Endangered Material Knowledge Programme

08/12/2023

Spears are an integral part of material culture and knowledge in the Turkana region. Until recently, most adult men knew how to make spears, and would carry spears with them.

This video from Samuel Derbyshire's EMKP project shows participant Loura Echuman Ekaale testing a spear he has carved from the branches of an elim tree, to be used in the asapan initiation ceremony.

To learn more Turkana material culture and the asapan ceremony, visit Sam's completed project page: https://www.emkp.org/apprehending-asapan-documenting-the-turkana-initiation-ceremony/

📷 Derbyshire, Samuel (2023). Loura Ekaale making a spear (akwara) from elim. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.24530488.v1

07/12/2023

The EMKP Call for Applications ends in ONE MONTH!

Interested in applying? Drop in for our upcoming EMKP Applications Webinar to meet the team and learn everything you need to know. 💻 Sessions will be held on 13 December, 10-11AM and 4-5PM GMT. To join, register online: https://forms.gle/PHzUE5kemRNaCa3S7

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¿Está pensando en solicitar una subvención EMKP? Si tiene preguntas o necesita ayuda con su solicitud, únase al seminario web sobre aplicaciones EMKP para conocer al equipo y aprender todo lo que necesita saber. 💻

Organizaremos una sesión de seminario web en español el 18 de diciembre, de 15:00 a 16:00 GMT. Regístrate: https://forms.gle/NfQ6CFXSRak9j4HP6

06/12/2023

Did you enjoy learning about asapan, the Turkana initiation ceremony? Check out Sam Derbyshire's second EMKP project, which will document the material knowledge of semi-nomadic pastoralism in Kenya's Turkana Basin!

Climate change and infrastructural expansion have dramatically affected the livelihoods of people from the Turkana Basin. To preserve some of this endangered material heritage, Sam and the team will work with Turkana, Daasanach and Rendille communities to record the material knowledge and mobile food systems that allowed them to thrive in this harsh environment. Learn more: https://ow.ly/K3sK50QcQhw

📷 Derbyshire, Samuel (2021). Women making a house, southern Turkana.
📷 Derbyshire, Samuel (2020). Woman making a madal container, Korr, Marsabit.
📷 Derbyshire, Samuel (2021). Women making an akutom container, southern Turkana.

01/12/2023

A new collection of assets is available on the EMKP's open-access repository!

EMKP Grantee Samuel Derbyshire's spent two years documenting the material culture and knowledge of Asapan, the Turkana initiation ceremony. His is the first of our Large Documentation Grants to be uploaded to the EMKP repository, consisting of over 900 assets! You can read all about this research and explore the dataset: https://www.emkp.org/apprehending-asapan-documenting-the-turkana-initiation-ceremony/

Are you interested in documenting material knowledge systems that are under threat? The EMKP is accepting applications for grants until 7 January 2024! Learn more: www.emkp.org/grants

📷 Derbyshire, Samuel (2023). Women of Morusipo crafting milk container at home. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.24528850.v1
📷 Nami, Joseph Ekidor (2023). Ewar Kulany carving an ekichielong headrest/stool from elim. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.24530011.v1
📷 Derbyshire, Samuel (2023). Akwee Akelerio making a spear (akwara) from akaale wood. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.24544012.v1

27/11/2023

Are you a tea or person? ☕ These images from EMKP Grantee Alfredo Gonzalez-Ruibal's project shows how coffee is made in the Chabu community of western Ethiopia!

In Chabu coffee-making, both the leaves and beans of the coffee plant are used to make an infusion known as kari. The infusion is filtered through a basketwork filter and served in small cups, to be shared by friends and family.

Learn more about Alfredo's project: https://ow.ly/VNr950QasaK

Apply for the EMKP: www.emkp.org/grants

📷 Palomares, Álvaro Minguito (2021). Coffee consumption among the Chabu.

23/11/2023

Did you miss last week's EMKP Applications Webinar and Q&A sessions? Are you interested in learning about the EMKP and our application process? Register for our next sessions on December 13! To join, register online: http://forms.gle/PHzUE5kemRNaCa3S7

¿Quieres soliticar una de las subvenciones del EMKP? ¿Te gustaría conocer las bases de la convocatoria? ¡Ven a nuestro webinar en español el 18 de diciembre de 2023! Podras hacer preguntas y conversar con los curadores del programa. Registrate aquí: https://forms.gle/NqgoyJaznZgzMX7D9

21/11/2023

Project Update! EMKP Grantee Marina Miron is working with women in the village of Stoianovca, Moldova, to record their knowledge of Bulgarian weaving traditions. 🧵

