On Friday, November 3, 2017, the Researchers and Curators Committee of the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) will be hosting the Annual IOJ Research Symposium 2017, to be held at the IOJ’s Lecture Theatre, 10 – 16 East Street, Kingston. Registration will begin at 9:30 am and is open to the public at no charge. The symposium features a series of presentations from IOJ divisional representatives on a variety of research areas pertinent to the work of the Institute as well as the wider local cultural landscape and infrastructure. The National Gallery of Jamaica will be represented by Mr. Dwayne Lyttle, Curatorial Assistant in the NGJ’s Education Department.
For this year’s symposium, the presentations will be made under the theme Research, Museum Education and Outreach. In today’s world, museums make important interventions in the field of education and community development, though this is not generally recognized by the wider community in Jamaica. Given the current focus on financial sustainability, research (especially within the museum space) is dismissed as being academic and not contributing to the overall wellbeing of society. Within the institutional structure of the IOJ, research and education outreach is integral to the IOJ fulfilling its mandate as cultural and educational space. Presentations will focus on the ways in which research and education outreach contributes to and enriches the conceptualization of IOJ exhibitions and displays, and educational programming associated with the national collection.
The IOJ Researchers and Curators Committee cordially invites the public to attend the symposium to listen and our presenters, as well as to enliven the follow-up discussion segments.
