Author: Jenna Solomon

christine-castle

Heritage

Youth in the Museum: Looking to the Future Museum

In the second of a two-part series, young people articulate their vision for the future of museums. When it comes to learning about heritage, youths don’t feel the need to engage much with museums. They explain why, as well as what their ideal museum — one that they would more readily engage with — would look like.

Tazneem-woman

Heritage

Forging the Future Simon’s Town Museum in the Fire

Despite funding shortages and the isolation of social distancing, the Simon’s Town Museum’s community-building work is making a positive impact on the Cape Flats. Education officer Tazneem Wentzel talks about the future of institutions that trade in the past.

man-with-skeleton

Heritage

Youth in the Museum: Meeting the Museum

In the first of a two-part series, young people — often a target demographic of museum policies — talk about how they’ve experienced museums and the social influences that make them visit these spaces. They explain why museums are relevant — and why they don’t often visit them.

statue-face

Heritage

An Intimate Encounter with Virtual Sculptures

When the pandemic wrecked plans to exhibit Basotho artist Samuele Makoanyane’s sculptures, the curators made an exhibition of the future from these 20th-century figurines. KE LIHA PENE – I lay down my pen is the latest virtual exhibition hosted on the Iziko Museums websites.

woman-in-museum

Heritage

Me in the Museum

Museo Me is a product of my young lifetime’s engagements with museums at home and abroad. The museum is something associated with school, with history and with being educated. But it can be more than that. I want our museums to amuse and engage us, with reflection but also with fun. In these five memories and one absent memory (since museums are so much about pondering the past), I’ll tell you why.

self-care-box-biscuits

Mental Wellbeing

The June 2021 Self-Care Box

The June 2021 box contained: chocolate chip biscuits from Mama Bongi; a Simply Bee lip balm; a ball of wool and knitting needles; hand sanitiser from The Apothecary; a quartz crystal; a string of...

Archive

Join My Museums in Cape Town Project

As part of my work as a Media Theory & Practice honours student at the University of Cape Town, I’ll be conducting a research study and potentially also a blog on museums in Cape...

self-box-products

Mental Wellbeing

The May 2021 Self-Care Box

Before In Mzansi, Ease was a physical business. The first self-care box was a physical one, which was delivered in the first week of May 2021. You can view the contents below, buy them...

the-mourning-bird-book

Literature

Reading Zambia: The Mourning Bird

Reading Zambia with The Mourning Bird raises a number of important questions related to reading African literature. While the country is relatively well-known in South Africa for its role in supporting the anti-Apartheid struggle,...