Day 1: Friday, 20 November 2026

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**Pre-Conference Registration Desk available at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe on Thursday, 19 November, from 10:00-17:00 hrs.**

DAY 1: Friday, 20 November 2026 at Harare International Convention Center (HICC)

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 – 14:00 hrs.) 

* Times and order may be subject to change.

  • 7:30 hrs. Bus departure (sharp) from Bronte The Garden Hotel, Hyatt Regency Hotel, and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (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. Bus departure (sharp) from all Conference hotels for all other delegates and attendees (pick-up point outside each hotel)
  • 8:30 – 9:15 hrs. Registration and Welcome Coffee
  • 9:15 – 9:30 hrs. Welcome Performance by Albert Nyathi
  • 9:30 – 9:55 hrs. Official Opening Remarks by:

- Raphael Chikukwa, Executive Director, National Gallery of Zimbabwe

- Amanda de la Garza, President of CIMAM

- Antonio Rodriguez, President of ICOM

- Jean-Paul Koudougou, President of ICOM Africa

- Its Hon. Minister Lt. Gen (Rtd), Ambassador A.N Sanyatwe, Minister of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture of Zimbabwe

- Justice (Rtd) Maphios Cheda, Board Chairperson, National Gallery of Zimbabwe Board of Trustees

  • 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 – 11:30 hrs. Special Address by the Head of State and Government of Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa
  • 11:40 – 13:00 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

  • 13:15 – 13:35 hrs. Introduction of the CIMAM 2026 OMPA Awardees by Kamini Sawhney (CIMAM Board member and Chair of the OMPA Committee), who will invite the award recipients onto the stage to receive their recognition, followed by the introduction of the CIMAM 2026 Travel Grant Awardees by Pablo Lafuente (CIMAM Board member and member of the Travel Grants Committee).
  • 13:40 – 13:55 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.

  • 13:55 – 14:00 hrs. Group Photo
  • 14:00 – 15:15 hrs. Lunch break onsite

Afternoon Program (15:30 – 18:30 hrs.)

* Times and order may be subject to change.

  • 15:30 hrs. Bus departure (sharp) from the conference venue for Curated Studio Visits and Cultural Encounters
  1. Animal Farm Artist Residency
  2. Chitungwiza Art Centre
  3. Mbare Art Space
  4. NGSVAD (National Gallery School of Visual Art and Design)
  5. Post Studio Arts Collective

→ 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

Useful links: