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SEA-Collections Project

Working together with curators from museums in ASEAN countries and Australia, the SEA-Collections project will develop and pilot new approaches and themes to interpret and communicate shared maritime histories across the region.


Central to the project is training in object significance and interpretation methodology, delivered through dedicated workshops held in-country and on-site. From these workshops, participants will work together to develop cross-cutting themes that showcase the diversity and richness of the region’s shared maritime histories. This will culminate in the co-curation of an online exhibition featuring selected objects.


Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Australia-ASEAN Council, with additional support from the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste, the project is led by the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre at the University of Sydney in partnership with the Southeast Asia Museum Services (SEAMS), in collaboration with museum partners in Indonesia, Thailand,  the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, as well as in Australia, including the Chau Chak Wing Museum, the Australian National Maritime Museum, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Western Australian Museum.

PROJECT TEAM

The project will be led by Dr Natali Pearson (Curriculum Coordinator at the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC)), Andrew Henderson (Museum and Heritage Specialist at the Southeast Asia Museum Services (SEAMS)), in collaboration with curators from across the region. The project team brings together expertise in museum studies, archaeology, heritage, and the arts, with a special focus on maritime culture.

Gaja Minah, the mythical 'elephant fish' of Bali. Credit: Jeffrey Mellefont.
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