ResiliArt Debate – Museums during the Pandemic: Adapting to the New Normal

Background

In response to the confinement and lockdowns in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, UNESCO launched the ResiliArt movement for artists and cultural professionals, which includes a series of debates with the participation of different creative professions.

The ResiliArt movement has three main goals:
• Raise awareness about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the culture sector in general and the livelihoods of artists and cultural professionals in particular;
• Provide a platform for artists and cultural professionals to ensure that their voices are heard in order to address the existing gaps and required needs;
• Contribute to strategic decision-making and development of assistance mechanisms pertaining to the creative sector.

Description

In 2020, most cultural institutions, including museums, had to close for a long period of time, while the quarantine and restriction measures practically stopped international and local tourism. In May 2020, the UNESCO Report on Museums around the World in the face of COVID-19 (https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373530) showed that approximately 90% of museums around the world had to close and 10% of them will never be reopened. Later, the research of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) (https://www.iccrom.org/news/our-collections-matter) confirmed the importance of museums for modern societies, especially in the context of sustainable development.

In order to provide a platform for the exchange of views and best practices in the field of museum management in Central Asia at all possible levels, the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty is holding a "ResiliArt" debate on "Museums during the Pandemic: Adapting to the New Normal".

The panelists specialized on the work of museum organization will discuss the following questions:
• Current situation and challenges of museums during the COVID 19 pandemic.
• Inclusive and interactive museum approaches to communicate and attract a new audience.
• What knowledge and skills do museum workers need to improve the work of Central Asian museums?

The debate is organized in the framework of the series of online webinars of the UNESCO Cluster Office in Almaty organized for cultural and creative industries in Central Asia.


The debate is going to take place in English and Russian languages. Simultaneous translation will be provided.

Participants

The following panelists will participate in the discussion:
• Natalia Bazhenova – senior research fellow of the State Art Museum named after A. Kasteev (Almaty, Kazakhstan – https://www.gmirk.kz/en/), member of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan;
• Karolina Krzywicka – Curator of Central Asian collection and Head of Cultural Programms and Communication Department in the Asia and Pacific Museum (Warsaw, Poland – https://www.muzeumazji.pl/en/);
• Shirin Melikova – Director of the National Carpet Museum (Baku, Azerbaijan – https://azcarpetmuseum.az/front/en), President of ICOM Azerbaijan;
• Tigran Mkrtychev – Doctor of Art Studies, Director of Roerich Museum – branch of the State Museum of Oriental Art (Moscow, Russia – http://roerichsmuseum.ru/);
• Cholpon Tentiyeva – art expert, Deputy Director of the Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts named after G. Aitiev (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – http://artmuseum.kg/?locale=en), Director of the Exhibition Hall of the Union of Artists of Kyrgyz Republic “Duboviy Park”.

Date / Time

Friday 4 December 2020 from 16:00 to 18:00 Almaty time.

How to join the Debate?

Live streaming will be available on the Facebook page of UNESCO the Cluster Office in Almaty (https://www.facebook.com/unescoalmaty), as well as on the Zoom platform (https://unesco-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_43Rig2HgTuWnHAut-WCC6A).

Previous ResiliArt Debates

• "Future of the Creative Cultural Industries: Voices of Creative Industries in Central Asia" (24.06.2020);
• “Young Professionals of the Cinema Industry in Central Asia: Future Perspectives during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic” (19.08.2020);
• “Concert and Cultural-Event Industry of Central Asia during the Quarantine: Survival Lessons” (30.10.2020);
• «Cinema Heritage of Central Asia. Preservation and Promotion Challenges» (27.10.2020)