Announcement & Call For Papers
COMMONWEALTH ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS (CAM)
Commonwealth Museums:
Culture, Economy and Climate Change and Youth
May 25 to 27, 2011
Organized by the Commonwealth Association of Museums
Hosted by the Singapore National Heritage Board
at the Singapore Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM)
This three day program will feature three main theme sessions, CAM’s Triennial meeting and Singapore museum excursions. Additional activities may be scheduled for May 24 and May 28. Full program information will be available by mid February.
THEMES
Part 1: Museums, Culture, and Sustainable Development
Part I will address the need for museums to play a lead role in promoting culture as means of social and economic development, using Putting Culture First and the Commonwealth Statement on Culture and Development as discussion documents. This conference will expand on the productive discussions of Putting Culture First at the GCAM4 meeting (October 2009) in Stanger, South Africa. As in Africa, the rich diversity of cultures in South-East Asian and South Pacific nations is faced with challenges from globalization, migration and urbanization. Part 1 will highlight these issues and explore ways in which museums can not only help preserve cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, but also promote traditional and contemporary culture as resources for sustainable development.
Part 2: World Watch Two: Conserving Cultures in the Face of Climate Change
Part 2 will focus directly on the need for museums as cultural organisations to use the links between culture and development to play a role in addressing both general issues of climate change and its specific impact on cultural continuity. As a follow up to World Watch One in Guyana and with added impetus from the CHOGM communiqué of November 2009, World Watch Two will examine the growing global impact of climate change on the human (i.e., threats to cultural heritage and property, migration pressures and economic issues) and the natural environment, including potentially extensive land submersion, particularly South Asia and the South Pacific. This session is intended to build on the theme of culture and development, with an emphasis on the ramifications of climate change on the protection of land, livelihoods, cultural diversity and property, tangible and intangible. This session will feature case studies chosen to encourage an action-oriented series of discussions that will lead to a suggested common action plan for museums.
Part 3: Connecting with Children and Youth
Part 3 will continue CAM’s longstanding commitment to focus on children and youth. The month of May begins the “Children’s Season” for museums in Singapore. This provides a unique opportunity to explore the role museums have in assuring the survival of cultural memory and articulating a hopeful vision of a future for young people in our communities. Given the themes of part 1 & 2 of this conference, here is an opportunity to explore how museum programming can creatively engage youth in the fundamentals of both global and local environmental awareness, but also the issues surrounding the need to sustain a sense of community identity and reinforce fundamental values of tolerance, respect and understanding of cultural diversity in the face of urbanization, migration, and economic disruption. There are lessons from history but also from other nations and cultures today. This session is intended to share case studies of successful museum-based initiatives which may also form a backdrop to visits and tours of Singapore’s excellent museums and their programs for children and youth.
Location and Rationale:
To be held in Singapore as a continuation of CAM’s efforts to hold programs in all regions of the Commonwealth. Singapore is a transportation hub more easily accessed by countries in South-East Asian and the South Pacific. Singapore has exemplary museums featuring wide cultural diversity.
In addition to museum visits, the two main sessions and their emphasis on museums effectively engaging in civil society, the conference will provide an opportunity for CAM to discuss its updated Distance Learning Program in Museum Studies, both the print and online versions, and its Cultural Property Project. The Singapore conference will also host CAM’s triennial general meeting including elections.
Conference program builds on Canberra conference of 2006 organized by the Australian National University to which CAM contributed, World Watch One, Guyana, 2008 and the 4th GCAM conference, South Africa, 2009.
Accommodation:
A reasonably priced hotel will be selected for participants. Some meals will be provided and registration fees will be applied to conference expenses and visits to Singapore museums will be included. Transportation will also be provided as necessary.
Further details will be available later.
Registration:
Conference fee will be in the range of $125-175 US.
Preliminary registration is requested by February 15, 2011.
Funding Assistance may be available for participants from Commonwealth developing countries. Criteria will take into account geographical and gender representation, professional competence and museum experience, and available matching funds. Particular consideration will be given to those who meet the above criteria and whose papers are selected for presentation.
The selection of those who receive funding will be determined by the Steering Committee, based on a CV with a written statement of interest also to be submitted by February 15, 2011.
CALL FOR PAPERS:
Speakers are invited to submit proposals for papers, case studies, and/or full panels on topics ranging from:
· ways in which museums can not only help preserve cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, but also promote traditional and contemporary culture as resources for sustainable development, to
· what role museums—science museums, natural history museums and natural heritage sites, as well as cultural museums—can play to help deal with issues arising from climate change, and
· how to engage children in this debate
Proposals are invited from all disciplines. The proposal package should include a summary of 150-200 words and a two-page CV. Proposals should be received by 15 February 2011.
Presentations will be limited to 20 minutes to allow time for discussion, an important feature of CAM programmes. A fully written paper available for delegates must be submitted at the workshop. PowerPoint presentations may be used for presentation only. CAM requires that copies of all papers be available during the workshop and may be used for publication on the CAM website or in other CAM documents.
Proposals will be reviewed by the International Steering Committee. If accepted, individual presenters will be invited to prepare a 20 minute presentation; presenters may be grouped by topic and will be invited to present within a panel. Time for discussion will be a feature of the program.
Powerpoint or multi-media presentations are acceptable, however, it is expected that a full 2500 word written paper is submitted in electronic form for publication on the CAM website. The Steering Committee may make a selection of papers as necessary. Please submit is MSWord and any bibliographical or other notes should be included at the end of the paper.
Conference Organizer and Conference Committee Chair
Catherine C. Cole
Further inquiries and proposals should be addressed to:
[log in to unmask] and Lois Irvine, Secretary General, CAM: [log in to unmask] or, [log in to unmask]
______________________________________________________________________________
Lois Irvine
Secretary General
Commonwealth Association of Museums
P.O. Box 30192 Chinook Postal Outlet
Calgary, Alberta
T2H 2V9
Canada
Tel & fax: 1-403-938-3190
email: [log in to unmask]
or [log in to unmask]
Office address:
c/o Lois Irvine
R.R. #1
DeWinton, Alberta
T0L 0X0
Canada
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