Since 1985, the CAM Basic Certificate in Museum Studies has provided a convenient way to access training while continuing to work in your local museum. You do not require a university degree to register. The programme provides an introduction to the history and purpose of museums and the basic procedures involved in museum operation. It is divided into seven units of study: an introduction; organisation and management; collections; conservation; exhibitions; education & public programmes; and the role of museums in society and is designed to be completed within one year. Your work with the CAM distance learning programme coordinator and a local tutor, are evaluated based upon unit tests, an essay, a final exam and special project, and receive a certificate. CAM currently has students in the Caribbean, Africa and the United Kingdom.
If you would like to learn how you can do your job more effectively, how you can improve your museum, its collections, exhibitions and programmes, and how your museum can contribute to your community, please contact us to learn more about the CAM distance learning programme and how you can participate.
“I found I was better prepared to work in museums after having done the CAM DLP than graduates of museology programmes, when I got to the point in my career that I was hiring them. It’s good for the basics, the foundations; what you build on that is up to you.” – Mrinalini Venkateswaran, Museum Consultant at Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum and Doctoral candidate in History, University of Cambridge
“The CAM distance learning course opened up a world of possibilities for me within the museum world. It also gave me a better understanding and appreciation of what each person does at the museum, from the cleaner to the conservator to the curator to the CEO. It is definitely a must for EVERYONE working at museums” – Annelize Kotze, Iziko South African Museum
The CAM International Internship Programme is temporarily on hold. Please stay tuned for further updates. Thank you for your understanding.
CAM coordinates an annual International Internship Programme, providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for one or two recent Canadian university graduates a year to work internationally throughout the Commonwealth.
Since the programme was introduced in 1997, CAM has arranged internships for more than 35 interns who have spent six months, from October 1- March 31 each year, working in museums and related organisations in Africa, the Caribbean, the South Pacific, India, and the UK. These internships provide invaluable assistance to the host institutions and CAM, as well as a unique international work experience for the interns.
If your museum is interested in hosting an intern, please contact commonwealthmuseums@gmail.com for further information. The deadline for funding applications is the end of February, with announcements usually in June. It does take some time to develop a strong learning opportunity that will benefit both your institution and the intern’s career development so inquire early.
If you are Canadian, have graduated within the past 2 years, are under the age of 30, and are interested in a unique work experience, watch the CMA’s Job Board for announcements.
CAM is grateful for funding received from the Young Canada Works at Building Careers in Heritage Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage administered by the Canadian Museums Association.
“As an intern with CAM, I worked on so many exciting projects, both internationally for CAM – working on a Caribbean-Canadian Museum Exchange and gaining experience in networking and grant writing – and developing and installing an exhibition at the National Gallery, while also working with different departments for a well-rounded experience.” – Shona MacKay, CAM Intern
“I interned with CAM at the Vanuatu Cultural Centre in Port-Vila, Vanuatu where I produced an exhibit and educational material on ni-vanuatu women and kastoms. Thanks to this internship, I developed practical museum skills and international experience working in culture and heritage. I am now the Museum Coordinator of a local Museum and Archives in Greater Vancouver, BC.” – Kanchan Lal, PoCo Heritage Museum and Archives.
The Commonwealth Association of Museums hosts an international conference every three years to discuss contemporary themes and case studies in post-colonial museology. Due to the impact of Covid-19 on international travel, our 2023 conference was postponed to 2024. We are excited to be returning in 2024 and look forward to gathering with our global CAM community once again.
“The View from Here: Sustainability, Community and Knowledge Systems”
Our next triennial symposium will be held in Auckland, New Zealand from March 3rd to 8th, 2024. We are delighted to partner with host organizations the Auckland War Memorial Museum and Waikato Museum.
Registration is now open! Please visit our conference website to register and for more information including accommodation options and visa requirements.
Click here to visit the conference website.
The Commonwealth Association of Museums 2024 Triennial Conference will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, under the title: The View from Here: Sustainability, Community and Knowledge Systems.
Auckland’s unique place in the South Pacific links us to many nations and communities who are living with the effects of disruption. Whether through the legacy and impacts of climate change, colonisation or political unrest, diaspora communities are increasing in number and complexity in the Asia Pacific region. Our location, both geographically and historically, profoundly influences our perceptions, our identities and our responses to these challenges. Worldwide, each museum confronting these issues will have a similarly unique perspective.
