5th Annual Symposium
Iziko Museums of South Africa
Iziko’s 5th Annual International Museum Day Symposium will launch the Museum’s programme of events. The Symposium, a public platform of enquiry and engagement, will occur from 13:00 -14:30, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – 14, 15 and 16 May 2024. These interactive lunchtime sessions highlight the work of Iziko educators, curators, collections staff and the partners with whom they collaborate. The Symposium takes place, in the T H Barry Lecture Theatre at the Iziko South African Museum. Entry is Free. Tickets can be booked online via Webtickets https://bit.ly/Iziko_5thSymposium or obtained at the door on the day of the event. Enquiries: Glynn Alard via email galard@iziko.org.za
| Day | Date | Topics |
| Day 1 | 14 May 2024 | The power of Exhibitions in Education; Digitisation process using imaging; From rock bottom. |
| Day 2 | 15 May 2024 | Capacity building through Art Education; Community Art workshops at Iziko Exploring the Making of the Humanity Exhibition. |
| Day 2 | 16 May 2024 | Heritage Geographic Barriers, The Archaeology Collection of the South African Museum, Museum Research in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. |
| Tuesday, 14th May 2024 Day 1 International Museum Day |
| 13h00 | Glynn Alard – facilitator | Introduction |
| Time | Presenter | Title | Description |
| 13h10 | Thandi Nqubelani | The power of Exhibitions in Education | The talk aims to unpack the role exhibitions play in Museum Education. |
| 13h30 | Awodwa Xhalabile, Slindokuhle Nyezi, Aphethisipho Masele | Digitisation process using imaging | Collections are the heart of every museum, and they need to be appropriately conserved and curated for future generations. Imaging has become an essential part of this process and adds great value. Please join us as we share the process we have considered, and the equipment used to image the entire mineral exhibition. This was indeed a fun project for newbies to the Natural History collections team. |
| 13h50 | Aabid Abrahams & Siyavuya Twetwa | From rock bottom | Rock bottom is a phrase used by an individual who feels that they have reached the very lowest point in life. For this individual, life seems meaningless and without purpose. In this case this phrase is used to refer to several rock specimens that was destined to be discarded and which we have found a renewed purpose for. We hope our story inspire museum professionals to repurpose, re-use and recycle. |
| 14h10 | Glynn Alard | Panel and conclusion |
Natural History Educator with learners in the Discovery Room, Iziko South African Museum
© Iziko Museums of South Africa/N. Pamplin
| Wednesday, 15th May 2024 Day 2 International Museum Day |
| 13h00 | Glynn Alard – facilitator | Introduction |
| Time | Presenter | Title | Description |
| 13h10 | Rory Emmett Richard Kilpert | Capacity building through Art Education: Reflecting on Emerging Artist programmes at Iziko. | The presentation considers art as a medium through which social cohesion and collaboration can be encouraged and achieved. Art education is presented as not only a means of expression but as a critical thinking tool. |
| 13h30 | Jill Trappler | Community Art workshops at Iziko | This presentation will talk about bringing mothers and children from the Philani Project into the Iziko Museums in the 80’s, and the Thupelo workshops and open drawing sessions. |
| 13h50 | Aabid Amy Sephton & Nkosingiphile Mazibuko | Exploring the Making of the Humanity Exhibition | In celebration of Heritage Day 2023, the Iziko South African Museum unveiled Humanity, a groundbreaking exhibition that demonstrates the power of museums to address historical trauma and foster social inclusion. Humanity reshapes the human evolution narrative to put you first. It highlights the complexity of human connections while acknowledging the historical biases of the field. It fosters inclusivity, sparks curiosity, and aligns with educational goals while promoting public dialogue and challenging societal divisions. We will provide insight into the deliberate design decisions we made, revealing how they shaped the exhibition, including our embrace of principles such as inclusivity, collaboration, and decolonisation. We look forward to sharing our journey and exchanging thoughts on the transformative power of museums. |
| 14h10 | Glynn Alard | Panel and conclusion |
| Thursday, 16th May 2024 Day 3 International Museum Day |
| 13h00 | Glynn Alard – facilitator | Introduction |
| Time | Presenter | Title | Description |
| 13h10 | Sthembele Harmans | Iziko Mobile Museum – Bridging Heritage Geographic Barriers | South Africa’s vast and diverse landscape presents challenges for those living in remote and underserved areas to access museums. How Iziko Mobile Museum breaks down these geographic barriers, traversing long distances to bring the museum and its educational resources to the doorsteps of our communities. With Iziko Museum on wheels, heritage becomes a journey that everyone can embark upon. |
| 13h30 | Benjamin Marais | The Archaeology Collection of the South African Museum’ | A glimpse into the wonderful archaeological collections that the Iziko South African Museum has curated over almost two centuries and how collections are managed in the 21st century for the next 200 years. Practices and processes are key to preserving these artefacts for current and future generations. |
| 13h50 | Sarah Viana | Museum Research in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction – a case study of the taxonomy of arrowhead dogfish sharks | Our ocean ecosystems are borderless and species like sharks range widely into the management territories of various countries. Museums have to engage this landscape in order to do research. |
| 14h10 | Glynn Alard | Panel and conclusion |
Outreach in Action – the Iziko Mobile Museum taking museum resources to communities.
© Iziko Museums of South Africa/N. Pamplin
