Museums in the City of Tshwane will be celebrating International Museum Day under the theme “Museums for Education and Research”.
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. ICOM was founded in 1946 as an international non-governmental organisation linked to UNESCO. Momentum has been rising unabated ever since and in 2013, International Museum Day garnered record-breaking participation with almost 35 000 museums hosting events in more than 143 countries, including South Africa.
This year’s theme, “Museums for Education and Research,” underscores the pivotal role of cultural institutions in providing a holistic educational experience. This day pushes for a more conscious, sustainable, and inclusive world. Museums serve as dynamic educational hubs, fostering curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. In 2024, we acknowledge their contribution to research, providing a platform for exploration and the dissemination of new ideas. From art and history to science and technology, museums are vital spaces where education and research converge to shape our understanding of the world.
For International Museum Day 2024 we want to invite people to rethink education and imagine a future where knowledge sharing transcends barriers, where innovation unites with tradition. Join us as we explore the wealth of knowledge museums have to offer and, together, build a more informed and inclusive world. On May 18th, we encourage all members of civil society to come together and realise the full transformative potential that museums have for sustainable development and wellbeing.
Since 1997, Museums and Institutions in Tshwane have collaborated to celebrate International Museum Day on 18 May each year. This year, museums and stakeholders in the City of Tshwane will once again join forces to remind the community of their significant role of contributing to knowledge, memory, nation building and entertainment.
Collaborated museums and stakeholders hosting the 2024 International Museum Day programmes are as follows:
- South African Air Force Museum
- Post Office Museum
- DITSONG: Kruger Museum
- City of Tshwane: Fort Klapperkop Heritage Site
- DITSONG: Tswaing Meteorite Crater
- Freedom Park
- DITSONG: Pioneer Museum
- City of Tshwane: Melrose House Museum
- DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History
- Geo-Science Museum
- City of Tshwane: Pretoria Art Museum
- DITSONG: National Museum of Natural History
- UNISA: Art Gallery and Anthropology and Paleontology Museum
- DITSONG: National Museum of Military History (Johannesburg)
- DITSONG: Sammy Marks Museum
- DITSONG: Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum
- National Heritage Council
- University of Pretoria Museums
- National Library of South Africa
- South African National Archives
- Pan South African Language Board
- Capital Collective
- Women’s Living Heritage Monument
- Mampuru Correctional Services Museum
Programmes and activities for International Museum Month:
| Programme | Description | Date | Venue |
| Free Entry to DITSONG: Museums of South Africa | All DMSA museums will offer free entry to celebrate both Africa Day and the International Museums Day. | 17 – 25 May 2024 | DITSONG: National Museum of Natural History DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History DITSONG: National Museum of Military History DITSONG: Kruger Museum DITSONG: Pioneer Museum DITSONG: Sammy Marks Museum DITSONG: Willem Prinsloo Agricultural Museum DITSONG: Tswaing Meteorite Crater |
| Birds in Construction Exhibition | DITSONG: National Museum of Natural History honour birds for being construction workers. | 1 May – 31 May 2024 | DITSONG: National Museum of Natural History |
| Opening of Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square | Official opening of the Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square to the public. Media statement publication on different social media platforms | 10 May 2024 from 8:00 to 17:00 | Solomon Mahlangu Freedom Square, Mamelodi |
| 30 Years of Democracy Displays | Ditsong in collaboration with the Post Office Museum and the City of Tshwane takes journey through 30 years of SA’s democracy Launch | 14 May 2024 – 26 May 2024 22 May 11:00 | DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History |
| International Museum Week: Free Entry to Museums | Some museums will allow free entry from 18 to 25 May 2024. The City of Tshwane to provide buses to transport learners to the various museums | Free entrance 18-25 May 2024 | Various museums in the city |
| International Museum Day Celebration | Celebration of the day, at Church Square. To comprise of a tour around Church Square, Paul Kruger’s Office, Palace of Justice, Police Museum and Post Office Museum | 18 May 2024: 10:00 to 12:00 | Church Square |
| Museum Exhibition | Presentation of museum collections to the community in Tshwane | 17 May 2024 from 10:00 to 15:00 | Mamelodi |
| Pretoria Art Museum 60th Anniversary 1964 – 2024 | Presentation of the history of the Museum Exhibition: from 13 February – 2 June 2024 | Monday 20 May 2024 at 11:00 | Pretoria Art Museum |
| Kruger Museum Activations | Arts and Crafts, museum tours | 21 May 2024 | DITSONG: Kruger Museum |
| Opening of Melrose House Museum | Official Opening of Melrose House Museum after a year of closure due to maintenance on the roof. Will comprise of a small event and media publication through different social media platforms | 21 May 2024 | Melrose House Museum |
| Public Lecture | Technology Skills for the future African Museum with Anthony Sirya Kalume | 24 May 2024 15:00 – 16:00 | events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2530dcc2-6b5c-4a32-9ec2-b924e9fca1dc@63154b16-cc60-40a8-9186-6192953767d7 |
| Public Lecture | Presentation of the Robert Broom Memorial Lecture titled “Faunal Remains from Bolt’s Farm Palaeokarst: A Journey Through Time” | 31 May 2024 | Virtual on Teams – DITSONG: National Museum of Natural History |
