What does it mean to be a “museum professional” in Europe today?

Tuesday 5 June 2018 | Auditorium Colbert – 6 pm / 9 pm
Galerie Colbert, 2 rue Vivienne – 75002 Paris (doors open at 5:30pm)

The French National Committee of the ICOM (International Council of Museums) organizes numerous meetings which bring together specialists and address major themes regarding the world of national and international museums. In 2017, ICOM France organized a code of ethics discussion-evening around the theme “What does it mean to be a ‘museum professional’ in Europe today?”
At the request of colleagues at ICOM Europe and ICTOP (International Committee for the Training of Personnel), on the evening before the international ICOM general assembly in Paris, ICOM France is reopening the discussion.

Museums are seeing a record progression of activities
Over the past fifteen years, museums have undergone numerous transformations in their organization and a remarkable growth in the number of visitors. Policymakers have much higher expectations regarding administration. From now on “managed”, museums handle their resources (human, financial, heritage…) with a concern about results, which impacts every function and every position.
Along with these changes, new jobs are being developed (web, sponsorship, social networks), while new actors (foundations, collectors…) generate innovative forms of cooperation (between public and private spheres, between producers and “users”…) and multiple activities add value (shops, cafés and restaurants, leasing space for events…).

Do all people in these new categories qualify as museum professionals?
Many members of these new groups would like to be recognized as museum professionals and, more concretely, request to be covered by the “ICOM card”, which would then become an instrument of validation, even of professional certification.

– How can museum professionals be described?
– What are the dealings of this professional community with exterior actors?
– What could be some noticeable improvements in the skills of museum professionals in upcoming years?

Organized by ICOM France and the National Heritage Institute in partnership with ICOM Europe and the ICTOP international committee, this discussion-evening will provide an opportunity to talk with the people that keep museums working, by examining the current situation of museum professionals, the trends and recent evolutions of jobs as well as the perspectives, and most of all, the impacts in terms of skills for upcoming years.
In this European year of cultural heritage, European representatives of ICOM are invited to discuss their views and concerns – shared and distinct – regarding museum professionals about their jobs and respective environments. An additional point of view from guests coming from Asia and America will highlight European specificities and add to the exchange.

This meeting, open to the public (with registration required), will be held in English and in French thanks to the support of the General Delegation for the French language and the languages of France.
Come participate in these exchanges involving those who “make” museums, in Europe and in the world!

Full programme could be consulted here: English version – Version française