Short interview with the PS for the department of Culture, Cecile Kalebi |18 May 2021

PS Kalebi

‘Museums are central to ensuring a healthy cultural tourism industry’ – PS  Kalebi

The principal secretary for the department of Culture, Cecile Kalebi, has said that museums are central to ensuring a healthy cultural tourism industry as they encourage tourists’ spending because when visitors go to museums they will normally consume food and drinks and also purchase a souvenir.

PS Kalebi said this in a short interview with Seychelles NATION. She was commenting on the recent opening of ‘Lansiv’, a cafeteria, the first of its kind here, in the compound of the National Museum of History in the centre of Victoria.

Seychelles NATON: Recently PS, the public saw the opening of a cafeteria in the compound of the National Museum of History, the first of its kind here and we understand that you have been very instrumental and you played an important role in pushing for the realisation of the project. What can you  say about it?

PS Kalebi: Having a museum cafe is common practice for most museums around the world and in Seychelles this is no exception. Museums have to find new ways to raise much needed funds as well as continue to offer new experiences to its visitors. The project was a team effort and I am pleased that we, at the department of Culture, have been able to complete this project and open the cafe despite some challenges along the way especially due to the Covid-19.

Seychelles NATION: How would you say the project has been received and how would you describe the feedback so far?

PS Kalebi: So far we have had very good reviews of the service being offered and from the social media we have had some good feedback in regards to having an open air cafe.

Seychelles NATION: What are the benefits of such an initiative for the museum, for tourism and for the economy?

PS Kalebi: Museums are central to ensuring a healthy cultural tourism industry, they encourage tourists’ spending  as usually when visitors go into a region to visit its museums, they will normally consume food and drinks and will purchase a souvenir.  This can be a positive benefit for the local economy as local artisans and artists can also place their products in the museum shop for sale. By measuring the economic impact, the size of the economic benefit can be detected and this can offer powerful evidence to convince the public to support museums more.

Seychelles NATION: Are there any other projects being planned to entice more visitors – both locals and foreigners – to visit the museum?

PS Kalebi: The National Museum has developed a comprehensive calendar of activities for this year, ranging from running cultural ateliers and having cultural fairs around the museum. However, due to public health measures in place more is being done to review these programmes and to look towards virtual means to entice more locals and visitors to visit the museum. We hope that once the public health measures are eased the National Museum can begin to implements its calendar of activities.

Seychelles NATION: Today May 18, we are celebrating the International Day of Museums but with the health measures and restrictions on gatherings have your department been able to plan any activities to commemorate the day?

PS Kalebi: This is the second time we are celebrating the International Day of  Museums under such circumstances and as we did last year, we are organising most of our activities virtually and using the National Museum website and our social media platform to commemorate the date.

Seychelles NATION: Again with the pandemic which has paralysed all social and cultural activities, what are some of the initiatives that the department of Culture is planning to keep our culture alive?

PS Kalebi: As you may have gathered since last year the department of Culture and its associated entities has collaborated to bring various new initiatives. Last year most of the activities for the Creole Festival were celebrated virtually, on television and on our social media platforms. Additionally, just recently the National Arts Council unveiled its lockdown Biennale, a first virtual exhibition to showcase both local and foreign artists who did a lot of work during the lockdown period.

Seychelles NATION: On a different note, please give us an update on the different structural changes taking place within the department of Culture which you mentioned in February. You said then that these were necessary for it to function under the new Institute for Culture, Heritage and the Arts. What are these changes and how far are you with them?

PS Kalebi: This question I will review with the Mayor of Victoria Mr David Andre before I could come back to you with an update on the work so far.

Seychelles NATION: Any other relevant issues you would like to talk about?

PS Kalebi: For now no but I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all the support we receive from the press when it comes to giving coverage to the activities of the department of  Culture.

Compiled by Marie-Anne Lepathy