Bureng Koosee Festival - Saturday 2nd June 2012, Bureng Village, Jarra East, Lower River Region  This festival is a Mandinka community festival started in June 2011, organised by the Village Development Committee as part of a quest to revive the traditional cultural practices which bred unity and cohesion in their society. The Mandinka communities, especially in the district of Jarra, are renowned for having the largest number of masks and masquerades in the country.

Koosee is a rare masquerade tradition that was performed during harvest time when food as in plentiful supply and there was no work to do in the fields. read more on upcoming events and festivals...

Kayong Karlon Congress - Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd June 2012, Kunkujang Jatta Jatta                      The theme of congress is "A Call for Cultural Identification, a requirement for Unity, Strength, Success, Patriotism and Participation in National Development. The objective is to give cultural education or orientation to the audience that positively transforms the mindsets and lifestyles of the people, to appreciate, embrace, maintain and uphold by displaying our cultural values and belief systems by virtue of who we are as a tribe within our cultural framework and context as Gambians and Africans. 

Saihou Omar Njie a Gambian artist resident in the United States is currently in The Gambia as part of project in which he is gathering portraits of 100 African Americans to compare with that of 100 Africans with close facial resemblance.

Mr. Njie works mainly in batik but is a reputable photographer as well. His work and biography can be viewed from his website (www.sonjart.com). The National Centre for Arts and Culture has had a long acquaintance with Saihou and his presence in the country is an opportunity for budding artists and photographers to benefit from his wide experience.

The exhibition will be on from 28th May - 12th June 2012, at Alliance Francaise, Banjul and will run simultaneously with a digital show of his photographic works.

Under the support of the NCAC, the Gambia Music Union held its congress on Thursday 24 May at Alliance Francaise, Kairaba Avenue. Baba Ceesay, Director General, NCAC gave the keynote address and exhorted musicians to associate in order to be able to help harness the potentials of the Gambia Copyright royalties mechanisms. He said the NCAC was happy to assist artists associations in order that creators can unite for the protection of their interests.

Tijan Kamara, NCAC Chair and other NCAC staff were at hand to assist in the elections of new officials, Dr Oliver Mbodge, veteran Gambian musician was unanimously elected President.

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHIEFS COMMEND NCAC

The Gambia National Council of Chiefs under the Paramount Chief Alhaji Demba Sanyang on Friday awarded a certificate of commendation to the NCAC for our support to the activities of the Council. It was handed over to the NCAC during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Mansabengo or chiefs meeting held at Basse, Upper River Region (URR) 17-19 May 2012. Hassoum Ceesay, a noted historian and senior NCAC staff was there to receive the certificate on behalf of the Director General. Mr. Ceesay also served on this years Mansabengo as the resource person on the theme ‘Chiefs and the promotion and development of culture’. His paper, which highlighted the role that chiefs can play in cultural revival, was highly praised by the chiefs who found it very instructive and purposely.

This is with the view to selecting a beauty that can represent and promote The Gambia at the Miss World and Miss Universe contests and at major tourism fairs around the world.

Preliminary competitions in the Regions and Municipalities will commence 15th December through to the 25th 2011,  winners and runners-up from each heat will compete in the finals which is slated for Saturday 4th February 2012.

The 22 member Copyright Commission was inaugurated by the Minister of Tourism and Culture on the 25th November 2009 at the Ministry's Conference Hall, The Quadrangle, Banjul, The Gambia.