In Stoianovca, textile production involved entire families - from grandmothers to young children. Marina and the team recorded the skills and stories of the weavers and their families in interviews, videos, and images. One participant, Zinaida Liulenova, said of her experience, “It was interesting to be with our mothers [...] they told about their times, which we now tell to the future generations.” 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦

You can follow her project on Facebook: https://ow.ly/ucVz50Q7Zp9

Or, learn more about it on the EMKP website: https://ow.ly/bwmS50Q7Zp8

📷 Miron, Marina (2023). Key informants interviews, interview with Sofia Bezvoleva, 92 years.
📷 Miron, Marina (2023). Key Informant Interview.
📷 Miron, Marina (2023). Key informants interviews, interview with Sofia Bezvoleva, 92 years.

17/11/2023

Did you know that PhD students can apply for EMKP funding? This International Students Day, we're highlighting a project led by Tahura Navile - a PhD candidate from Durham University. 🎓

Tahura's EMKP project will document the endangered recipes and foodways of Rohingya refugee communities in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. Her goal is to explore how these communities maintain the traditional food rituals essential to their identity under the fixed ration system, with little to no additional income available.

Learn more about this project: https://ow.ly/wJRu50Q6tgC

Apply for the EMKP by 7 January 2024: https://ow.ly/SyXG50Q6tgF

📷 Navile, Tahura Enam (2023). Rohingya women preparing ‘Lappachu’, a home-made snack, Ukhiya, Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar.
📷 Navile, Tahura Enam (2023). ‘Lappachu’ a home-made snack made by Rohingya women at household, Ukhiya, Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar.
📷 Navile, Tahura Enam (2023). A tea from Myanmar in a tea stall of camp, Ukhiya, Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar, .

15/11/2023

Thank you to everyone who joined us for today's EMKP Applications Webinar and Q&A Sessions 💻 It was great to meet so many prospective grantees and hear about your projects!

We're hosting more webinars and Q&A sessions in December - with English sessions on 13 December 2023 and Spanish sessions on 18 December 2023. Register now to secure your space:

14/11/2023

The first EMKP Applications Webinar and Q&A session is taking place TOMORROW on 15 November 2023!

Want to learn about the EMKP granting policies and hear from our team of dedicated curators? Register today to secure your place:

13/11/2023

Traditional fishing in Tanzania's Rufiji floodplains is increasingly under threat, especially as fish become fewer and harder to catch. EMKP Grantee Marie-Annick Moreau is working with local Ndengereko fishermen to record this material knowledge system, hoping to preserve their culture and heritage for future generations 🎣

In an interview with Marie-Annick, master fisherman Bumbo reflected on the importance of their work. "You will never understand what fishing with a nyando is just by discussion [...] You need to see every step, from cutting the trees, to braiding, to carrying it the water, to placing it in the water, to building the trap, to moving it, to harvesting the fish." Learn more: https://www.emkp.org/material-culture-of-traditional-fishers-on-the-rufiji-river-floodplain-tanzania/

Are you interested in documenting endagered material knowledge? Apply for an EMKP Documentation Grant by 7 January 2024! Visit our Grants page for more info: https://www.emkp.org/grants/

📷 Moreau, Marie-Annick (2023). Weaving a kisi fish trap - shaping the sticks.
📷 Moreau, Marie-Annick (2023). Getting ready to fish - changing and waiting on shore.
📷 Moreau, Marie-Annick (2023). Moving along the shore fishing with kisi.

09/11/2023

Are you interested in museums, anthropology, and digital humanities? Would you like to be part of a fantastic initiative that supports material knowledge documentation all around the world? Apply for the role of EMKP Project Curator and join our team! 🌏

Applications close 12pm, 14 November 2023. For more information, visit:

08/11/2023

Are you interested in applying for an EMKP Grant? Would you like to learn more about our granting process? Do you have questions on how to apply, what types of projects you can undertake, or what costs are eligible for funding?

