21 March 2012

Canberra linking up with the Smithsonian

| johnboy
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Andrew Barr has the news that Canberra’s cultural institutions are going to be partnering with Washington DC’s Smithsonian:

Today I was delighted to launch the National Capital Exchange Program (NCEP), a new initiative to foster the exchange of ideas, expertise and learning between the ACT and the Washington DC-based Smithsonian – the world’s largest museum and research complex.

The first stage of NCEP will involve the education managers of many of the ACT’s cultural institutions and national attractions travelling to the USA this May. The visit to the USA will:

• Allow ACT-based staff to learn from the extensive expertise of their Smithsonian colleagues in providing public education and cultural programs;
• Develop long-term partnerships between Canberra’s attractions and institutions and the Smithsonian’s many museums and galleries, and;
• Foster increased collaboration among the ACT’s cultural institutions and attractions.

During my trade mission to the USA last November I met with Smithsonian staff, and explored ways in which the ACT’s national and cultural institutions could learn from and collaborate with their counterparts in the US capital. I am pleased that Canberra-based staff will now benefit from active collaboration with the Smithsonian.

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This is a wonderful initiative. Australia is the only country never to have been featured in a Smithsonian thing. Canberra already has the open space and the national institutions to make this work – National Library, National Museum, Questacon, Museum of Australian Democracry, National Film and Sound Archive and the National Folk Festival – there is a huge natural synergy between those national institutions and the NCEP would be on a winner to combine them to mirror what the Smithy does. Which is unutterably brilliant.

AsparagusSyndrome12:54 am 22 Mar 12

I’m getting old. I really should wear my glasses when looking at the computer screen. For a moment, that second small photo looked like something else.

I hope the new program goes well.

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