Museums are not neutral spaces; they have a key social role of connectivity and engagement. We must work within and beyond the walls of our institutions in new and dynamic ways. Museums are shifting the power of the colonial collecting institution to a model of shared authority and multiple indigenous and diasporic viewpoints. Connecting and engaging diverse communities with the big questions of our time, enriched through intergenerational learning and a deeper understanding of place, provide important opportunities for social cohesion and wellbeing.
CAM invites the museum community to Auckland to explore the role of museums in a world that is changing demographically and environmentally, and to share and discuss their unique perspectives on common experiences and challenges. Of most value to this agenda, space will be made for indigenous-to-indigenous discussion and reflection. Under an umbrella theme of kaitiakitanga (guardianship), keynotes, workshops and facilitated discussions will be held on the subjects of:
Sustainability: both institutional sustainability and sustainability in an era of climate change and a changing world.
Community: experience of and potentiality for refocussing museums to address changing populations, including recent migration and diasporas. Enacting social change through addressing decolonisation, reconciliation and community engagement.
Knowledge Systems and Practices: bringing different lenses or non-western perspectives to museum systems. Moving the leadership of the discussion of decolonisation and Indigenisation away from of ex-colonial powers, and towards First Nations.
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS NOW OPEN!
The CAM symposium provides a unique opportunity for delegates from across the Commonwealth and beyond to gather and share experiences and discuss issues facing the sector. To facilitate opportunities for wider discussions and debates, the symposium will be formatted around speaker ‘provocations’, facilitated discussions and feedback sessions. With facilitated discussions as the principal method of sharing knowledge and experience, we hope this will help museums face a challenging future for cultural heritage and climate.
The host institutions invite contributors to participate in the programme. Delegates can choose to contribute to a range of activities and roles:
Conference Workshops/Discussions
Each session will begin with a panel discussion comprising up to 3 presenters who will speak to one of the themes and end their talk with a series of questions or discussion points to support the workshops that follow.
- Presenters (mixture of invitees and proposals) – to provide 15 minutes long provocations for delegates to explore and discuss during the conference workshops and discussions. These provocations must address a theme, draw on personal experience and pose questions for discussion for the workshop that will follow.
- Facilitators – to work with groups of delegates to assist and progress the discussions, including facilitating any mini-presentations within the workshop sessions. To help shape workshop outcomes for the benefit of the group.
- Scribes – to record the group discussions and provide a short summary to the conference at the end of each day.
Sharing Space
On the Tuesday evening of the programme, we will have an auditorium available to show short films, performances or other stage events. In our event centre delegates can set up ‘stalls’ to share posters, projects or information about their work, heritage institution, or membership group. This is an opportunity to share local activities with a global audience.
- Delegates to provide posters, music / dance performances or short films for an evening highlighting engagement with national, local or First Nations collections or communities. • Bring along information about your place of work, website, research project etc. to share with delegates informally.
Participants wanting to contribute should send a proposal in Word of 250 words, detailing how your work or experience will speak to one or more of the conference themes. If you are interested in contributing to the sharing space, please outline any technical or furniture requirements.
Send this, along with a 100-word biography, to Chantal Knowles or Ian Proctor at CAM2024@aucklandmuseum.com by 31st August 2023.
Click the link below to download the full Call for Contributions:
Call for Contributions – CAM 2024
Summary:
Conference Date: 3-8th March 2024
Locations: Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum and Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato.
Events: Pōwhiri and cultural protocols, site visits, introductory addresses, workshops and discussions, networking events, cultural showcase, gala dinner, CAM Annual General Meeting.
New Zealand:
New Zealand is situated in the south-western Pacific Ocean. Due to its remote position it was one of the last large landmasses to be settled, with Eastern Polynesian people arriving on these shores between 1200CE and 1400CE, over time developing a distinct Māori culture and identity. European contact and British colonisation occurred from the late eighteenth century with significant British settlement after the 1840s. Today, following periods of European, Pacific peoples and Asian migration, New Zealand has a diverse population, with 72% of the population identifying as being of European descent, 16% Māori, 9% Pacific peoples and 15% Asian. Over 27% of New Zealand’s population was born overseas, the majority living in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest, most ethnically diverse city.
