Concept Note: #HeritageBeku - Showcasing Karnataka's Government Heritage Offices
Objective:
- Showcase Karnataka's government heritage office buildings in a creative, innovative, and sustainable manner.
- Engage stakeholders, including the public, especially children and students, government staff, and conservationists.
- Promote tourism and create pride in government functioning and city architecture.
Initiatives:
1. Guided Walks and Tours
2. Painting and Photography Competitions
3. Heritage-themed Contests and Quizzes
4. Signage and Display Boards
5. Social Media Campaigns
6. Collaborations with Schools and Colleges
7. Conservation Workshops
8. Government Heritage Office Staff Ambassadors
Packaging the Idea:
1. Brand Name: #GoKHeritage #HeritageBeku (meaning "Heritage is Needed" in Kannada)
2. Tagline: "Know Your Government, Know Your City's History"
3. Marketing Campaign:
- Social Media: Share engaging content, images, and videos
- Print Media: Advertisements and feature articles
- TV and Radio: Promotional videos and interviews
4. Global Best Practices: Research and adapt successful heritage promotion campaigns
Metrics for Engagement and Impact:
1. Website and Social Media Analytics
2. Visitor Numbers and Feedback
3. Staff Engagement and Ambassadors Program
4. Conservation and Maintenance Efforts
Unique Selling Point:
- A government-led initiative promoting transparency and public engagement
- Involves diverse stakeholders, including children and conservationists
- Showcases government buildings as symbols of pride and heritage
By implementing #GokHeritage #HeritageBeku, the Government of Karnataka can create a sense of ownership and pride among citizens, promote tourism, and ensure the long-term conservation of its heritage office buildings.
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citizen initiative #HeritageBeku for the Government of Karnataka to showcase its own heritage office buildings and offices in Bangalore in creative, innovative and sustainable manner, working with different stakeholders like public, esp children & students govt staff and conservationists. These govt buildings like Vidhana Sougha , NGMA etc Shd have better signage and feature on our tourism focus as well. Create detailed report how to package this idea, create more interest from stakeholders like the public, especially staffworking in these offices and conservationists.
Also draw out an interesting set of initiatives, whether it is contests activities, walks, painting, competitions, government heritage, offices, etc. that can be easily managed and l calendarised . Look at innovative phones of creating content and presenting it across various media like social media print TV and radio.. look at global best practices and create ideas for a good brand name and tagline for this initiative, as well as a marketing campaign to showcase this as a government heritage campaign . #KnowYourGovernment #KnowGovtCityHistory #GovernmentWorking
So the ideal is to create more touch points more visibility, and great pride in these buildings, and therefore more interest in how government works. This also creates a lot of pride in officers often work under difficult circumstances, in older sometimes crumbling building. By showcasing and encouraging public viewing these buildings, we not only create a sense of great pride in the city architecture and in govt functioning, but also ensure constant maintenance and long-term conservation.
It is also good to try and create some metrics that measure the level of engagement, contents and impact of this initiative on city heritage. We need to highlight that this is a unique and unusual campaign by the government of Karnataka not only highlights government buildings in good condition, but also involves public in the idea of government functioning
Notes
Heritage focus knowledge, awareness, and love is an important part of creating a great connect of citizens with the city. Bangalore has been an incredible amalgam of different heritage Spaces, whether it is built natural or cultural, but sadly many spaces have disappeared or destroyed over the years because of ignorance or greed, or even sadly indifference. It is this that we must address in order to create a greater love and connect with the city.
While we have a large number of Heritage spaces within the city. It is difficult to access the private or commercial owned once given issues of privacy access and security. And while this is understandable, globally, Heritage homes do allow occasional viewing, and while this also should be certainly encouraged by the government, it is important to go after the low hanging fruit ie government buildings which are existing preserved and regularly used on an ongoing basis. Not only does this Create a great sense of warmth connect and wonder from the citizens who normally see these buildings only from there impressive and grandiose exteriors, but also give them insights into the workings of the government behind these doors and within the walls, have important architecture as well as impact on the Civic structure and development of the city. In addition, this goes along way in ensuring the government staff who occupy these lovingly preserved spaces, take greater pride and ownership in the space that they occupy, not looking at these as merely offices, but also holding spaces for both the past history present work and the future growth of the city. This can go along way in mutually ensuring preservation and pride in the city heritage. For example, Heritage Beku has made an innovative initiative with the postal department by not only uncovering two heritage buildings, but also creating a postal trail across these government buildings, and this has not only created a lot of interest with citizens, but also, strong sense of pride and ownership with the postal staff in their own rich heritage as an essential services provider within the history of historically rich like Bangalore.
We need to identify perhaps six government buildings in the first pilot perhaps starting with Vidhana Soudha , even though the security access will have to be carefully and delicately managed and look at others like The cooperative society Ali asker wrote the AG office of Palace Road the BBSSB offices on Millers and Race course Rd. some of the best offices across Bangalore and so on and so forth.
If this can be targeted for once a quarter or even once a month and specific officers be selected to be the heritage coordinator to explain and show around the public on that day, it would certainly be a great source of pride for them and a good CSR initiative for the office as well This particular effort, as it is the first of its kind would have a very strong effect across the city and the state game