Get the answers to all of your questions at next week's EMKP Applications Webinar! Our dedicated team of Curators will be explaining the ins and outs of the EMKP application process and answering questions from applicants all around the world. Register today to book your place! 💻

Sessions will be held on 15 November 2023 at 10-11am GMT and 4-5pm GMT. Scan the QR code in the image below or register at: https://forms.gle/PHzUE5kemRNaCa3S7

03/11/2023

Yellow umbrellas are an iconic symbol of beauty and feminity in the Nousu community of Liangshan, China ☂ David Francis and the team are documenting the making of these important cultural symbols in their EMKP Project: "Dreams of yellow: Documenting the making and performance of Nuosu oil-cloth umbrellas"

Only a handful of craftspeople still make oil-cloth umbrellas the traditional way, using tung oil and cloth rather than nylon or plastic. To learn more about this endangered material heritage, visit the project page on our website: https://www.emkp.org/dreams-of-yellow-documenting-the-making-and-performance-of-nuosu-oil-cloth-umbrellas/

📷 Edi, Cigui. Nuosu woman with yellow umbrella.
📷 Luo, Yongxiang. The local craftmaker Rila Moshi is displaying the skeleton for the yellow umbrella.
📷 Edi, Cigui. Nuosu woman with yellow umbrella.

01/11/2023

Would you like to apply for an EMKP Grant? Do you have questions about our application and granting process? Join us on 15 November for one of the EMKP Applications Webinar and Q&A sessions! Scan the QR code in the image below or register at: https://forms.gle/PHzUE5kemRNaCa3S7

30/10/2023

Communities are the heart of all EMKP projects - this year we've introduced new guidelines to fund community engagement activities in 2024 EMKP grants 🎉

New Grantees can dedicate parts of their budget to activities encouraging community participation and engagement with their EMKP projects. These can include workshops and gatherings to discuss the project and share results, or the creation of books and exhibitions for local audiences!

Are you interested in engaging with communities through material knowledge documentation? Learn more about our grants and how to apply at: www.emkp.org/grants

27/10/2023

Audio-visual documentation is a major part of any EMKP project. In celebration of the World Day for Audio-Visual Heritage, take a look at this video from Catherine Grant's project, "Documenting the Instrument and Instrument-making of Angkuoch, Cambodian Mouth Harp".

In Cambodia, couples used angkuoch or mouth harps to communicate with each other in secret. According to angkuoch maker Bin Song, "When I loved a girl, I also let her know through Angkuoch playing [...] It is just like in this generation. Young people in this generation communicate by phone. They can communicate although they are at a distance. For Angkuoch, I could talk only when we were close." 🎶

Do you want to document endangered material knowledge in your community? Visit our website to learn more about our grants and how to apply: https://www.emkp.org/grants/

📷 Dika, THON (2021). Playing angkuoch - CC. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.14899830.v1

26/10/2023

Did you know that there are now over 1,000 assets available on the EMKP Repository? And that the entire repository can be used for free via ?

This , learn about wooden reed-making in Thailand, blacksmithing in Malaysian Borneo, beekeeping in western Kenya and more! Visit us online at: https://drs.britishmuseum.org/EMKP

📷 GRANT, Catherine (2021). Making angkuoch - BS. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.14958627.v1

25/10/2023

📢 ALERT 📢

The EMKP is a Project Curator to join the team! If you are interested in and and want to support the documentation of endangered material knowledge, apply online by 14 November 2023!

EMKP Project Curator Africa Oceania and the Americas Full-time Fixed term for 3 years £28,868 per annum Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on Tuesday, 14 November 2023

25/10/2023

Are you thinking of applying for an EMKP grant? Learn about our application process at the EMKP Applications Webinar - taking place online on 15 November 2023, from 10-11am GMT and 4-5pm GMT.

Applicants who join us for the webinar will be able to meet the EMKP Team, ask questions about the programme, and learn more about our granting process and policies. Register today at: https://forms.gle/PHzUE5kemRNaCa3S7

23/10/2023

📢 The EMKP Call for Applications is officially OPEN 📢

Are you interested in preserving heritage and material knowledge? The EMKP supports projects to document endangered material knowledge systems around the world 🌏 There are no restrictions on nationality, but we strongly encourage applications from countries where other funding sources are limited.

Apply by 11:59pm, 7 January 2024 to be considered for funding. More information about our grants and application process: www.emkp.org/grants

17/10/2023

Indigenous women's contribution to the rural economy is often unrecognised and under-appreciated. EMKP Grantee Lorena Toro is working with women from the Ecuadorian Highlands to document the material knowledge of hand-spinning, which is increasingly threatened by industrialisation and the homogenisation of the textiles industry. 🪀

Learn more about this project: https://www.emkp.org/indigenous-womens-hand-spinning-wool-in-the-ecuadorian-highlands/

📷 Córdova, Cenia. Sigse (native plant) with hand-spun wool
📷 Toro, Lorena. Cardado process. Breaking the wool in small fibers.
📷 Toro, Lorena. Wool spinning wheel.

16/10/2023

Water and food security are the main themes of this year's World Food Day - which is why we're highlighting EMKP Grantee Palak Babel's project to document the making of artesian wells in the Thar desert, India. 💧

Artesian wells have been part of the multi-tiered water, pasture, and food management systems of the Thar desert for generations. Shallow and deep wells are used in tandem to support livestock, agriculture, and communities living in the region. Palak and the team will document the making and maintenance of these wells, their use in daily life, and the oral histories surrounding them.

Learn more about this project: https://www.emkp.org/documenting-the-social-and-geographical-dimensions-of-the-endangered-art-and-practice-of-making-hand-made-deep-artesian-wells-and-shallow-percolation-wells-in-the-thar-desert-india/

📷 Canteenwala, Kurush (2008). Tanda – a place with multiple rejwani beris present in one location.
📷 Canteenwala, Kurush (2008). A rhythmic pattern of drawing water from a pataali kuan using camel power continues for hours at a stretch.
📷 Joshi, Gargi (2013). Rejwani beris are shallow groundwater systems which allow water to be drawn by individuals.

11/10/2023

Contemporary Ecuadorian silversmithing is a "hybrid" system, combining Indigenous knowledge with European techniques. As part of their EMKP Project, Emilia Ferraro and the team are working with silversmiths in northern Ecuador to record their tools, materials, and methods, as well as the rituals and belief systems involved in their trade.

In an interview at his studio, Master Silversmith Fernando Buitrón Benitez of Quito described the process of silversmithing as "a loving relationship with the material, a rhythmic dance between his body, the hammer and the metal". Learn more about this project: https://www.emkp.org/keeping-the-hammers-voice-alive/

📷 Wilson, Sandra (2022). Hammering from the inside.
📷 Wilson, Sandra (2022). Silver vessel filing.
📷 Wilson, Sandra (2022). Cabuya, the use of natural resources in the silversmithing process .

09/10/2023

Metalworking plays a role in many material knowledge systems, from jewellery and tool-making to weapons and musical instruments. This week, we're exploring metalworking across the EMKP - starting with Kodzo Gavua's project, which documents the practice of gold forging in Ghana. 👑

Kodzo is collaborating with traditional goldsmiths to record their material knowledge and heritage. His project engages with the work of artisans from across the Ashanti region, including Kumasi, Keta, Ho, and Accra. To learn more, visit our website: https://www.emkp.org/research-and-digitization-of-indigenous-gold-forging-in-ghana/

📷 Gavua, Kodzo (2020). Indigenous method of heating a formed gold and silver finger ring.
📷 Gavua, Kodzo (2020). Red-hot mould and crucible.
📷 Gavua, Kodzo (2020). Paste for mould production.
📷 Gavua, Kodzo (2020). Waxing of a clay mould of a beetle.

04/10/2023

Want to learn more about material knowledge systems and built environments? Explore Geoffrey Hobbis's EMKP Project on artificial island-building in the Lau Lagoon, Solomon Islands! Together with a team of local collaborators and research assistants, Geoffrey has been working to document the processes of island-building and the island builders' responses to climate change and rising sea levels.

Read more on our website: https://www.emkp.org/fera-i-asi-digitizing-the-island-builders-of-the-lau-lagoon-malaita-solomon-islands/

📸 Hobbis, Geoffrey and Hobbis, Stephanie. Tauba, artificial island.
📸 Hobbis, Geoffrey and Hobbis, Stephanie. Lau fisherfolk.
📸 Hobbis, Geoffrey and Hobbis, Stephanie. Mangroves lining the coastal mainland of the Lau Lagoon.

02/10/2023

We're celebrating this year's World Habitat Day with an update from Te-Chen Lu's EMKP project, which documents the construction of slate houses by the Indigenous Paiwan and Rukai people of Taiwan 🏠

For Taiwan's Indigenous Paiwan and Rukai communities, slate houses are a form of shelter and a means of "pleasing Mother Earth" - a sustainable heritage inherited from their ancestors. Te-Chen's main collaborators, the Kadrangian family, hope that this EMKP project will serve as both a record of their material knowledge and an inspiration to future generations. In the words of Kui Tjuveleljem, the key craftsman involved in building the house, "The first [traditional slate house at the site] is invariably the most arduous, [but] subsequent ones shall follow swiftly. I believe that within five years, perhaps three or four slate houses might stand."

Learn more: https://www.emkp.org/becoming-kacalisian-documenting-the-indigenous-knowledge-systems-and-techniques-of-slate-houses-in-southern-taiwan/

📸 Kadrangian, Patagav (2023). Using crowbar to acquire slate.
📸 Lu, Te-Chen (2023). Triangular forms of larger slates.
📸 Lu, Te-Chen (2023). Two craftsmen working face to face.
📸 Lu, Te-Chen (2023). Using chisel to carve background.

