The Archival Platform, a New Networking, Advocacy and Research Initiative

Abstract

The Archival Platform is a new research, advocacy and networking project in South Africa, initiated in May 2009 and formally launched in November 2009. The “archive” is understood in this project as material traces of the past in public/private archives and collections, heritage sites and cultural practices. The Archival Platform aims to promote public engagement with and investment in the archive through networking and information sharing. It is fostered and supported by the Nelson Mandela Foundation and the University of Cape Town (UCT) Archives and Public Culture Programme, and funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies.