Press Release

Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports
Department of Culture
Release Date:
Monday, 16 May 2022 - 2:09pm

The Virgin Islands will join the rest of the world in observing International Museum Day on the 18th of May under the theme “The Power of Museums”.

Director of Culture, Dr. Katherine Smith, stated that several activities have been planned for the week from May 16 to 20 for the Territory’s secondary schools. These she said include a focus on the many exciting careers that exist within the museums sector. These include, among others, museum curator, collections manager, exhibition designer, museum educator, marketing manager, public programmer and exhibition installer.

Dr. Smith added that presentations will also include written and visual descriptions of what these professions do, as well as the qualifications required for these careers. They will use the local as well as the international museum sector as context.

The Director said, “If we want to begin exploring the “power of museums” more effectively in the Territory, we must begin to expand our museums’ offerings – in all ways. One way to do this is to begin to seek professional qualifications in various aspects of the museum sector, and these careers are quite diverse and exciting.”

This year’s activities are also expected to reflect the theme “The Power of Museums” through exploring the power of the stories behind the actual artefact – storytelling.

The Department of Culture has engaged with its museum curators as storytellers and has developed a short video series around this topic.  In order to view the storytelling videos, follow on Facebook @Virgin Islands Department of Culture for the following:

Wednesday, 18 May @7:00 p.m.

Jenesis Studios: "Digging for Gold"

North Shore Shell Museum: "Searching for Seashells"

Thursday, 19 May @7:00 p.m.

Virgin Islands Maritime Museum: "Faithful Legacy: Our Shipwrights and Mariners"

Her Majesty's Prison Museum: " The Peculiar Institution"

Old Government House Museum: "Conch Shell on Display"

Friday, 20 May @7:00 p.m.

Theodolph Faulkner House Museum:

" Theodolph Faulkner House Museum and the Anegada Story"

The following contains the schedule for secondary school visits:

Monday, 16 May

Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies

Tuesday, 17 May

Claudia Creque Educational Centre

Wednesday, 18 May

St. Georges Secondary School and Cedar International School

Thursday, 19 May

Bregado Flax Educational Centre Secondary Division

Friday, 20 May

Elmore Stoutt High School

Author

Department of Information and Public Relations (GIS)

354 James Walter Francis Drive
RJT Edifice Building, 5th Floor
Road Town, TORTOLA VG1110

Tel: 284 468 2730
Fax: 284 468 2750
Email: gis@gov.vg