The Copyright Commission Members are:  

No	Name	Competence
1	Alhaji Mansour Njie	Broadcaster, Folklore
2	Fodeh Baldeh	Publisher, Poet, Author
3	Ebrima S. B Touray	Customs Officer, Jazzist, music
4	Ebrima Sagnia	Film, Video Documentalist, TV
5	Alagie Mbye	Korist, Folklorist
6	George F Gomez	Music, Events, promoter
7	Salieu E.H John	Fine Arts, Theatre, Educator
8	Ismaila Oussou Njie	Music, Super Eagles fame
9	Bai Janha	Instrumentalist, Musician
10	Abdoulaye Ngom	Musician, live performance
11	Almamy Taal	Lawyer, Copyright law lecturer
12	Charles Thomas	Playwright, actor
13	Lamin Manga	Rap, broadcast, DJ
14	Peter Gomez	Broadcaster, DJ
15	Hassoum Ceesay	NCAC
16	Maimauna Bah	Broadcaster
17	Bammy Jagne	Music, events promotion
18	Saffie Mbenga	Socialite

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMISSION
•To advise the Copyright Office on the registration and licensing of literary, artistic, musical, sound, audiovisual, choreographic and derivative works such as translations and adaptations.
•To meet regularly to go through works deposited with the Office for copyright license to confirm their originality and moral decency as enshrined in Chapter 11 Part 1 (2) of the Act which states that for a work to be eligible for copyright it must be ‘original in character ’ and has been affixed in a definite medium of expression (in a book, cassette, CD, DVD etc). t the Copyright Office in its sensitization and public outreach activities.
•To assist the Copyright Office in public sensitization and public awareness programmes in the radio, TV and other mass media.

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 THE KANKURANG PROJECT – THE GAMBIA AND SENEGAL

A. INTRODUCTION
In 2005, UNESCO Proclaimed the Kankurang as a “Masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.”

The proclamation of Masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage signifies UNESCO’s strategy for the safeguarding of the world’s living heritage. The proclamation programme was created by UNESCO’s General Conference in 1997, and was approved by its Executive Board in 1998.

The main objectives of the proclamation are:

• To raise awareness on the importance of the oral and intangible heritage and the need to safeguard it.
• To evaluate and list the World’s oral and intangible heritage.
• To encourage countries to establish national inventories and to take legal and administrative measures for the protection of their oral and intangible heritage.
• To promote the participation of traditional artists and local practitioners in identifying and revitalizing their intangible cultural heritage.

The programme thus, honours two categories of intangible cultural heritage:

1. Forms of popular or traditional expression
2. Cultural spaces, defined as “places in which popular and traditional activities are concentrated.”

The Masterpieces are selected on the basis of six criteria:

(i) Possess outstanding value as a Masterpiece of the human creative genius
(ii) That they are rooted in the cultural tradition or cultural history of the community concerned
(iii) Play a role as a means of affirming the cultural identity of the community concerned
(iv) That they are distinguished by excellence in the application of skills and technical qualities displayed.
(v) That they constitute a unique testimony of a living cultural tradition
(vi) That they are threatened with disappearance due to insufficient means for safeguarding or to processes of rapid change.

B. THE KANKURANG PROJECT (GAMBIA AND SENEGAL)
In view of the proclamation of the Kankurang as a “Masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity” by UNESCO in 2005, the latter had encouraged both the Republic of Senegal and The Gambia to jointly put up a project proposal geared towards the preservation of the Kankurang tradition in view of its outstanding value. The joint submission was necessitated by the fact that the “Kankurang” tradition traverses the borders of the two countries, and could in fact be traced back to Guinea Bissau as well.

Thus, in 2006, The Gambia and Senegal submitted a proposal to UNESCO for the safeguard of the Kankurang, requesting for funds from the “UNESCO/JAPAN Deposited Funds for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage” to the tune of US$146,992.

In view of the foregoing, UNESCO approved for The Gambia, the sum of US$63,027 in July 2007, and a contract to that effect was signed by the NCAC on 25th July 2007.

The project essentially entails the following:

a. Establishment of a synergy between National Institutions and Communities where the Kankurang tradition exists.
b. Creation of a Kankurang Centre cum Museum to be managed by a local committee.
c. Protection of forests including re-afforestation of the trees that are associated with the Kankurang.
d. Provision of informative and promotional literature on the Kankurang.
e. Establishment of a National and Local committee to oversee the implementation of the Kankurang Project.
f. Establishment of a joint Senegalo-Gambian Steering Committee for the safeguard of the “Kankurang”.