28/09/2023

We're celebrating with this incredible video from Chiara Zazzaro and Horst Liebner's EMKP project on wooden boatbuilding in Tana Beru, Indonesia!

In Tana Beru, every stage of boatbuilding is accompanied by ceremonies. This video shows parts of the keel-laying ceremony, which takes place at the beginning of construction. The ceremony begins with an offering of foods, each with a different meaning. According to one participant, “the onde-onde (boiled rice cake) are floating on boiling water [...] symbolising the hope for the boat to be blessed with ever fortune.” At the end of the ceremony, a small piece of the keel is cut off and thrown into the sea.

Learn more about this project by following Pinisi Kita on Facebook, or visiting the project page on our website: https://ow.ly/v99C50POnrq

📸 Liebner, Horst (2022). Keel Laying Ceremony Part 1.

26/09/2023

Celebrate World Maritime Day this week by checking out Chiara Zazzaro and Horst Liebner's EMKP Project, which documents wooden boatbuilding in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. ⛵

The beaches of Tana Beru in South Sulawesi are home to one of the world's largest clusters of wooden boatbuilding yards. These boatyards date back to the 18th century, playing a central role in local culture and economy. However, this material knowledge of wooden boatbuilding has become increasingly endangered in recent years, affected by market demands and decreasing wood supplies.

Learn more about this project by following Pinisi Kita on Facebook and read about it on our website: https://emkp.org/indonesian-boatbuilding-endangered-knowledge-project/

📸 Zazzaro, Chiara (2021). Boat in construction in Tana Beru.
📸 Zazzaro, Chiara (2021). Boat in construction in Tana Beru
📸 Zazzaro, Chiara (2021). Boat in construction in Tana Beru

20/09/2023

The chhot boat commissioned by EMKP John Cooper and collaborator Zeeshan Shaikh took over one month to build, from October to November 2022. Construction of the boat was undertaken by the Mondal family, a team of father and sons who have over 40 years of boatbuilding experience altogether.

About the construction of the chhot, John said, "It was a privilege to watch the Mondal family—father and sons—exercise their craft in building the chhot boat. It wasn’t only their virtuoso skill that struck me, not least as they faultlessly executed complex joinery."

📸 Cooper, John P (2022). Chiseling a hook-scarf joint to join keel timbers.
📸 Cooper, John P (2022). Shaping the sternpost of the chhot.
📸 Cooper, John P (2022). Marking out the sternpost timber for shaping.

18/09/2023

The chhot is a traditional wooden boat unique to the Rupnarayan river region in West Bengal, India. EMKP Grantees John Cooper and Zeeshan Shaikh have been documenting the material knowledge of chhot boat-building, which is increasingly endangered due to road infrastructure, rising wood costs, overfishing and the introduction of new boat-building materials.

Learn more about this project on the EMKP website: https://www.emkp.org/the-chhot-builders-of-west-bengal-india-documenting-the-vanishing-craft-knowledge-of-a-unique-boat-building-tradition/

📸 Cooper, John P (2022). Transporting the keel and post timbers of the chhot boat to site.
📸 Cooper, John P (2022). Bending fire-heated timbers over a bending frame.

14/09/2023

We were delighted to be joined by the latest cohort of EMKP grantees for the 2023 EMKP Training last week! Thank you very much to all the grantees who came to the British Museum to join us for this event 🎉

EMKP Training is an intensive week of material documentation training designed around the skills needed for an EMKP project. This year, we were joined by 18 EMKP grantees from 10 different countries! Learn more about the training week on our website:

Last week, the EMKP Team had the pleasure of hosting our latest cohort of grantees at the British Museum for the 2023 EMKP Training! From the 4th to the 8th of September 2023, a total of 18 EMKP grantees from 10 different countries joined us at the Museum to take part in an intensive week of materia...

12/09/2023

Project Update!

EMKP Grantee Olivier Gosselain has been documenting the production of cotton cloth in North Benin - an industry that was widespread across the region until the 20th century. Olivier's project will record the entire cloth production process, from growing cotton and producing cotton threads to weaving, dying, and sewing cotton cloth. 🧵

Learn more about this project: https://www.emkp.org/from-seeds-to-rags-textile-production-in-dendi-and-borgou-north-benin/

📸 Vallée, Florian (2022). Weaving on a horizontal loom.