David Vuillaume of the German Museums Association presented a recently published list of nearly 200 institutional quality standards for museums. During the Member's Meetup, he shared the content of this publication, and gave insight regarding the development process and techniques used to ensure the implementation of these recommendations in the 7200 German museums. Particularly interesting was the collaborative development process that was shared with participants.
Zane Grīnvalde and Inga Surgunte, of the Latvian Museums Associationwere accompanied by project partner representative Henry McGhie of Curating Tomorrow while presenting an overview of the co-operation project 'Museums, libraries and the Sustainable Development Goals: tailoring common approaches to local settings' (2022–2023). The new open-access guide and toolkit on Localising the SDGs Through Museums and Libraries, developed as an output of the project, was also presented. The new guide gives a brief introduction to the SDGs and how they relate to museums and libraries. Then it explains the approach of ‘localization’, which tailors the SDGs to local contexts.
Following each presentation, lively discussions put into perspective the value of diverse feedback and intrigue from museum professionals across Europe. After the presentations, we had time for spontaneous announcements and heard exciting news from two NEMO members: PI Museum and Gallery Tivat and Project Pressure.
From PI Museum and Gallery Tivat, Danijela Djukic shared that the first action plan on sustainable development for PI Museum and gallery Tivat as well as the first action plan of a museum in Montenegro has been developed. The action plan is a guide with tools and results of many papers and meetings. Also, as the city of Tivat is in process of developing an action plan for energy and climate, there is hope that the museum will provide a good example. In the action plan for sustainable development, the main targets are waste materials, energy, sustainable community and climate empowerment.
Klaus Thymann of Project Pressure shared the possibility to host MELTDOWN, a travelling exhibition. MELTDOWN showcases unique works from every continent, commissioned by the climate charity Project Pressure, world leading artists paired with scientists conducted expeditions to document global glacier loss. Unlike weather events, glaciers offer a historical record of climate change, illustrating its impact on the cryosphere. The exhibition spans continents, emphasizing glaciers' importance through artistic interpretations, encouraging awareness, and urging behavioural change. There are available periods in 2024 & 2025, get in touch with klaus@project-pressure.org.
