The Department of Culture and Sports has organized more than fifty activities to celebrate International Museum Day in the centers it manages in the eight provinces of Andalusia, with the aim of conveying to the public the fundamental role that these cultural institutions play in society. The commemoration, celebrated every 18th of May since 1977, is organized by the International Council of Museums and this year has the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Communities in Constant Change’, inviting us to «reimagine» the role of these spaces as «essential connectors, innovators, and guardians of cultural identity.»
In light of this celebration, the Minister of Culture and Sports, Patricia del Pozo, highlighted that Andalusian museums are «a great space for social transformation and intercultural encounter» in the autonomous community, places where citizens have the opportunity to «reconnect with a past that, by knowing it, will allow new perspectives to emerge for progress and facing the future.»
The activities, which will be held around the upcoming 18th of May, have been designed to spark the interest of the whole family and different types of audiences, including workshops on Roman perfumes in Italica, guided tours to non-visitable areas of the Jaén Museum, lectures on music and painting at the Málaga Museum, and ‘escape room’ games, such as the one organized by the Fine Arts Museum of Córdoba. In short, a wide range of activities that also include concerts and dance performances that will take place in museum centers, ensembles, archaeological sites in the eight provinces, as well as in institutions under the Department of Culture and Sports.
Thus, in Almería, the Monumental Complex of the Alcazaba has organized a workshop-visit on the 18th called ‘My History, My Culture: Exploring the Alcazaba’, aimed at a family audience, proposing a tour of the site to remember history and think about where society wants to go.
On the other hand, the Almería Museum has prepared up to four workshops, three for students and one for the elderly. The first one is ‘Support and writing utensils’, where students will learn and experiment with different writing media on May 14th, ‘Experiment’, focused on archaeology, on May 16th, and ‘The origin of our writing’, a journey through alphabets from ancient times to the present day, on May 18th. On the 21st, the workshop for seniors ‘Culture served in clay, the Andalusian tableware’, about the gastronomic heritage of that historical period, will take place.
Additionally, the Andalusian Center of Photography (CAF) proposes for the 18th ‘A photographic adventure’, a family activity inviting the public to take a photo report of their experience visiting this space, providing attendees with an easy-to-use digital camera.
The Cádiz Museum hosts two workshops aimed at children. The first one will take place on May 13th and will focus on making personalized stickers from pieces in its collection using the language of comics and tools of contemporary illustration. The second one, on May 18th, proposes the illustration of jewelry inspired by Phoenician art. Additionally, on the 17th, in collaboration with the Professional Dance Conservatory María Gallardo, a show with short choreographies dialoguing with museum pieces will be held.
Painting Roman togas in Córdoba
In Córdoba, the Archaeological Ensemble of Madinat Al-Zahra presents on May 18th a didactic guided tour of the archaeological area, highlighting the research, restoration, conservation, and dissemination work carried out.
On the other hand, the Archaeological Museum of Córdoba has organized for May 17th the workshop ‘Pigments and Ibero-Roman fabrics’, where children can design and paint their own Roman togas and mantles, using different types of plant-based materials. In addition, on May 18th, the conference will be given by the archaeologist and coordinator of the Ategua site, María del Camino Fuertes Santos, under the title ‘About a sculpture of a ram found at the Ategua site, Córdoba’.
The Fine Arts Museum of Córdoba proposes on the 18th for a general audience an ‘escape room’ game titled ‘The Essence of the Museum’, combining a tour of the center’s collection with contemporary works from the ‘Doble Tempo’ program and a visit to the Romero de Torres family patio, open for the Patios festival.
At the C3A, a workshop for families will be held on May 17th around the exhibition ‘Saber de oído. Silent singers; wandering apprentices’ by Cristina Mejías. This will be followed by another one on the 18th aimed at teenagers, including a guided tour of the exhibition ‘My eyes hurt from looking without seeing’ by Ana Segovia. Finally, on May 23rd, the deputy director of this center under the Department of Culture and Sports, Gilberto González, will lead a commented tour of the exhibition ‘Tramas y ficciones’, about the photographic collection of the Andalusian Center of Contemporary Art.
The Archaeological Museum of Granada has organized up to eight activities starting on May 16th with a singing and guitar recital, organized in collaboration with the Superior Conservatory of Music Victoria Eugenia of the city, featuring mezzo-soprano Andrea Sánchez-Lafuente and guitarist Miguel Ángel Maldonado.
On May 17th, the scavenger hunt ‘The challenge of museums’ will be held, where the whole family can participate in challenges and questions that will lead them to discover the main museums of Andalusia. On the same day, for an adult audience, a guided tour of the museum’s permanent exhibition will be organized by the archaeologist Rafael Pedregosa Megías. That same day, a concert by the Choir ‘Pequeñas Voces de la Alhambra’, directed by Myriam Gálvez, will also be enjoyed.
On May 18th, the Museum has organized a theatrical visit that will review the history and legends surrounding the Casa de Castril, the Renaissance palace that is the headquarters of the Archaeological Museum. It will be Doña Elvira, daughter of Hernando de Zafra – secretary of the Catholic Monarchs – who will guide the tour. Two days later, on May 20th, the Saxophone Ensemble of the Victoria Eugenia Conservatory presents ‘Sax at the Museum’, a journey from the Baroque to avant-garde music. The activities of that day will be complemented by a conference by Soledad Gómez Vilches and a round table on Museum Day, ‘The Future of Museums in Communities in Constant Change’.
Finally, on May 22nd, the Archaeological Museum will host the concert ‘From the Alpujarras to Arafat. Sacred Songs between the East and the West’, as part of the Ancient Music Festival of the city.
Nasrid medicine at the Alhambra
On the other hand, the Fine Arts Museum of Granada proposes on May 18th the poetry and music show ‘Landscapes of Memory in Granada’, by the minstrel and ballad singer Javier Tárraga and the Arabic lute and garnatí mandola player Mostafá Bakkali.
The Casa de los Tiros Museum hosts on May 17th the concert ‘Umbráfono’, a musical research project that uses the transformation of light into sound created by the musician and graphic artist Enrique del Castillo. The following day, the center presents the family workshop ‘Past and Future at the Casa de los Tiros Museum’, providing information about some pieces from the city’s past and reflecting on how children see the future of museums, as well as creating a time capsule.
The Alhambra has organized on May 17th and 18th, through its educational program, the activity ‘The Essence of Care’, inviting participants to learn and reflect on how certain aspects of Nasrid medicine have survived to this day, remaining alive in the memory of the community.
The Huelva Museum organizes three workshops for families to commemorate the event. The first two will take place on May 17th, ‘Art in Prehistory’, focused on cave art, and ‘Rituality in Prehistory’, about the songs, rituals, and offerings of ancient civilizations. The activities will be completed on May 18th with ‘I was at La Joya’, a creative writing workshop on the exhibition ‘La Joya. Life and Eternity in Tartessos’, recently inaugurated in this museum.
In Jaén, the Archaeological Museum of Linares hosts the temporary microexhibition ‘Fallen Divinities: Illuminated in Cástulo’, open to the public from May 16th to September 14th, dedicated to glyptics or the art of engraving hard stones. On May 18th, a concert by the flute trio ‘Eutepre’ will be held.
On the other hand, the Archaeological Museum of Úbeda presents on May 16th ‘What a mess of an exhibition!’, a montage by the Municipal Theater School Ricardo Iniesta, where people with and without functional diversity participate, and a group of clowns conduct a very peculiar guided tour of the exhibition. This is complemented on May 18th by the concert ‘Musical Walk through the Museum’, with Renaissance music in various rooms.
The Museum of Arts and Popular Customs of the Upper Guadalquivir proposes on May 18th a theatrical tour titled ‘The Puppeteers of the Castle’, where visitors will learn about the rooms of the Yedra Castle through the stories of some very peculiar inhabitants.
The hidden side of the Jaén Museum
On May 16th, activities will begin at the Jaén Museum, with a concert of music by the Coral Aída, inspired by different European cultural traditions. The following day, an oral storytelling session titled ‘The Magic Pencil’, aimed at children, will be held, followed by a violin and guitar concert featuring pieces by Bach, Bizet, and Liszt. The day will conclude with a guided tour called ‘Hidden Museum’, where visitors will be able to access spaces such as warehouses and restoration areas.
The Iberian Museum also joins this celebration with two days of activities. On May 17th, a theatrical visit, ‘Mystery in the Museum’, aimed at a family audience, will illustrate visitors on this Iberian culture in a comedic and mysterious way, complemented by a flute trio concert. The next day, the proposals will continue with a guided tour of the museum’s exhibitions and a role-playing game workshop aimed at families, called ‘Merchant Ship Simulator’, presenting visitors with different aspects of Mediterranean civilizations.
In Málaga, the Archaeological Ensemble of the Antequera Dolmens will kick off the events for this commemoration on May 14th with the workshop ‘Open-air Prehistory Museum’, aimed at Primary school students. The activities will continue on the 15th with the proposal ‘Music and Dance in Prehistory’, in which users from the Mental Health Area of the Antequera Hospital will participate, and on the 17th, with the family workshop ‘Prehistoric Saturday. Musical Instruments and Dances in Prehistory’. Finally, on the 18th, inclusive thematic visits to the two museum exhibitions of the Site will take place.
The Málaga Museum has prepared the guided tour ‘Pharaohs in the Málaga Museum’, which will cover on May 16th a review of pieces in its collection related to Egypt. On the same day, the professor at the University of Málaga, María José de la Torre Molina, will give the lecture ‘Sound Postcards of Spain: Music and Dance in the Málaga Museum’.
Activities at this venue will conclude on May 17th with the workshop ‘Archaeodrome of the Málaga Museum’, where children, accompanied by an adult, can experience how archaeologists work in a simulated site. Additionally, from May 13th to 18th, visitors can see in the Hall of Alcazabilla of this venue the exhibition ‘Come to my house’, organized by the Andalusian Institute of Plastic and Visual Arts, showing how five-year-old children have imagined their ideal museum.
Roman Perfume Workshop in Italica
The Archaeological Ensemble of Italica, in the town of Santiponce, Seville, has organized two workshops for May 18th: ‘Hadrian in Italica’, for children to learn about his figure by creating a wooden bust of the emperor, and another, for an adult audience, focused on making solid perfumes from aromas used in ancient Rome.
The Museum of Arts and
FUENTE
