Free events to mark International Museum Day

A number of free events held to mark the International Museum Day on May18 have been announced by the department of antiquities and the Cyprus National Committee of the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

“The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness that museums are important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples,” an announcement said.

“In 2015, more than 35,000 museums participated in the celebrations, in around 145 countries.”

In Cyprus, this year’s programme, under the theme Museums and Cultural Landscapes, includes events organised by 25 museums island wide, between May 10 and 28.

The programme includes lectures, guided museum tours and film screenings, exhibitions, pottery and crochet workshops, and a conference on Cyprus museums.

Among the events are free guided tours at the Cyprus Wine Museum in Limassol on May 18, and an opportunity to meet traditional craftspeople and their art at the Local Ethnographic Museum of Geroskipou on May 20, where traditional delicacies will also be served.

For children, the AG Leventis Gallery in Nicosia is organising an educational sleepover on May 13 called “A night at the Museum”, with photography, painting, and games. On May 14, The Cyprus Museum will inaugurate its permanent educational programme called “A Visit to the Cyprus Museum with my Family”, which will offer thematic journeys with the exploration kits such as , “Discovering Mythical Creatures” and “Discovering the goddess Aphrodite”.

The full programme of the events may be found here: http://www.pio.gov.cy/moi/pio/pio.nsf/all/AD6B3DB0E7444E30C2257FA20041A9E7?opendocument