Sharjah Museums Authority Opens Registration for 2024 SAWA Conference
Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA) has announced the opening of registration for the hybrid ‘SAWA: A Decade of Cross-Cultural Museum Learning’ Conference 2024. This event celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Arab-German SAWA Museum Studies Programme, which aims to inspire innovative practices for emerging museum practitioners.
The conference, scheduled for November 4-5, 2024, will be held at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum and will also be available via live online streaming. It is organized in partnership with Crescent Group and supported by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Attendees will benefit from insights shared by leaders and educators from the global museum and cultural sectors. The event will feature panel discussions, keynote speeches, specialized workshops, and presentations, all aimed at fostering dialogue, exchange, and collaboration among museum professionals.
Key themes will explore international cooperation between museums and cultural entities, enhancing standards and services in museums. Panels will provide insights from past SAWA Museum Studies Program participants on how the program has influenced their careers and practices. Discussions will cover topics such as interpretation, curation, and curatorial strategies in exhibition spaces.
The conference will also address the importance of creating inclusive and engaging experiences for diverse museum audiences, highlighting the use of technologies and augmented reality in museum spaces.
The SAWA Museum Studies Programme is a pioneering initiative designed to offer professional qualification and learning opportunities for emerging museum professionals. It is led by Sharjah Museums Authority, together with the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, the Goethe-Institute Gulf Region, and the University of Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW). The programme is curated and facilitated by a distinguished team of Arab and European educators, emphasizing reciprocal learning and diverse museological practices in the MENA region and Europe.
Doubts Revealed
Sharjah Museums Authority -: This is an organization in Sharjah, a city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that manages museums and cultural heritage sites.
SAWA Conference -: SAWA stands for a program that brings together people from different cultures to learn about museums. The conference is a big meeting where people talk about museums and share ideas.
Arab-German SAWA Museum Studies Programme -: This is a special program where people from Arab countries and Germany learn together about how to run and improve museums.
Sharjah Archaeology Museum -: This is a museum in Sharjah that shows old things from history, like tools and artifacts, to help people learn about the past.
Panel discussions -: These are talks where a group of experts sit together and discuss a topic in front of an audience.
Keynote speeches -: These are important talks given by special guests who are experts in their field, usually to start or highlight the main ideas of the conference.
Workshops -: These are interactive sessions where people can learn new skills or ideas by doing activities and working together.
International cooperation -: This means people from different countries working together to achieve common goals.
Inclusive experiences -: This means making sure that everyone, no matter who they are, can enjoy and learn from the museum.
Use of technology in museums -: This refers to using things like computers, apps, and virtual reality to make museum visits more interesting and educational.