New Zealand Host Organisations:
Auckland War Memorial Museum | Tāmaki Paenga Hira is one of New Zealand’s oldest and largest cultural and research institutions, with internationally recognised Natural Science, Human History and Documentary Heritage collection. The Museum’s collections and exhibitions tell the story of New Zealand, its place in the Pacific and its people. The building and institution also hold a significant role as Auckland’s principal war memorial.
Waikato Museum | Te Whare Taonga o Waikato‘s exhibitions, events and programmes tell the stories of the Waikato region, from a regional and global perspective, and include visual art, social history, tangata whenua and science from touring exhibitions, and the museum’s own collections. The Museum’s 13 galleries feature more than 25 new exhibitions and 100 public events annually. Through this interactive programme, the museum aims to engage and inspire local and international visitors.
The Commonwealth Association of Museums is delighted to be partnering with the Auckland War Memorial Museum | Tāmaki Paenga Hira and Waikato Museum | Te Whare Taonga o Waikato in New Zealand, and the Manitoba Museum in Canada for our 2024 conference.
This conference is in person only. Where possible sessions will be recorded, these will be shared afterwards.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! Please visit our conference website for registration and more information – including hotel recommendations, visa information, etc.
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/visit/whats-on/commonwealth-association-of-museums-2024-triennial
Pricing
| Prices in NZD | Country Zone 1 | Country Zone 2 | Country Zone 3 | Country Zone 4 / Students | Last available date (23:59 GMT+12) |
| Earlybird | $600.00 | $500.00 | $440.00 | $380.00 | 13/12/2023 |
| General | $660.00 | $565.00 | $500.00 | $430.00 | 12/01/2024 |
| Late | $750.00 | $650.00 | $590.00 | $500.00 | 30/02/2024 |
Prices are based on CAM membership zones, in line with World Bank country classifications. Should you have any financial barriers to attendance, please contact CAM2024@aucklandmuseum.com
For any other CAM related inquiries, please contact commonwealthmuseums@gmail.com.
Participants in the Commonwealth Association of Museums (CAM)’s Triennial General Conference, Living Forward, Looking Back: Museum Practice for Postcolonial Futures met at the Iziko Museums of South Africa in Cape Town from March 9-15, 2020 to discuss various museums’ approaches to confronting difficult histories. Nearly 100 participants came from 22 countries, including both Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth nations, indicative of the fact that Europe has also begun to address the issues of repatriation, restitution and reconciliation that have been such a part of CAM’s work since the mid-1990s.
Commonwealth countries included: Australia, Botswana, Canada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Seychelles, South Africa, Trinidad, and Tobago, United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe; and non-Commonwealth countries included: Austria, Croatia, Lithuania, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, and the United States.
Participants gathered at the 2017 CAM Triennial Conference in Okotoks, Alberta
CAM organises regional workshops periodically. These workshops are either organised in partnership with local museums and heritage organisations:
- In advance of the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) or the triennial Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) to draw the attention of Heads of Government or Ministers of Education respectively to the role of museums in addressing the themes of these high-level Commonwealth meetings;
- Related to a specific ongoing project (e.g., four workshops were organised related to the Human Remains Management Project, 2017-2020, three related to Migration:Cities, 2017-2018, and two upcoming workshops are being organised as part of the Caribbean-Canadian Museum Exchange; or
- In responses to a request from the host institution to address a particular regional need (e.g., Access and Inclusion in South Asia, 2016 & 2019 and Disaster Risk Management in the Caribbean, 2013).
Join us for our upcoming workshop on Saturday 4 March 2023 in Winnipeg, Canada! Globally Grassroots: Connecting the International Museum Community will be hosted in partnership with the Manitoba Museum and feature speakers from across our global network.
Visit our event page to learn more:
https://commonwealthassociationofmuseums.org/2022/10/13/globally-grassroots-connecting-the-international-museum-community/
Register today on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/globally-grassroots-connecting-the-international-museum-community-tickets-428770372727
The Commonwealth Association of Museums continues to create and share free publications for the international museum community. Over the years, museums have become more focused on access and inclusion. We create publications on a range of topics, including: children’s programming, disability access, indigenous perspectives, women’s rights and more.
The Commonwealth Association of Museums has published a bulletin to its members for over a decade. The CAM Bulletin keeps members up to date with the latest CAM activities, events and opportunities. We encourage our members to share their ideas and to use our network to raise awareness for special projects.