Two Jamaicans selected for Yale cultural heritage fellowship

Two Jamaican cultural heritage leaders have been selected for Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) Directors Forum (YDF), becoming the only Caribbean representatives in the programme’s second cohort.

Dr Kirt Henry, director of the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank, and Faith Anderson, director of Liberty Hall: The Legacy of Marcus Garvey, are among 12 fellows chosen from nine countries across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean for the international fellowship programme.

YDF is a global network of cultural heritage leaders working to preserve, protect, and share both tangible and intangible heritage, including artworks, photographs, archives, and other cultural collections, as well as living traditions such as cuisine, music, and practices passed down through generations.

The 12-month non-residential fellowship builds on Yale’s broader Africa initiative, which aims to strengthen long-term partnerships, knowledge exchange, and collaboration. To date, the programme has supported 16 fellows, trained more than 80 professionals, and helped establish eight conservation centres across Africa.

“This cohort reflects the breadth and depth of leadership shaping the cultural heritage sector globally,” Charlotte Ashamu, director of international programmes at Yale IPCH, said.

“The fellows represent institutions ranging from community-based heritage sites and cultural centres to leading museums, as well as practitioners working to sustain rich traditions in areas such as cuisine and textile design. Together, they bring perspectives from institutions stewarding cultural collections and those preserving living traditions in their communities, enriching the exchange between Yale and cultural leaders worldwide.”

Through the forum, Yale seeks to deepen engagement with cultural institutions and practitioners across regions by fostering knowledge exchange, collaboration, and shared learning.

Participants will take part in convenings, workshops, and engagements with Yale faculty and peers aimed at strengthening leadership in cultural heritage and expanding professional networks while enhancing their institutions’ capacity to care for collections such as photographs, artworks, and historical documents.

OPPORTUNITY FOR BUILDING

In his reaction, Dr Henry, who manages national collections and intangible cultural heritage across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, told The Gleaner: “This fellowship presents an important opportunity to strengthen my leadership and institutional management through engagement with experienced cultural leaders and exposure to diverse approaches to museum management, collections stewardship, and innovation.”

Henry said it would also provide a platform to share the African Caribbean Institute of Jamaica/Jamaica Memory Bank collections internationally, identify new strategies for expanding and improving access to the collections, particularly for communities whose heritage they represent, and enhance the global visibility of the Jamaica Memory Bank.

Additionally, the fellowship will facilitate expert guidance on safeguarding its fragile and irreplaceable materials while supporting the institute’s broader efforts to rebrand and position itself within a global cultural context, he said.

Anderson, who leads Jamaica’s only museum dedicated to highlighting the life and legacy of National Hero Marcus Garvey, said: “The fellowship presents a valuable opportunity for critical exchange and professional engagement around the evolving responsibilities of cultural-heritage institutions. I look forward to drawing on this experience to strengthen Liberty Hall’s work in the stewardship, interpretation, and public engagement of the material and intellectual legacy of Marcus Garvey while advancing its role as a dynamic space for research, learning, and cultural dialogue.”

The other fellows in this year’s cohort are Aisha Adamu Augie and Fu’ad Lawal of Nigeria; Sylvia Arthur of Ghana; Iona McCreath of Kenya; Jess Kilubukila of the Democratic Republic of Congo; Wandile Mabaso and Batana Vundla of South Africa; Silvia Rosi of Togo; Raquel Barreto of Brazil; and Ana Elizabeth González of Panama.

The second cohort further strengthens links between Africa and the African Diaspora in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Established in 2011, the Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage is dedicated to advancing preservation through art, science, and human connection. Its mission is to preserve and promote cultural heritage through interdisciplinary research, conservation, and educational opportunities across Yale’s campus and internationally.

Through partnerships and programmes in the Global South and beyond, the IPCH promotes collaboration across Yale’s collections and strengthens the wider cultural heritage community.

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