During COVID-19 pandemic, SAWA Museums Studies Program took place as a virtual series. Twenty former participants of the SAWA Program began developing a trilingual glossary of museological terms, explained in Arabic, English and German.
Working in small mixed groups of two to four participants from the MENA region and Germany, each team developed a unique approach to their assigned term. This process encouraged them to reflect on their personal perspectives and navigate translational challenges. SAWA facilitators provided support in regular online sessions.
The glossary is a continuously evolving project; each year, new participants contribute fresh perspectives and expand the list of terms.The result of the project can be found on the Glossary page.
The SAWA Museum Studies Program is designed to provide a comprehensive exploration of various aspects of museum practice. The program consists of two on-site workshops, each lasting two weeks, one in Sharjah and one in Berlin, accompanied by monthly online meetings in between.
The SAWA Program is structured into modules, each focusing on key areas of museum practice, including collecting, documenting, curation, interpretation, education, and cultural heritage preservation. Participants engage in a mix of workshops, practical projects, and hands-on experiences to enhance their understanding and skills. Additionally, site visits to museums and cultural institutions enrich the program by providing valuable real-world exposure.
The program fosters a collaborative learning environment, encouraging participants to actively engage in discussions, share insights, and learn from each other’s diverse perspectives. The SAWA Program seeks to create a safe environment for discussions on barriers and challenges in museum practice. Participants confront real-world issues as facilitators speak openly about the difficulties of contemporary museum work, using concrete examples from their own experience.
Close engagement with facilitators and professional exchange on equal terms offer opportunities for future collaborations, joint projects and the development of new international, regional and local networks.
“Working with different participants in each activity
helped me to open my mind to different cultures
and also to different ways of working in museums.”
Former SAWA Participant 2018
Participants emphasize that SAWA is unlike other continuing education programs in the museum sector. They highlight that,as an added value, each exchange provides numerous discussions with museum professionals, offering them insights into areas of museum practice they were previously unaware of. During the program, participants do not just spend time together. They live, eat, work and think together. This experience transforms the participants not only professionally but personally as well. As a result, they realize that what remains in the end are not the differences but rather the similarities.
For more information on each module, click on the Module title below.
From self-reflection to opportunity and resource
Local and International perspectives
Participative strategies for past and present
From single to shared authorship
Access, Engagement and Interpretation