Museum Insights in Christchurch

Media Release 18 May 2018

The Museums Aotearoa annual conference takes place in Christchurch this year, over four days opening Sunday 20 May, and hosted jointly by Canterbury Museum, Christchurch Art Gallery and the Airforce Museum of New Zealand.

This year’s conference, entitled Outside Insights, presents a range of inspirational speakers for nearly 300 delegates from the museum and gallery sector. Keynote speakers and others from outside the sector will offer perspectives on place-making, alternative ways of working and the role of cultural institutions in a rapidly changing world.
Keynote speakers are:
• Tā Mark Solomon, Deputy Chair of the Canterbury District Health Board, former Kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and a former board member of Te Papa.

• Elizabeth Connor, Founder of The KinShip, who is dedicated to storytelling and connecting the potential of science with the real needs of the world. She was the winner of the inaugural Prime Minister's Prize for Science Communication.

• Kaila Colbin: Curator of TEDxChristchurch and TEDxScottBase, New Zealand Ambassador for Singularity University, co-founder and Chair of the non-profit Ministry of Awesome, Chair of the New York-based Natural Gourmet Institute, Deputy Chair of CORE Education, and a director of ChristchurchNZ, the Christchurch agency responsible for tourism, major events and economic development.
The Hon Carmel Sepuloni, Associate Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage, will speak to the conference on Tuesday 22 May ahead of a panel session that will consider some of the issues around repatriation and the ongoing care of human remains held in museums and other institutions in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Our annual museums conference is an occasion for sharing, learning and cementing national collaborative networks”, says Phillipa Tocker, Executive Director of Museums Aotearoa. “We are very pleased that Minister Sepuloni will be speaking to us this year, being the first opportunity for the new government to address our sector. This is especially fitting with today being International Museum Day, with the 2018 theme of Hyperconnected Museums: new approaches, new publics.”

The conference is at the Christchurch Art Gallery on Sunday 20 May, the Isaac Theatre Royal on Monday and Tuesday 21-22 May, with other sessions at The Piano on Tuesday. Workshops, tours and other sessions will be held around the city on Wednesday 23 May.

ENDS

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