ABSTRACT
The Co-Production Networks for Community Heritage in Tanzania (CONCH) project aimed to promote wider public understanding of Tanzania’s built cultural heritage through concerted community engagement in its documentation, protection and conservation. Although there is a growing recognition of the need to engage local communities in heritage efforts in Africa, few initiatives have sought to mobilise value for local stakeholders through built heritage resources. CONCH began with the assumption that the built environment can be a crucial resource for sustainable socio-economic development and sought to work with diverse stakeholders in two key areas of Tanzania – Pangani on the northern coast and Kilwa on the southern coast. This chapter reports on project activities, including workshops, field schools and training run by project members. The project introduced techniques of archaeological recording, including buildings archaeology and monitoring, using digital tools to record structures and to build media for dissemination. A core aspiration was to contribute to improving development policy and practice in Tanzania and the wider region by providing a better understanding of the potential roles of cultural heritage in promoting sustainable livelihoods and reducing vulnerability. At the same time, the project was concerned with demonstrating the value of integrating knowledge co-production into designing heritage protection measures and making heritage practices of community members more visible. By building better partnerships between researchers, NGOs, community groups, government officials and other heritage stakeholders, the network also aimed to improve the conservation of historic buildings and urban landscapes.
