The University of Sydney is Australia’s first university and home to the new, state-of-the-art Chau Chak Wing Museum. This museum is the result of a 10-year strategy to unite the university’s artistic, cultural, scientific, natural history and archaeological collections. UMAC 2020 brings delegates to Sydney in spring, just weeks after the Chau Chak Wing Museum opens, to explore the conference theme of ‘New Destinations: Looking Forward / Looking Back’
As the operating environment of higher education is changing, museums and collections can play a significant role in helping to shape an institution’s identity and narrative. They are an opportunity for diverse audiences to engage with history, academic thought and contemporary ideas while performing as a theatre space for innovative research and practice. UMAC 2020 examines the relationships between museums and collections and their institutional hosts, their relationship with the tripartite missions of teaching, research and engagement and their relevance to global issues in both higher education and broader society.
University of Sydney
Internationally, universities are using their museums and collections innovatively to create new forms of student, research and community engagement. The utility of collections for research training, object-based learning and cross-disciplinary programs is being increasingly explored and exploited in higher education. ‘New Destinations’ poses the question: ‘Are we there yet?’
The International Committee for UMAC invites proposals for its 20th Annual Conference. The theme of the conference is ‘New Destinations: Looking Forward, Looking Back. We are interested in receiving proposals that address the themes listed below.
Proposal submissions are due Friday 28 February.
Sydney Harbour
Deadline for Submission
Friday 28 February 2020
Notification of Acceptance
Friday 27 March 2020
Conference
15-17 September 2020
Registrations will open mid-Feburary 2020. Tickets will include an early bird price and a discounted student rate.
UMAC 2020 will include a pre-conference masterclass and a post-conference tour of significant Sydney arts institutions. Delegates will also be able to join a cohort travelling to Melbourne for an arts tour after the conference.
More information will be available soon.
University Museums and Collections (UMAC) is the international committee for university museums and collections of the International Council of Museums, ICOM. It is an international forum for all those working in, or associated with, academic museums, galleries and collections.
For all UMAC 2020 enquiries please email umac-2020.conference@sydney.edu.au