International Museum Day 2019 will focus on the new roles of museums as active actors in their communities
While preserving their primary missions – collecting, conservation, communication, research, exhibition – museums have transformed their practices to remain closer to the communities they serve. Today they look for innovative ways to tackle contemporary social issues and conflict. By acting locally, museums can also advocate and mitigate global problems, striving to meet the challenges of today’s society proactively. As institutions at the heart of society, museums have the power to establish dialogue between cultures, to build bridges for a peaceful world and to define a sustainable future.
As museums increasingly grow into their roles as cultural hubs, they are also finding new ways to honour their collections, their histories and their legacies, creating traditions that will have new meaning for future generations and relevance for an increasingly diverse contemporary audience at a global level. This transformation, which will have a profound impact on museum theory and practice, also forces us to rethink the value of museums and to question the ethical boundaries that define the very nature of our work as museum professionals.
At once a focal point for the community and an integral part of a global network, museums offer a platform for translating local communities’ needs and views into a global context.
The future of tradition continues in ICOM Kyoto 2019
International Museum Day will tackle the same theme as the 25th ICOM General Conference taking place in Kyoto, Japan between septembre 1rst and 7th 2019. More than 3.000 museum professionals and experts from all international backgrounds will participate in this triannual event which has become a worldwide reputed hub for exchange about the topical issues museums tackle today, as well as the most innovative solutions.
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The International Council of Museums (ICOM) established International Museum Day in 1977 to increase public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society, and it has been steadily gaining momentum ever since. In 2018, International Museum Day garnered record-breaking participation with more than 40,000 museums hosting events in some 152 countries.