SAHA Exhibition Kits

In order to enable community-based and educational organizations to host low-cost exhibitions exploring issues specific to their communities or to commemorate key moments in South African history, SAHA is in the process of developing thematic exhibition kits for loan.

An exhibition kit about John Vorster Square, based on the SAHA interactive DVD, Between Life and Death, Stories from John Vorster Square, was developed in 2008, and is available for loan by heritage and community organisations.

SAHA is also the custodian of a range of exhibition materials on the End Conscription Campaign (ECC), developed in 2009 for a range of events and exhibitions across South Africa marking the 25th anniversary of the launch of the ECC. These materials have been collated to form an exhibition kit suitable for exhibitions commemorating the ECC, or exploring issues relating to conscientrious objection.

In 2010, SAHA is developing portable exhibition kits in the following thematics areas:

• The South African Bill of Rights
• The role of women in the making of democracy in South Africa
• The role of youth in the making of democracy in South Africa
• The role of workers in the making of democracy in South Africa

Each exhibition kit is made up of 30 to 50 images from the SAHA Poster Collection (AL2446), reproductions of related archival materials, along with supporting background information, focusing on a particular theme. Because no irreplaceable items are used in these exhibition kits and historical narrative is provided in exhibition-ready form, expenses typically associated with organizing an exhibition, such as insurance and curatorial costs, are reduced. Exhibition kits can be provided for short-term events (for example, conferences and civil society workshops), or for longer exhibitions at community halls and memorials.

SAHA is also interested in working with organizations to develop exhibition kits relating to the history of a particular area or issues pertinent to a specific community.

For more information about these exhibition kits, please contact archives@saha.org.za