International Museum Day

UNSW Galleries joins its peers around the globe to highlight the role museums play in society with the theme Hyperconnected Museums: New Approaches, New Publics.

As part of Sydney Culture Network (SCN), UNSW is joining thousands of museums across six continents in May to celebrate International Museum Day, exploring the connections that tie museums to their communities, cultural landscapes and natural environments.

SCN member organisations will join more than 30,000 museums in 120 countries taking part in International Museum Day on and around 18 May, offering special guided tours in diverse languages including Cantonese, Greek and Japanese, historical and contemporary exhibitions, live performances, panel discussions and interactive family programs.

SCN is a city-wide alliance linking Sydney’s artistic organisations – galleries, libraries, museums and creative sector organisations – to boost collaboration and public engagement.

The network, the first of its kind in Australia, encompasses more than 30 key arts and cultural institutions across greater Sydney, including the Art Gallery of NSW (AGNSW), Carriageworks and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA).

International Museum Day, which originated in 1977 with the Paris-based International Council of Museums (ICOM), is a global event that raises awareness of the role that museums play in the development of societies. 

The annual event’s objective is to raise awareness of the fact that museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples.