The Secretariat General of Culture of the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs in cooperation with the International Council of Museums branch in Greece presented the program of celebrating events on the occasion of the International Museum Day on Saturday, May 18.
Several institutions from around the country will take place in the festivities marking the essential role cultural institutions can play in societies with regards to their past, present and future.
Exhibitions, educational programs for primary and secondary education pupils, workshops, conferences, lectures, guided tours, music gigs and other events will be held in museums and cultural institutions across Greece.
This year’s celebration theme is reflected in the interesting equation ‘Museums (Memory + Creativity) = Social Change. ” The honoured museum for 2013 is the Archaeological Museum of Delphi, which will host the central events of the celebrations on May 18. On that very day admission to all museums across the country will be free to the public.
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. In 2012, International Museum Day garnered record-breaking participation with almost 32,000 museums hosting events in more than 129 countries.
Museums nowadays are not only based on the rich cultural heritage they preserve and exhibit, but on the vitality of their actions as well. The traditional values of preserving the cultural heritage combined with creativity contribute to the renewal of museums and the maintainance of constant communication with the public. Combining memory and creativity is part of society’s renewal and an important factor in social change.
On Saturday, the Acropolis Museum will be open from 8 a.m. until 12 midnight, with free entry for its visitors. Museum Archaeologist-Hosts will present various programs for children and adults related to the commemorative medal of the rooster, a symbol of competition between athletes and fighters in ancient Athens.
In Thessaloniki, the Archaeological Museum will present an opera night on May 17 and guided tours of its current exhibition “Trafficking on Antiquities:Stop it” over the weekend.
Most museums and cultural institutions across Greece will participate at this year’s celebrations. For more information click here.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
