One of the training programs we have at @AfricaDHeritage looks at how Kenya's cultural institutions engage audiences online.

Staff at the archives and museums always ask, how is social media important to us? Why should we use it?

But the answer is simple, this is how https://twitter.com/HistoryKE/status/1194953091289960453

As we look at how social media is influencing various dialogues and discourse in Kenya...

One of the things we should appreciate is how much it has increased and OPENED UP conversations around culture and heritage.

What's also interesting is that most of the work being done to curate historical and cultural content on digital spaces is being done by private actors, hobbyists, enthusiasts, volunteers and students ...

Our institutions are almost non existent in this digital space...yet they hold the bulk of the collections, records, photographs. Most of which are never seen by the public.

Just look at how much people are willing to contribute and participate in the discussion. This is oral history, curated from diff communities all in a single discussion

Which is incredible given the knowledge gaps we have in our collections largely due to the colonial nature in which objects and archives were initially collected and documented.

And yes our cutural institutions face a lot challenges, key among them funding, legacy etc.

We know what we don't have, money.

But what do we have?

1.Audiences hungry for this content
2. Readily accessible platforms to share this content and have discussions

A few years back, the Kenya National Archives and Kenya News Agency spent millions of shillings on digitisation projects.

None of this content is accessible online today.

So critically, this is not about a lack of funding as it is about a lack of understanding on who this digital content is for?

What impact does it have on how we engage and understand culture? What platforms will it be accessed?