As the commemoration of International Museum Day falls on 18 May each year, the launch of this annual occasion took place on Wednesday 18 May 2016 at the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum.
Organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS), guests who attended the launch were greatly entertained on the day. Members from the Palaeontological Scientific Trust (PAST) used their skills to inspire scientific curiosity and entertained the guests with the rendition of their artistic item. The Amabhaca cultural group from Lwandle also delivered a cultural item. The day was concluded with a tour of the Hostel, which is across the road from the museum and forms part of the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum.
Masa Soko, the Museum Manager, said that it is important to celebrate museums. “Celebrating museums means that people’s stories get celebrated too. Museums are vehicles to share those stories with communities and with the world,” she said.
DCAS Minister Anroux Marais delivered the keynote address and officially launched International Museum Day. She said that museums protect and promote the heritage and cultural landscape of this province and that museums are becoming increasingly known as an essential part of the cultural landscape of the Western Cape. “Museums make important contributions towards social inclusion by continually striving to be community-led and orientated, acting as spaces for dialogue where we can learn about each other’s history, heritage and culture,” she said.
Museums educate our youth and allow them to gain knowledge about their cultural heritage and preserve it so that it will be conveyed to future generations, BETTER TOGETHER.