Atlantic Memory

Public awareness of maritime culture is delimited by the attendance at maritime museums and related sites, a small percentage of those whose occupations and recreational activities are otherwise defined by the ocean environment. A large majority of the world's population lives concentrated along the narrow coasts, and yet understanding of the maritime contribution to those many communities declines.

What is missing is an over-arching context, a thematic link that connects history to contemporary life, theme-to-theme, museum-to-museum, person-to-person, and coast-to-coast across an ocean. One exemplary focus is the inter-cultural relationship between western Europe and eastern North America and the Caribbean; an attempt to define and communicate that context is a project called Atlantic Memory.

In November 2006, a group of 40 maritime historians and heritage managers gathered in Dournanez, France, to address this challenge and to develop a new vision and communications structure to build an expanded audience for maritime patrimony. A website (http://www.thew2o.net/atlantic/) will be developed to provide universal access to a calendar of exhibits, festivals, and events, a directory of Atlantic organizations, a heritage contest, and a conference to focus on future actions scheduled for 2008. Other programatic strategies such a heritage "label," identification of thematic cultural routes, and joint marketing plans are envisioned.

A coordinating committee was formed, chaired by Xabi Agote, Director of the Association Basque Albaola. Bernard Cadoret, Founder and Editor of Chasse Maree and Maritime Life & Traditions, will organize the confernece, and Peter Neill, Director of the World Ocean Observatory, will organize the website.

Suggestions are welcome. Please contact us at: atlantic-memory@thew2o.net.