(Press Release) International Museum Day, 2012 - Museums in a Changing World: New challenges, new inspirations

Today, the world is changing faster than ever. New technology delivers new ideas, gigabytes of information, news of an increasingly unstable climate, all shared by social media. Modern museums must compete for an audible voice against the furious pace of this background.

Museums in a Changing World, is recognition that institutions are faced with interpreting, and existing in, a field that is becoming increasingly fluid. Each may face a unique set of goals, interests and audiences. But the necessity to thrive in the face of these changes is something that binds all institutions, large and small. Thus, IMD2012 is as much about museums growing and shaping their future, as it is about displaying and interpreting issues like climate change and new electronic media.

To celebrate the annual International Museum Day on May 18, admission to all the museums in Macao will be free on different dates of May. Each museum will prepare a series of special features and promotional activities in May, including seminars, thematic exhibitions and workshops, etc. in order to let citizens and tourists feel the unlimited power of the museums to the society. For details of free admission and special activities, please refer to attachments or visit the portal of the Museums of Macao (http://www.museums.gov.mo).

The Seminars of International Museum Day, Macao 2012 will be held on May 4 and 5. The objective is not only to allow local museum professionals to acquire new knowledge, broaden their vision in museum management and service provision, but also to provide a platform for the general public, especially teachers and students, to have a deeper understanding of museums' roles and, therefore, increase their influence in the community.

The first seminar, which is for Museum professionals, will be held on May 4. The organizer has invited Ms. SIU Lai Kuen, Chief Curator of Hong Kong Museum of History and Mr. SZETO Yuen Kit, Curator (Xubaizhai) of Hong Kong Museum of Art to deliver speeches on "Hong Kong Museum of History under new thoughts" and "Beyond exhibition - The curatorial concept of modern museum", respectively.

The second seminar, which is for the general public, is co-organized by the Macao Polytechnic Institute and the Education & Youth Bureau. It will be held at the Auditorium of Macao Polytechnic Institute in the afternoon of May 5. Citizens, teachers and students are welcome to attend the seminar. The organizer has invited Professor LI Wen Ru, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, Beijing to introduce the "Development trend of museums in China"; Professor SUN Wei Hsin, Ph.D., Director General of the National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung to discuss "Life is short, why don't we explore the fun of knowledge? - The role of museums in lifetime education for the general public." and Associate Professor VAI Mang I, Ph.D. to talk about "A life of science popularization - How to develop interest in science?". The seminar is free of charge, and it is also recognized as a "Training Programme for Educators". Registration is accepted from now till April 30. Seats are limited and first-come-first-served.

The Macao International Museum Day Fair 2012 will be held at the Tap Seac Square from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on May 6. To celebrate the most important joint event of the year, the organizers has invited the Guangdong Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage, Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong Special Administration Region, and other museums and cultural entities of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong to participate in the fair.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony of the fair will be held at 3:00 p.m. In addition to exhibitions and booth games of the museums from Macao, Guangdong Province and Hong Kong, there will be a great variety of dynamic activities like, interactive game "Macau Guia Circuit Simulator" of the Grand Prix Museum, workshop "Clours of Fun" from the Maritime Museum, interactive games "Flying to My Favorite Stamps" and "Electric Generator" as well as workshops "Stamp Bookmark" and "LED's Changing Looks・Musical Flowers" from the Communications Museum, workshop "Painting in the Firecrackers Paper" from the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History, "Guessing the Pictures" from the Hanover Gifts Museum of Macao, workshops "Molecular Kitchen" and "Soap Bubble" as well as live demonstration "Soap Bubble" from the Macao Science Center; "Taste of Lei-Cha of Hakka" from the Macao Tea Culture House, family workshop "The Macanese Cuisine Culture - Genete Macanese Cookies" from the Macao Museum, workshop "Stained Glass Collage" from the Macao Museum of Art, "Mix and Found" of the Wine Museum, etc..

In addition to the activities that show the characteristics and interactivity of museums from Guangdong Province, Hong Kong and Macao, the Fair will also include modern dance, cosplay performance, dramas "Magical Lab" and "New Tenant in an Old Mansion" provided by the Macao Science Center and the Taipa Houses-Museum, respectively, as well as singing performance. There will be also lucky draws with fabulous prizes, including iPad, digital cameras, book coupons and Taiwan round-trip air tickets. Macao Post will issue a commemorative postcard with circulation from May 4 to 18. On May 6, the Temporary Postal Counter will be set up at the Fair for free distribution of postcards to the public and provision of commemorative cancellation service for stamp collectors.

The organizers of the International Museum Day 2012 include: Natural and Agrarian Museum, Grand Prix Museum, Fire Services Museum, Maritime Museum, Communications Museum of Macao, Museum of Taipa and Coloane History, Macao Giant Panda Pavilion, Handover Gifts Museum of Macao, Lin Zexu Memorial Museum of Macao, Macao Science Center, Macao Tea Culture House, Dr. Sun Yat Sen Memorial House in Macau, Macao Museum, Macao Museum of Art, Wine Museum and the Taipa Houses-Museum.