13th Autumn Festival of Museums

27 September 2018, Budapest –150 museums of more than 60 settlements are expecting visitors with colourful programmes all over the country from 1 October to 11 November within the Autumn Festival of Museums. The Ministry for Human Capacities together with the organiser of the festival the Museum Education and Methodology Centre (MOKK), Hungarian Open Air Museum provided information for the press about the rich programmes of the Festival starting on 1 October.

This year, the concept of the festival is: ”Our sensational heritage”, wishes to inspire museums to participate with varied programmes to present and celebrate the richness of our European cultural heritage. As museum collections and those of libraries and archives, and the knowledge accumulated there form integral parts of our cultural heritage. 2018 was declared the Year of the Family by the Hungarian Government, therefore, the Autumn Festival of Museums also wishes to relate to that in addition to the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The aim of the festival is to show how museums can generate dialogue between generations by offering special experiences with a variety of their programmes. 

Prof. Dr. Miklós Kásler, minister of he Ministry for Human Capacities, pointed out that by their varied programmes museums take an important role in families’ spending quality time together in museums. He also emphasised the importance of sport and recreation which are supported by one of the topics of the festival, the Cultural heritage tour.  By forming parenting patterns by varied museum programmes, the festival contributes to the aim that culture should become an integral part of life of families.

Dr. Miklós Cseri, director general, Hungarian Open Air Museum expressed his pride in the Museum Education and Methodology Centre having developed the themes of the festival taking place for several weeks for the twelfth time with the financial support of the Hungarian National Fund (NKA).

Dr. Zsolna Ugron, cultural director, Hungarian Agency for Tourism drew attention to the relations between the Autumn Festival of Museums and cultural programme tourism, and invited the press to participate in the press tour to Sopron on 11 October 2018, co-organised by the Museum Education and Methodology Centre, Hungarian Open Air Museum.

Dr. Ibolya Bereczky, deputy general director, Hungarian Open Air Museum explained that the festival created a significant topic called “Walk and cycle – Cultural heritage tours” in connection with the 25th anniversary of the Hungarian National Fund, by which the venues and network of museums, libraries, archives and cultural heritage locations are intended to be promoted, as well as the experiential and health conscious expansion of knowledge of local history. The tour goes along different cultural heritage spots, cultural institutions preferably supported by the Hungarian National Fund. The programme includes 25 km walking or cycling, 2,5 km strolling to be fulfilled during the period of the Autumn Festival of Museums between 1 October and 11 November 2018.

In 2018, two centrally organised nationwide major events will take place within the Autumn Festival of Museums. ts the opening event of the festival, Awards for Excellence in Museum Education and the Excellent Museum Educator Award will be handed over in the 16th National Museum Education Year-opening ceremony on 1 October 2018 in Szolnok in the Aba-Novák Agora Cultural Centre co-organised by Damjanich János Museum. The 10th National Museum Education Conference will be housed by the Museum and Library of Hungarian Agriculture on 5-6 November 2018, when the theme of “Sensational Heritage” will be focused on. The message of the conference is our heritage in museums is to be rediscovered and reinterpreted in a way that it is attractive, even sensational for the great public, including teenagers.

Programmes for the public and also for professionals are organised around eleven topics this year. The priority target groups are teenagers, teachers, students, and most importantly families for whom exciting programmes are intended within several topics of the festival.

The Holiday in the museum offers useful and activetime for families and students.

Teachers’ night aims at promoting opportunities in museums, and inspiring teachers to use museums as a knowledge transfer location outside the school.

The Kindergarten teachers’ day provides opportunities to get involved in museum programmes, to meet, and share experience and build network for those concerned.

Within the new festival topic Literary meetings in the museum, museums offer interesting programmes interacting with literature in a novel way.

From the basement to the attic is a very popular topic of the festival,during its programmes one can get a glimpse behind the scenes.

Museum staff step out of the museum in the Travelling Museum programmes by organising exchange or travelling exhibitions, surprising passers-by by outdoor exhibitions, and their Museum-in-a-suitcase programmes are transported to school.

Old, forgotten crafts, but pursued by many in the past are revived in programmes and exhibitions within the topic of Masters and creators, but those interested can also get an insight into workshop secrets of contemporary creators.

The Walk and cycle with us topic offers unusual city tours, bike tours, and literary memorial tours to the adventurous.

16+ Meeting in the museum is planned for the youth, especially for secondary school students and young adults when they can take part in interactive programmes and unusual games.

The Farewell to Autumn includes exhibition openings, meetings with the audience, professional talks, events on specials days, or playful family afternoons.

Professional programmes are always an essential part of the festival, which partly relates to “The door is open” topic, while other special topics are also focused on.

Similarly to last year, the events and locations of the Autumn Festival of Museums will be available on a free mobile application EVENT@HAND MOF also accessible offline, created by MTA SZTAKI, furthermore, the application is also linked to the Cultural heritage tours by a game named “Collect kilometres and points. let’s celebrate NKA together.” through which points can be collected on the online or offline applications by visiting tour destinations.

Further information:

Enikő Balogh

Programme coordinator – Autumn festival of Museums

Museum Education and Methodology Centre, Hungarian Open Air Museum

+36 70 682 54 90

e-mail: balogh.eniko@skanzen.hus

www.oszifesztival.hu