| Community Heritage Project: Wattan Report |
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Given the historical and contemporary contexts, as outlined above, it is important to note that no project can claim any kind of representativeness nor “universalism”. Therefore what has been the role of this project so far? Can a short-term project begin to approach the wide range of needs and possibilities? What structures are flexible enough to be simultaneously inclusive and ground-breaking?
The project has facilitated connections between people previously working in isolation. There has been a sense of discovery and urgency in the communications between people. There is great potential that a project based in a state cultural institution can become a reference point, such as the Alixa Naff Arab American Collection at the Smithsonian in Washington, or the Institut du Monde Arab in Paris.
The project found that there is no identifiable network on an institutional level, or on a community level, in relation to Arab Australian heritage work. There is evidence that there is a growing interest in recent years, e.g. individuals researching family histories. There are several individuals in NSW, Queensland and Victoria who have been involved in broader research over a long period of time (10 to 15 years), and they have worked in relative isolation. There have been various exhibits in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. There are also several academic research projects into Lebanese and Arab Australian experiences. It is most significant that this project has become a reference point for various individual or group projects and this role has great potential.
The “Australasian Middle East Studies Association” has a long history of working through Australian and New Zealand academic networks, but there is a much greater focus on research into the Arab World than into local history and heritage - however there have always been some local interests.
In Sydney, a group of Lebanese Australians is developing an “Australian Lebanese Historical Society” – currently representing some broad family networks, that have been established in Australia for many generations. The Project Officer was invited as a guest speaker, and has subsequently been involved, taking the role of the “non-family observer / member”, articulating the need for inclusiveness and flexibility, as well as highlighting the work of contemporary Arab Australian artists and writers and sharing information about broader networks.
Within the Powerhouse Museum, the Project initiative has had a challenging and ground breaking role, incorporating community cultural development process and raising awareness about representation and participation (and the lack of it). The Project has identified a limited engagement between the Museum and Arab Australian communities, and the need for community partnerships with diverse frameworks in order to reflect “multiple voices”.