Museums across the world are participating in the “Ask a Curator” event, which uses social networking service Twitter to let the public ask questions to the people curating some of the biggest cultural establishments across the globe. With over 300 experts participating in 23 countries, you can find out the answer to all those questions you may have been wondering regarding the behind-the-scenes runnings of a museum, such as how big those hidden basements full of artefacts (Check out the Basement of the Cairo Museum in this Video) really are, and how does a museum decide what exhibitions to put on? They might even know some of the answers to Heritage Key’s History FAQ!
You can join in the event by signing up to Twitter and then using the “Ask a Curator” website to find the museum in particular you’d like to ask a question to. Alternatively, you can ask a general question to all the museums participating in the event by just adding the hashtag #askacurator.
The event is organised by museum marketing specialist Jim Richardson, who was also behind the popular Follow A Museum Day on Twitter earlier this year to raise public awareness of arts and cultural institutions using the social network.
The ancient world picks of the museums involved include the British Museum in London, as well as the Horniman Museum and home of a full-length replica of the Bayeux Tapestry, Reading Museum. Wider afield, the Freer and Sackler Galleries at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC are participating, as is the Dallas Museum of Art which recently hosted the King Tut exhibition tour.
Once you’ve got your Twitter account, be sure to follow @heritagekey to keep up to date on the latest in archaeology and the ancient world!