Sharjah Museums Department celebrates

Sharjah Museums Department, SMD, is marking International Museum Day and celebrating its tenth anniversary with a review of its successes over the past decade and a raft of new measures to improve visitor experiences. 

The department was founded in 2006 by H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, with a mandate to support Emirati, Arab and Islamic heritage and to further the appreciation of culture and the arts among the wider community. 

Since then, SMD has managed and developed 16 of the region's finest museums, covering science, the arts, archaeology, Islamic civilisation, the marine world, calligraphy, Sharjah's history and much more. The department will celebrate International Museum Day on May 18th by reviewing past successes and planning its strategy over the next decade. 

Objectives include greatly expanding its public education programme, increasing specialised training for tour guides and curators, improving museum accessibility, and hosting more prestigious local and international exhibitions. 

Manal Ataya, Director-General of Sharjah Museums Department, said, "This significant anniversary presents us with the perfect opportunity to look back on the past ten years and ensure we are aligned with our objectives. 

"When Sheikh Sultan launched SMD in 2006, he did so with the intention of it becoming a driving force for the appreciation of local heritage, culture, and the arts. He also wanted it to spearhead education campaigns for children so that they would grow up with a deep understanding of our heritage and the world around us. 

"Since launching as a relatively small organisation and gradually expanding to where we are now, SMD has constantly sought to fulfil Sheikh Sultan's objective and we will find new ways of doing so through bigger and better initiatives, partnerships, and facilities." 

SMD's development over the past ten years has seen it develop into a well-structured governmental department with clearly-defined roles for its sub-departments and 16 museums. 

Past museum projects have included the opening of Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and Sharjah Aquarium in 2008, and Sharjah Maritime Museum in 2009. The past four years have seen the reopening of Sharjah Heritage Museum and Sharjah Classic Cars Museum, as well as the completion of the Sharjah Fort restoration project and museum reinterpretation and design. 

Visitor numbers at SMD's museums have grown gradually over the years, building on strong ties with the community and gaining many loyal visitors from school groups and universities who benefit from the vast resources of the museums in their academic pursuits, to resident families and tourists who are always looking for unique cultural experiences. Since its inception in 2006, SMD has increased visitor numbers by about 60%. The growth is linked to a twin strategy of attracting overseas visitors to notable exhibitions and collections, and building a loyal following among local community members. 

One of SMD's main achievements has been to attract exhibitions from some of the most prestigious museums in the world, including, but not limited to, The Tate, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Vatican Museums, the Berlin Museum of Islamic Art, the Cobra Museum of Modern Art, Netherlands, and the Gibran National Committee, Lebanon. 

It has also entered into international partnerships with organisations including the Berlin State Museums and the Goethe Institute, as well as the Museum with No Frontiers NGO. Many local partnerships have also been built, including with the University of Sharjah, Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, Sharjah Education Zone and the Mohammed bin Rashid Smart Learning Programme. 

SMD's achievements have extended to social responsibility initiatives including marine clean ups, blood donation campaigns, and Iftar events for the elderly and orphans. It has also made its museums more accessible to people with different disabilities through such initiatives as Touch Tours for the visually impaired, material in large print and Braille, tour guides who use sign language, and workshops specially geared towards the disabled. 

SMD has marked its tenth anniversary by launching a four-point strategy to maintain its objectives and improve its service. It covers extending SMD's educational role, expanding its training scheme for administrators and museum-based guides and curators, building stronger partnerships with local, regional and international organisations to be able to attract even more prestigious exhibitions and furthering its ‘Museums are Available to All' programme of improving museum access and integration for visitors with different disabilities. 

The initiative has already seen wheelchair access points installed in all museums, the provision of guides who can communicate in sign language, and the availability of museum booklets in Braille and large print.