- This year’s slogan is: ‘Museums for education and research’, which underlines the importance of these spaces as educational institutions.
Programación Dia Internacional dels Museus aquí
Saturday 18 May is International Museum Day. To commemorate this day, the municipal museums of Valencia have organised a programme with various activities throughout the week. This year’s slogan is: ‘Museums for education and research’, which underlines the importance of these spaces as dynamic educational institutions that encourage learning, discovery and cultural understanding.
The International Council of Museums (ICOM) points out that ‘this day advocates for a more conscious, sustainable and inclusive world’. The aim of establishing this celebration is ‘to raise awareness of the fact that museums are an important medium for cultural exchange, the enrichment of cultures, as well as for the development of mutual understanding, collaboration and peace. Last year, 37,000 museums took part in the event in 158 countries and territories,’ ICOM said.
In this sense, the Museo d’Història de València (MHV) will carry out a series of activities aimed at all audiences, from Tuesday 14 May until Friday 17 May, at 12 noon, there will be a different guided tour. Tuesday will begin with one led by Javier López Cavero, under the theme ‘The Glass of the Cycle of Life. An Iberian masterpiece’. The following day, the public will be able to enjoy a guided tour led by Javier Martí Oltra on the theme ‘Valencia in the 14th century. Immigration and industrial take-off’.
On Thursday, Pau Armengol Machí will be in charge of leading the visit on ‘Andalusian ceramics at the Museu d’Història de València’. And on Friday, the last one will be given by Vicent Lerma Alegría with the theme ‘El Tesoro de la Avenida Constitución’.
For the big day, Saturday, the MHV has scheduled various workshops and activities. In the morning, in two shifts (at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.), the workshop ‘The letters of the past’ will take place, aimed at children from 4 to 10 years old. Through a hands-on activity, child artists will learn about the importance of codices in the preservation of history and culture, and how these ancient works of art have influenced the way we read and write today. They will have the opportunity to create their own codex lettering, using techniques that combine traditional art with modern creativity.
In the evening of the same day, at 6 p.m., the short film ‘Macumbo’ will be screened, followed by a debate on African immigration and its integration into European society.
Finally, on Sunday, at 11 a.m., all those interested will be able to explore the museum through a guided tour of the permanent collection, which will serve to explore and understand the history of the city, as well as to reflect on the importance of museums. Afterwards, at 12:30 p.m., the activity ‘A Journey through Clay’ will take place, aimed at children aged 5 to 10. One of the most characteristic objects of the Roman world is pottery. The children will become potters for a day and create their own piece of pottery.
Between brushes and passions
For its part, on the occasion of this celebration, the Benlliure House Museum has programmed two guided tours, one for the weekend. On Saturday, at 12 noon, there will be a dramatised visit, led by María Benlliure Ortiz, ‘the Italian’. The public will be able to get to know the nooks and crannies of this bourgeois house from the end of the 19th century, and will discover her family album full of anecdotes and curiosities. At 7:30 p.m. on the same day, the band Hot Jazz Union will give a concert of traditional jazz, swing and blues, with free admission until full capacity is reached.
On Sunday there will be guided tours in two shifts, at 11 am and 12:15 pm. To book in advance, please call 963919103.
Storytelling: ‘The coast of silence’.
The Museum of Natural Sciences will also be celebrating Museum Day with the storytelling ‘The Coast of Silence’, on Saturday at 5pm and 6pm. The public will have to get involved in the search for marine life in order to recover the lost ecology. This activity will work on SDG 14: Underwater life and SDG 13: Climate action. This will facilitate reflection on the conservation of the oceans, seas and marine resources in a sustainable way, recognising their importance for the health of the planet. There will also be activities on Friday at 18:00, Saturday at 11:00 and Sunday at 12:00 and 18:00.
‘Singing Cavanilles’.
The Rice Museum has also organised the musical performance ‘Singing to Cavanilles’ this Saturday at 8 pm. The event will last 60 minutes and will feature Pilar Moral and Daniel Rubio. The aim is to highlight the role played by Cavanilles in the extension of rice cultivation in Valencia.
Concerts at l’Almoina and the Cervelló Palace
The Archaeological Centre of l’Almoina will offer a concert on Saturday at 7:30 pm, featuring Globo, a musical project that fuses styles such as Afrobeat, Latin, Jazz, Reggae/ska, psychedelia, folklore and Mediterranean culture. Admission will be free. In addition, there will be guided tours on Saturday and Sunday in two shifts, at 11 am and 12 noon.
On Saturday, the Cervelló Palace will also host a concert by Christian Penalba at 7:30 pm. The album ‘Canvis’ is made up of canto de estilo, jotas, fandangos, seguidillas, bolero and malagueña. ‘The title refers to the slight variations, the changes in rhythm and the vocal embellishments that we have tried to imprint on the interpretation of all those traditional songs’, says Penalba.
It features vocal collaborations with Pep Gimeno ‘Botifarra’, the Murcian singer Carmen María Martínez Salazar, and Christian’s brother, Jonatan Penalba. In 2020, the album was a finalist in the Ovidi Awards (in the category of Newcomer Group) and the Carles Santos Awards (in the category of Traditional Music).
Visit to the festive museums
This Wednesday, 15th May, the Museo de la Semana Santa Marinera will be offering a guided tour at 4:30 pm. The following day, meanwhile, the Fallas Museum will be offering a visit at 6 p.m. and another on Saturday at 11 a.m. And, along the same lines, the Corpus Museum – Casa de las Rocas, will guide its visitors through its rooms on Saturday at 5 pm. Access will be free of charge, without prior reservation.
Finally, there will also be guided tours and activities over the weekend at the City Museum, the Blasco Ibañez House-Museum, the Concha Piquer House-Museum, the Valencia City Hall Shelter and the C/ Serranos Shelter.