Collections and Exhibitions Lead / Strengthening African-European Museum Partnerships (M/W) 17 views

About the Job

Project or context description

The project

Building on exchanges between museum directors from 38 countries across the two continents during the Dakar meetings in April 2023, the project “Strengthening African European Museum Partnerships” aims to achieve the following objectives: strengthening capacities and sharing knowledge among museum institutions (1); preserving and rethinking the use of collections (2); promoting the social function of museums (3). It particularly targets youth, women, and marginalized groups, with a focus on gender equality, the promotion of human rights, and the encouragement of cultural entrepreneurship.

The project is funded by several international partners, including the European Union, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The project implementation, which will span 60 months, has been entrusted to Expertise France (EF) and the Goethe Institute (GI), and will involve partners including African and European museums, governments, and relevant international organizations and bilateral implementing agencies. The overall coordination of the project will be ensured by the Delegation of the European Union to the African Union in Addis Ababa (EUD-AU).

The activities implemented by EF, grouped into 3 pillars, will be managed from Addis Ababa (Ethiopia):

• The first pillar focuses on the development and implementation of innovative exhibition concepts by consortia of African and European museums.
• The second pillar aims to improve the sharing of knowledge about African museum collections through their inventory and conservation (digitization and physical methods), and their circulation.
• Finally, the third pillar aims to develop partnerships with civil society and the academic world to enhance the appropriation of museum heritage by local populations, particularly youth.

Mission description

The Collections and Exhibitions Lead will be responsible for the technical coordination of the two first pillars of the project implemented by Expertise France.

Pillar 1 – Exhibitions aim to foster collaboration among consortia of African and European museums on exhibition-related projects. These projects will enhance mutual knowledge across collections, preservation, public engagement, and innovative approaches to formats, scenography, and narrative.

It comprises four main activities:

• Sharing and Promoting Sustainable and Innovative Museum Exhibitions practices, especially related to gender equality and sustainable development
• Designing Replicable Exhibition Concepts Rooted in Local Heritage
• Fostering Museum-Civil Society Partnerships for Engaging Exhibitions
• Strengthening the Skills of African Museum Professionals for Exhibition Implementation

Pillar 2 – Collections aim to increase the sharing of knowledge on African collections, to improve cultural dialogue, circulation of collections, and to include consideration of endogenous methods in conservation standards, in particular for sustainable museums.

It comprises four main activities:

• Sharing and Promoting Innovative and Sustainable Conservation and Inventory Practices
• Developing and implementing tools for inventories
• Documenting Endogenous Conservation Methods
• Developing knowledge on collections and conservation training capacities, with an emphasis on women’s contribution to heritage.

The Collections and Exhibitions Lead will be based within the EF mutualized office in Addis Ababa, as part of a team composed of:

• A project manager
• A deputy project manager
• A Collections and Exhibitions Lead – which is the subject of this job description
• Two grants’ officers
• Short-term experts as needed

A dedicated financial and administrative management team, shared with other EF projects, will be based at the EF office in Addis Ababa. This team will support the project by overseeing budget preparation, contract management, payments, monitoring, record-keeping, and reporting.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Project Manager and in line with the project objectives, requirements and timelines, the Collections and Exhibitions Lead will have the following responsibilities:

1. Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Design and manage the implementation of the work plans for Pillars 1 and 2, including activities, outputs, and expected results in coordination with the project manager and deputy project manager.
• Ensure the integration of crosscutting themes such as gender, youth, sustainability, and inclusion.
• Propose and oversee the preparation of ToRs and mobilization of short- and medium-term experts.

2. Technical Implementation

• Coordinate all activities under the two pillars: calls for proposals, grant implementation, technical assistance, training, hackathons, research projects, etc.
• Facilitate capacity-building initiatives with museums, universities, and research centers.
• Ensure effective collaboration with national and regional museum institutions and training centers.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Monitor the achievement of activities in relation to the logical framework and expected outputs.
• Contribute to drafting activity and narrative reports for pillars 1 &2 in coordination with the Project Manager and the Deputy Project Manager.
• Ensure data collection, capitalization, and knowledge sharing.

4. Stakeholder Coordination and Representation

• Represent the project in technical meetings with museum partners and stakeholders in Africa and Europe.
• Support partnerships and dialogue between African and European institutions involved in the exhibitions and collections streams.
• Promote and facilitate the dissemination and valorization of the project’s outputs.

How To Apply