On July 5th, 2023, Wednesday, at 6 PM GMT+4, ICOM Georgia is organizing an online seminar on the New Museum Definition. The seminar aims to introduce, discuss, and analyze the new definition, which aligns with the significant changes in the role of museums and acknowledges the importance of inclusivity, community participation, and sustainability.

The seminar will be facilitated by Lauran Bonilla-Merchav and Bruno Brulon Soares, Chairs of the ICOM Definition Standing Committee, and moderated by Lana Karaia, Chair of ICOM Georgia.

During the 26th ICOM General Conference held in Prague on August 24th, 2022, a historical event unfolded as the ICOM Extraordinary General Assembly approved a new museum definition with an overwhelming 92.4% approval rating. This momentous vote served as the culmination of an 18-month participatory process that engaged hundreds of museum professionals from 126 National Committees worldwide. The newly approved definition is as follows:

“A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.”

During the seminar, the official Georgian translation of the New Museum Definition will be introduced. Following the seminar, it will be distributed for implementation to all Georgian museums, as well as to governmental and private entities involved in the museum and heritage field in the country.