Africa-Press – Angola. The director of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, Cecília Gourgel, defended this Thursday, in the city of Benguela, the need for greater dissemination of the mission of museums and their importance in preserving the country’s historical and cultural heritage.
Speaking at the 8th National Meeting of Museum Professionals and on the subject of International Museum Day, which is being celebrated18, the official said that museologists are called upon to find new ways of acting to fulfill their mission.
Cecília Gourgel believes that professionals should redouble their efforts in collecting pieces to enrich collections, renew primary and permanent exhibitions.
“It’s up to you to research and disseminate your work more and more among society, especially youth”, he said.
For Cecília Gourgel, attracting a wider number of visitors is also seen as a way of justifying the existence and importance of museums.
The official argues that it is still necessary to identify the problems that affect museums, as well as to promote the discussion of practical and sustainable ways for the country’s museological institutions to assume their true role.
“It is in this context that I invite you to reflect on museums in Angola, as this meeting constitutes a sovereign opportunity to pay special attention to the organizational and functional aspects of these institutions, through the implementation of actions that promote the necessary change for their full functioning. , even in times of crisis”, he emphasized.
In his view, for museums to survive and drive sustainable development, they will have to correct the elitist image of the past and be more aware and sensitive to current dynamics and public demand, addressing issues that affect society and inserting mechanisms of tourist attraction, because only then can they be more visited and self-sustaining.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, museums around the world faced losses in audiences and revenues, with values between 70% and 80% falling due to restrictions and quarantines imposed by the authorities, according to ICOM figures released in 2021.
A diagnosis of the impact of the crisis caused by the pandemic on the sector, based on the latest data collected by that organization, indicates, globally, that six percent of museums may close and 30 percent are forced to reduce staff due to the economic difficulties caused for the loss of visitors and revenue.
The International Museums Day is celebrated on the 18th of May, since 1977, at the proposal of ICOM – International Council of Museums, a UNESCO body, with the aim of promoting a reflection in society on the role of Museums in its development.
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