Visit a local museum this International Museum Day
On Thursday, 18 May, we celebrate International Museum day. This annual event is commemorated all over the world to emphasise the important role that museums play in society.
The Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, through its Museum Service, is working in innovative ways to ensure that all the museums across the province reflect the full histories of all our diverse communities. We want our museums to be inclusive spaces, where every person, no matter their background, can see themselves and their own stories reflected. Museums have collaborated with our Library service on the Oral History Project, where the stories of local people are being captured as video clips so that the authentic voices of communities can be heard telling their own experiences of important events.
We are also reinventing museums as spaces that can become cultural hubs in communities. The recently renovated George museum is partnering with local artists and art organisations to present exhibitions and host various events in the museum space. We want our museums to become vibrant, well-used spaces where community members can come together to experience art, culture and connectedness.
Through the placement of YearBeyond and EPWP youth at our various museums, we are also giving youth their first work experience and addressing youth unemployment across the province. Our young people are bringing new skills and enthusiasm to the museums, while also teaching them new skills within a working environment.
I encourage all people in the Western Cape to visit a local museum that they haven’t been to before. Our museums have extensive collections, exciting exhibitions and they tell the stories of all the people that make our province so rich and diverse. Celebrate International Museum Day with us and share your stories to encourage others to also visit their local museum! #MuseumStories
Media Enquiries: Tania Colyn Acting Spokesperson to Minister Anroux Marais Tel: 076 093 4913