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Sharjah Museums Department Successfully Concludes Specialised Staff Training Workshops |
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Sharjah Museums Department (SMD) in co-operation with the Goethe-Institut Abu Dhabi (GI) and Robert Bosch Stiftung, successfully concluded a tailor-made intensive training course for SMD museum staff. This initiative, attended by over 200 staff members, was aimed at providing professional development training for the staff across the various departments and museums of SMD. The objective was to further enhance and develop their skills thus continuing to deliver the highest quality of museums services for residents in Sharjah and visitors. The workshop programme included developing skills essential to museum work, curatorial, Hands-on and education workshops. The 12 workshops focused on the fundamentals of research, documentation, curatorial work, visitor services, guiding and education. “We organized the workshops to build and refine the capabilities of all our staff, particularly the UAE nationals to carry out their duties to the fullest, in the continual development of the cultural sector in Sharjah. Through our partnership with Goethe-Institut and the placement of a cultural manager in the organization, the workshops contributed immensely to enhancing the performance of the staff at SMD’s museums, which will be reflected in the quality of museum services offered to the community,” said Manal Ataya, Director General, SMD. “The partnership with the Goethe-Institut and Robert Bosch Stiftung allowed SMD staff to identify international best practices in the management of museums. The experts conducted the training programmes by combining theoretical and practical aspects for the benefit of the participants,” she added. Susanne Weiss, who was assigned by the Goethe-Institut and Robert Bosch Stiftung as Cultural Manager to provide and coordinate staff training at SMD, said: “The training session was very successful and recorded the enthusiastic participation of SMD staff members. In addition to strengthening their skills, the workshops also helped enhance their awareness on the global trends in museum management. The participants showed strong domain knowledge, which helped take the training sessions to a higher level of interaction.” The curatorial workshops included the following themes: Shaping the Focus of the Exhibition; Communicating Content; Designing the Context; and Organising Public Programmes and Education Events and will lead to a joint curated exhibition by the participating SMD staff. The exhibition entitled “Ambassadors” will be on display at the Sharjah Art Museum from May 17 to July 31, 2010. The hands-on practical workshops included Documentation Photography - an introduction into the digital SLR photography and table top photography; Art Conservation - preparing condition reports for paintings; Technical Drawing: Standardized Scientific Illustration - the description of artefacts through scientific illustration; and Intensive Documentation Photography. The Education workshops covered themes such as Animating Cultural Lives, Bringing Artworks Alive and Different Forms of Guiding, to explore the potential of guided tours. The Sharjah Museums Department, established in 2006 by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, aims to promote the emirate’s rich legacy of arts, heritage and culture. For more information on Sharjah Museums Department, please visit the website www.sharjahmuseums.ae. |
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