ethiopian and Congolese artefacts
• Exhibition design sessions, from narrative structure to digital tools
• Group work on curatorial strategy and public history engagement
• Dialogue around African agency and institutional responsibility 

Participants will also explore a real exhibition-in-development: “High Voltage & Highlights: Ethiopia✕Belgium”, which maps over a century of shared cultural and political histories. 

This course is open to professionals located in DRCongo or Ethiopia: students, emerging professionals, museum staff, and scholars who are committed to reshaping museum practice through care, dialogue, and critical thinking. 

Free of charge, but registration is mandatory. 

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