Examples of at-risk documents in the National Library
Examples of at-risk documents in the National Library. ©

Professor Marilyn Deegan, King's College London

We are pleased to award the Conserving Sudanese cultural heritage project £817,221

This two-year project aims to conserve and digitise a range of written and photographic material held in archives in Sudan. 

Heritage in Sudanese archives 

There is a wealth of archival material in Sudanese cultural institutions including maps, photographs, manuscripts, newspapers, political papers and records. 

Sudan also has a rich intangible cultural heritage with 19 major ethnic groups and over 100 languages and dialects. Of particular value is the material relating to disappearing customs. 

Decades of conflict in the region has resulted in a failing economy and Sudanese archives are now under threat due to under investment and poor protection measures. Much of the cultural heritage and practices recorded in archives are disappearing as traditional life is eroded by population movement. 

Digitising and conserving Sudanese heritage

In this project, a register of cultural institutions and artefacts will be compiled, and a priority schedule for conservation and digitisation will be drawn up. A professional cataloguing and digitisation service will be set up in Khartoum, with roving facilities available for other regions. This service will continue once the project ends, being offered at an affordable cost to institutions within Sudan. 

A large volume of at-risk content will be captured, including 100,000 maps, fragile photographs (in excess of 10 million) and AV materials documenting disappearing cultures and customs.  Staff and volunteers in local cultural institutions will also be provided training with the view to building digitisation and conservation capacity in Sudan in the future.

About King's College London (KCL)

King's College London (KCL) is a public research university and a founding college of the University of London. Founded in 1828 and granted a royal charter in 1829, King’s has over 29,600 students from some 150 countries and over 8,000 employees.

Project Partners

University of Liverpool (Centre for Archive Studies)

Sudanese Association for Archiving Knowledge (SUDAAK) 

National Record Office of Sudan 

Africa City of Technology (ACT)