Day 1: Friday, 20 November 2026
DAY 1: Friday, 20 November 2026 at Harare International Convention Center
Good Museum Practice
"Best practices" has long been defined by Western institutional norms, but in a world of asymmetrical power and cultural plurality, what does “best” mean, and for whom? Might “good practices” – implying effectiveness, adaptability, and context specificity – offer a better ethical framework? This session reconsiders the foundations of museum ethics and governance from multiple perspectives: Indigenous and community-based museologies, African and diasporic models of stewardship, and frameworks that prioritize care, reciprocity, and sustainability over ownership and authority. We will reflect on what it means to build institutions that do not merely preserve culture but genuinely embody cultural care as practice – in conservation, interpretation, and collaboration.
Building on the day’s central theme, the morning program will explore four key subthemes:
- Subtheme 1: The Museum as Ecosystem: Interdependence, Maintenance, and Mutual Aid
- Subtheme 2: Museums and Policy: Negotiating National, Regional, and Global Responsibilities
- Subtheme 3: The Economics of Ethics: Funding, Transparency, and the Political Will
- Subtheme 4: Collections in Motion: Repatriation, Restitution, and Rebuilding Trust
Morning Program (8:30 – 13:30 hrs.)
* Times and order may be subject to change.
- 7:30 hrs. Pick up from Bronte The Garden Hotel and Hyatt Regency Hotel (ONLY for Travel Grantees, Travel Grant Funders and CIMAM Board members)
- 8:00 – 9:15 hrs. Welcome Coffee (ONLY for Travel Grantees, Travel Grant Funders and CIMAM Board members)
- 8:15 hrs. Pick-up from all Hotels for all other delegates and attendees
- 8:30 – 9:15 hrs. Registration and Welcome Coffee
- 9:15 – 9:30 hrs. Welcome Performance
- 9:30 – 9:55 hrs. Official Opening Remarks
- 9:55 – 10:00 hrs. Introduction to the Day & Conference Overview by Elvira Dyangani Ose, Chair of the 2026 Content Steering Committee, and CIMAM Board member.
- 10:00 – 10:40 hrs. Keynote Speech: "What are we keeping alive when we keep an institution alive?" by Gabi Ngcobo, Director, Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 10:40 – 11:00 hrs. Musical Interlude & Coffee Break
- 11:00 – 12:30 hrs. Conference delegates will take part in Breakout Sessions exploring the four key subthemes of the day:
- Subtheme 1: The Museum as Ecosystem: Interdependence, Maintenance, and Mutual Aid
- Subtheme 2: Museums and Policy: Negotiating National, Regional, and Global Responsibilities
- Subtheme 3: The Economics of Ethics: Funding, Transparency, and the Political Will
- Subtheme 4: Collections in Motion: Repatriation, Restitution, and Rebuilding Trust
- 12:40 – 13:10 hrs. Introduction to the CIMAM 2026 OMPA Awardees by Kamini Sawhney (CIMAM Board member and Chair of the OMPA Committee), and to the CIMAM 2026 Travel Grant Awardees by Clara Kim (CIMAM Board member and Chair of the Travel Grants Committee)
- 13:15 – 13:30 hrs. Chronist: Meleko Mokgosi, Contemporary Artist and Yale Associate Professor, Yale University, Wellesley, United States
The Chronist will offer an interpretative reading of the day’s key discussions and insights, weaving together reflections from the keynote lectures and breakout sessions.
- 13:30 – 14:30 hrs. Lunch break onsite
Afternoon Program (15:00 – 18:30 hrs.)
* Exact timings for this day will be announced shortly.
- 15:00 – 18:30 hrs. Transportation to Curated Studio Visits and Cultural Encounters
- Studio 1: Mbare Art Space
- Studio 2: National Gallery School of Visual Arts and Design (NGSVAD)
- National Museum of Human Sciences
- Animal Farm Artist Residency
- Post Studio Arts Collective
- Chitungwiza Art Centre
→ Explore the full list and learn more about each venue here.
Evening Program (19:00 – 22:00 hrs.)
- 19:00 – 22:00 hrs. Dinner hosted by The Bouckaert Family Trust at their residence in Greendale
- 22:00 hrs. Transportation back to Conference Hotels