Cultural Campaign to Prevent from Coronavirus by Iranian Museums

How do museums stand with people in the time of crisis?
Cultural Campaign to Prevent from Coronavirus by Iranian Museums

Today's concept of a museum goes beyond its walls. In fact, curatorship cannot be limited to activities inside of the museum. On one hand, the Internet and new technologies have increased the speed of inclusiveness of the museum, and on the other hand, the role of museums in responding to the concerns, needs, and crises that societies face is becoming more pronounced. Today, museums are a platform for cultural responses to human challenges. Regarding the critical conditions of society due to the spread of the Coronavirus, the best response from museums is the avoid of in-person services and a focus on virtual services. According to doctors' advice, the best way to prevent this virus is staying at home. So the main issue of museums can focus on the question: How to increase the motivation to stay at home through culture? The simplest answer in terms of strategic management is to produce cultural content and use social media to share it. Curators, like doctors, nurses, and other strata of crisis, can help and be responsible for society. The project can be implemented as a virtual tour of a museum visit or telling stories about museum objects through the museum's Instagram page. Any museum can have an idea for this program. In the absence of museum staff in the workplace, there is even the possibility of producing content at home. This idea can serve as a cultural dynamic to help Iranians in these critical situations (Mohammad Hekmat, 2020 Feb 27, translated from Persian by blog author)

In this regard, some of Iranian museums and curators have joined the campaign.

One of the most precious educational public programs in Iran museums is "Reading in the Museum", by Leila Kafashzadeh. Picking a book, reading it with other audiences in a museum and then discussing it, is a way that Leila chose to attract the audience's attention to the unique world of every written story or literature in general in the unique world of museums.
On 28th February 2020, one of the series of this program was on Instagram live ( 9 pm Tehran time) because of the Coronavirus epidemic, also to raise audiences' awareness about the importance of chivalry with the presence of book author, Ms. Erfan Nazar Ahari.

Reading in the Museum Program (Instagram Live)

Watch here: Reading in the Museum Program (Instagram Live)

At the same time, the campaign has started a movement against anti-Asian racism with the introduction of Wuhan and its museums.

Instagram Post of Campaign about Wuhan, China

The Wuhan museums that earlier in 2019 visited by some Iranian Curators, Sara Kariman has introduced through the Instagram account of the campaign.

Hubei Regional Museum, Wuhan, China

Hubei Museum of Art, Wuhan, China

For more details: Wuhan's Museums

There was also a Live visit of Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran (Persian: Abgineh Museum), through the museum's Instagram account. (To watch click on the name of the museum)

Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran Instagram Live

And last not least was the virtual visit of the National Museum of Iran.

To watch click on Museum of Ancient Iran

and Museum of Islamic Archaeology and Art of Iran

For more details visit the Instagram account of the campaign