Exchange Programmes
In order to enhance the collaboration between members of its network, ICOM organises Exchange Programmes in which two countries respectively host a museum professional of the partner country in order to work together and share ideas and different perspectives in the development of an exhibition.
The exchange programme is based on the idea of mutual learning and professional dialogue to the benefit of both parties involved. It is designed to respond to the professional needs and wishes of the participant and the hosting institution. It also allows for extensive and mutual knowledge exchange between the countries involved.
Germany-Zambia – 2023
In collaboration with ICOM-Germany, ICOM Zambia and the Livingstone Museum, a 20 days study visit is being organised during the month of September 2023.
For this second part of the programme, one museum professional from Germany will collaborate on-site with the Livingstone Museum in Zambia. The objective, as it was for the first part of the programme, is to allow for extensive and mutual knowledge exchange between the participant and Zambian museum professionals.
The participant will have the opportunity to collaborate on an exhibition project and/or education programmes together with professionals at the Livingstone Museum. The successful candidate must be committed to participating in all activities and to complete the full programme.
Botswana-Germany – 2021
ICOM, ICOM-Germany, ICOM Zambia and the Museum of European Cultures – National Museums in Berlin (MEK) hosted a museum professional from Botswana for a month-long study visit that took place in Berlin, Germany.
The exchange programme was based on mutual learning and professional dialogue and exchange at eye level to benefit both parties involved. The structure was designed to allow each country’s museum to host one participant from the exchange country and work on a collaborative project.
In Germany, the programme was designed to respond to two objectives; one was to focus on the participant’s professional needs and wishes regarding the topics to focus on; and the other was to enable collaboration through an exhibition project and, as a “guest researcher”, the participant was required to develop an intervention in the European collections presented at MEK from their particular perspective. The programme aimed at ample and mutual knowledge exchange between the participant and German museum professionals.
In the second part of the programme, a museum professional from Germany will collaborate on-site with a museum in Zambia.
Senegal/Switzerland – July 2019
ICOM Secretariat and ICOM Switzerland launched an exchange programme between Swiss and Senegalese museum professionals, with a Senegalese museum professional hosted at the Château de Prangins and other Swiss institutions.
The participant followed a personalised programme organised around meetings with specialists from Swiss museums. The main part of the programme was at the Château de Prangins, in addition to visits to the Landes Museum in Zurich, home of the Swiss National Museum, and to several other cities in Switzerland to give the Senegalese museum professional insight into the Swiss museum world.
The participant had the opportunity to participate in the preparation of a module for the future permanent exhibition of the museum, dedicated to the history of Indian women, printed cotton fabrics used as currency, and exchange for slaves in the context of the 17th and 18th centuries triangular trade of which Senegal was one of the hubs.
As the second part of the exchange programme a Swiss museum professional will be invited to a study visit to Dakar (Senegal). Here ImagiNation Afrika, the host institution, will offer the selected participant two weeks of immersion in the museum and education world of Dakar, through visits, meetings and collaborations. The exchange will focus on the co-creation of educational materials for the Henriette Bathily Women’s Museum in Dakar, the only museum dedicated to women in the country.