C. ACTIONS UNDERTAKEN BY THE NCAC FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT
• Sensitization of regional governors about the project.
• A first ever workshop on Kankurang traditions in The Gambia was organized in Janjanbureh from 8 – 11 May 2008, with representation from all the regions, except the North Bank Region, Banjul and KMC.
• The different Kankurang types and their cultural spaces and cultural significance, role and functions in society have been identified and documented.
• The location for the future Kankurang centre has been identified and agreed upon by consensus.
• A Local Committee has been established.
• The National Committee has been established.
• The second workshop of the National Committee was held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau on the 11th April 2009. The purpose was to bring together the National Co-ordinating Committee on the Gambia National Committee of the Kankurang.

D. JOINT SENEGALO – GAMBIAN STEERING COMMITTEE FOR THE SAFEGUARD OF THE KANKURANG
Since The Gambia and Senegal both share the Kankurang traditions, and since the project on the Safeguard of the Kankurang was jointly submitted by the two countries, it was felt necessary that the two countries should constitute a joint steering committee, to oversee the implementation of the project in the two countries. The Steering Committee will include in its membership all the different but relevant national institutions and representatives of the communities involved (practitioners, initiators, etc).

Joint Senegalo-Gambian Steering Committee meeting was held from the 27th to 29th August 2009, at the Baobab Holiday Resort.

The Republic of The Gambia was represented by:
 Mr. Momodou C. Joof - Director General, National Centre for Arts & Culture (NCAC)
 Mr. Baba Ceesay - Director of Cultural Heritage, NCAC
 Mr. Bakary Sanyang - Deputy Director of Research, NCAC
 Mr. Sananding Sonko -
 Hon. Foday Manka - Chairman National Committee
 Mr. Ousainou Cham

The Republic of Senegal was represented by:
 Dr. Hamady Bocoum
 Abdoul Aziz Guisse
 Cheikhou Dabo
 Prof. Balla Mousa Daffe
 Biram Sarr

The meeting was officially opened by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Culture on behalf of the Honourable Minister.

D. THE GAMBIA KANKURANG CENTRE CUM MUSEUM
 It will be located in Janjangbureh, at a place called Tinyangsita, the site for Kankurang Ceremonies and rituals Janjangbureh.
 Construction work on the site has begun in earnest, and work is expected to be complete by mid January 2010.
 When completed, the Centre will house a Museum, an educational room, a bantaba area, offices and visitor facilities.

The Centre will be managed by the National Committee and overseen by the local Committee in Janjangbureh, with the NCAC providing technical and advisory services.

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 Restoration of James Island, the CFAO Building at Albreda and the Stone Circles Museum, Kerbatch,The Gambia
In December 2008, the Prince Claus Fund under its Cultural Emergency Response Programme approved a grant of € 35,000 to the National Centre for Arts and Culture to assist with the immediate restoration of James Island and the related CFAO Building at Albreda and for the rehabilitation of the Stone Circles Museum at Kerbatch. The structures which are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites suffered unusual damage to their fabric during the storms of the previous rainy season. Following the signing of a contractual agreement, and the first disbursement of 25% of the project funds, work started with the rehabilitation of the Kerbatch Museum and the mobilisation of building materials for the James Island and CFAO Building works. In accordance with the terms of the contract a progress report for the period January to March was submitted detailing inter-alia the results achieved at the Kerbatch Museum which was completed in the first half of the grant period.
Preparatory Activities
Work started soon after the receipt of the first grant payment. As previously reported, because of the disbursement mode agreed in the contract (25%-50%-25%) an early decision was taken to undertake full implementation of the Kerbatch Museum works, and start mobilizing materials for the James Island/CFAO Building works. Early mobilization of building materials, especially boulder stones was particularly important because vast quantities were needed and this required a considerable period of time to quarry. In addition, the transportation of the boulders, stakes and other building materials by canoe to James Island was equally demanding. This process took approximately eight weeks of the project time.

