Latest Issue of ICOM Education Addresses Cultural Action

  The International Committee for Education and Cultural Action (CECA), one of the oldest committees within the International Council of Museums (ICOM), has recently published the latest issue of its ICOM Education periodical, entitled "Cultural action". The publication collects literature reviews, case studies and professional views addressing the origin and the present meaning of the term 'cultural action'. In her introduction to ICOM Education 28, editor Stéphanie Wintzerith explains that, although the term 'cultural action' is included in CECA's name, its exact implications are difficult to determine by many, including its members. This led the CECA board to undertake an exploration of the term, through a range of tools, including an online survey, a multilingual glossary and some forthcoming discussions. The publication of an issue of ICOM Education devoted to this theme is part of this process, with the ultimate aim of understanding the origin of 'cultural action' and its present meaning(s), and exploring on the one hand the concepts and underlying ideas, and on the other hand its implementation in and by museums. In the editor's view, 'the results of this exploration widely overmatched our expectations'. The issue opens with a chapter that traces the origin and development of CECA, followed by a section dedicated to reviewing literature on museums and cultural action available in several countries. Following this, a set of contributions present the perspective of those who deal with cultural action on a day-to-day basis, including museum educators and other professionals involved in cultural action within museums. Several specific examples and case studies are presented thereafter. The publication closes with a set of shorter project descriptions, coming from different corners of the world. Overall, ICOM Education 28 involves contributions from authors in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany and Spain. The publication is available as a free download on ICOM CECA's website at http://network.icom.museum/ceca/publications/icom-education/