Mobilisation of local building materials was followed by mobilization of tools and equipment and additional building materials such as cement and fired bricks which were obtainable from Banjul, the capital city where the head office of the NCAC is located. A truck had to be hired to take these materials to the project site.
The journey to the site involved an 8 mile ferry crossing from the south bank of the river to the north bank, and a drive of 35 Km. on rough road. The transportation process lasted two days as there is often a long queue of vehicles waiting at the ferry terminal to make the same crossing.
 

Aerial view of the ruins of James Fort: The newly consolidated walls discernible from the white mortar.

Work at James Island and the CFAO Building effectively started on Monday 11th May 2009.
Historic Conservation practice dictates that a survey and recording of the state of a site is undertaken prior to any intervention. Consequently, with the assistance of the United States Embassy in Banjul, additional funding was obtained to facilitate this exercise. Between May 2, 2009 and May 11, 2009 a detailed assessment of the remaining sections of James Island and James Fort, as well as standing structures in Albreda (CFAO Building) were documented by Liza Gijanto , an American Archaeologist with an interest in colonial archaeology in The Gambia. The primary goal of this archaeological assessment was to identify any possible features at each site, in addition to documenting all extant structures related to James Fort for site interpretation. The comprehensive report provided by Ms Gijanto which includes suggestions for future archaeological investigation and management of historic resources at James Island and the CFAO structure at Albreda.
     
Other preparatory assistance came in the form of a civil engineer who assisted with a structural assessment of the buildings and the effectiveness of the planned interventions. The engineer was subsequently retained as technical adviser throughout the period of execution.
Clearing
Clearing and cleaning of the grounds to remove the rubble of collapsed walls, plant growth and all extraneous materials from the sites took place between 11th and 12th May. This was necessary to among other things reveal any structural weaknesses in the foundations of the structures and minimize encumbrance during the course of work.

Clearing also involved the demolition of later incongruous additions to the sites such as the defunct toilet at James Island and the concrete seating area which tended to encourage picnics on the Island to the detriment of its conservation. The plan is to replace the toilet with a prefabricated portable one, though this provision is not included in the project budget. A new hut was constructed around the concrete table in the previous seating area, maintaining the table as pedestal for the model of the fort /Island.
The task was executed by a team of unskilled labourers under the close supervision of NCAC staff .
Wall works
This mainly entailed the re-filling of holes, consolidation of weak walls, sealing of cracks, introduction of buttresses to support free-standing walls, raising of destroyed foundations, reinforcement of eroded foundations and walls, re-building of collapsed walls, etc. Wall works at James Island lasted 4 weeks, whilst for the CFAO Building it took the entire 6 week implementation period.
    
These works were executed with boulders and/or fired bricks and mortar (lime, cement, sand). Very high walls were accessed with metal scaffolding or ladders. The photographs below reflect the situation before and after the interventions facilitated by the grant.
Sea Defence Works
Sea defense works were executed at both James Island and the CFAO Building. At both sites the focus was on the most vulnerable areas where the water laps on the structures at high tide. At James Island the focus was on the northern side of the fort. The sea defense here stretched for a distance of 70 meters. At the CFAO Building the focus was on the shoreline to the east. The sea defense at the CFAO Building takes a semi circular formation and is also 70 meters in length.
        
Construction of sea defenses was executed in the original method used by the European occupiers, a method that also served to reclaim the land to provide more building space. This was done by driving in horizontal wooden piles in close proximity in two rows, filling the space in between with boulders, and subsequently, filling-in the front, in the case of James Island, and the back, in the case of the CFAO Building. This method not only serves to protect the fabric of the Fort and the CFAO Building from the impact of the waves , but can be gradually extended to increase the available land space whenever resources permit. In the case of the CFAO Building, the sea defense forms a semi-circular platform round the building which can be subsequently used for seating and other recreational purposes:
Visitor paths
Designated visitor paths are important for directing the flow of visitors and minimizing visitor interference with the fragile historic fabric. They also prevent visitors wandering into unsafe areas. Visitor paths should have a gradual gradient that not only allows visitors to ascend or descend with ease,but also serve as conduit for draining water out of the building. In addition, they should not be slippery, and should be free of all forms of debris. This is particularly important for preventing accidents during ascent or descent as in the case of the bastions of the fort at James Island. Both the north east and north west were extensively worked on as well as other areas in the visitor circuit shown in the map and photographs below.
Signage, Safety and Interpretative Works
 

Designated Visitor Circuit on James Island   1755 drawing by  Justly Watson       Artistic impression by CRATerre-ENSAG

Prior to the intervention there was very limited site interpretation on the island. This consisted mainly of several small wooden signs marking specific areas of the interior fort as well as the former landing sites and slave yard area. Only one sign providing background information on the island’s history attached to the west entrance wall of the fort existed.

To provide a vivid impression of what James Island looked like in its heydays, a scaled model of the Island and fort has been constructed and is housed in a replica slave hut, another structural element which records speak of abundantly, but have been totally lost since the final abandonment of the island in 1829.The model is based on a survey and drawing of the Island executed by Justly Watson, Director of Engineers, in 1755; and artistic impression extrapolated from the drawing by CRATerre - ENSAG.

With regard to safety for visitors on site, the most precarious areas were the bastions of the fort where visitors can easily slip and tumble over the edges. These areas amongst others have now been protected with wooden barriers with signs warning visitors to be cautious.

A series of six interpretative panels will be produced as part of this project. Two will describe the storehouse foundations and slave quarter area. The remaining four will be placed strategically within the remains of the fort in order to describe the former rooms of the fort for visitors.
Follow-up activities

Because of the mode of disbursement of the funds certain works on the CFAO Building remain to be completed. These are mainly, the doors and windows, roofing, the completion of wall works and plastering of the walls. These are to be completed when the final 25% grant fund are received.

Another important expected outcome of the project is the adaptive re-use of restored CFAO Building. The plan outlined in the project application to turn the building to community use as a restaurant, accommodation facility and retail outlet for local produce, still subsists. This has been borne in mind during restoration phase by making provision for additional doors and windows in the appropriate spaces to increase ventilation/air circulation within the building.

Talks have also been initiated with the Village Development Committees of Albreda and Juffureh with a view to establishing a modus operandi for such an enterprise. The initial plan is to work on a project that will empower the women of the two villages financially and serve as a good example of community empowerment initiatives.

A caretaker has been assigned the specific duty of regularly inspecting and cleaning the CFAO Building which still stands without a roof. His duties also include clearing the vicinity of any plant growth and ensuring that water does not percolate within the building, albeit, the floors of the building have been treated with cement plaster in a gradient that will allow all rain water to drain out of the building.

Continuous assessment of the integrity of the structure and size of James Island including annual mapping of the shoreline and island perimeter at high and low tide will be undertaken as well as systematic surface collection whenever deposits are exposed and at risk to collection by tourists visiting the island.
Conclusion/Results
On the whole the project objectives have been achieved. It will be recalled that the project was conceived against the backdrop of the devastation caused by the heavy rains and storms of the 2008 rainy season which inter-alia led to the collapse of the north east bastion of James Island and caused extensive damage to the roof of the Kerbatch Museum. The destroyed James Island bastion has been reconstructed and the Kerbatch Museum completely refurbished. Apart from the sea defences which have been introduced at both James Island and the CFAO Building to retard the devastating effects of wave action on the historic fabric, both structures have been consolidated and do not stand any risk of deteriorating further. The restoration of the CFAO Building once completed will provide a facility that will enable the communities of Juffureh and Albreda to make use of the building and derive direct benefits from the heritage that have stood within their midst for centuries. In addition visitor safety at both sites have been improved, and site interpretation, especially at James Island have been greatly enhanced with the introduction of a model of the fort and Island.

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The World Heritage Committee sitting at its 30th session in Vilnius, Lithuania, has approved the inscription of the Stone Circles of the Senegambia in the World Heritage List. Read More......

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