On 15 March 2016, the MoMS – Museum of Modern Show-lighting – played host to a delegation of headteachers and teachers from a dozen schools in the province of Bergamo (Italy). The occasion was sponsored by the provincial education authority and saw the participation of an inspector from the Italian Ministry of Education.
The event was organized to present the MoMS officially to schools and launch a series of benefits for school children who visit the museum. The MoMS is not just a company museum; it hosts a multimedia system with a precise educational mission. The museum has a study centre consisting of a historical archive and a multimedia room which, along with the showroom, is the ideal venue for conferences, workshops and training courses for show lighting professionals, students of vocational schools and universities, and enthusiasts of this constantly evolving industry, which combines entertainment with the most advanced technology.
The teachers at the meeting were taken on a guided tour of the museum, after which they also visited the study centre and the showroom, where they saw a light show. After that, the services and benefits the MoMS museum system can offer to schools were explained in more detail. Besides expressing their appreciation for the facilities, the guests also suggested other ways of working together with local educational institutions.
The following practical arrangements were agreed upon: visits to the MoMS may be organized from Monday to Friday (except public holidays) from 09:00 am to 5:30 pm. Entrance is free and bookings must be sent to the Museum Manager – Pietro Nozza – at pietro.nozza@claypaky.it. The museum capacity is limited to groups of up to twenty people, so larger classes will have to be split into shifts. The guided tour of the museum lasts about an hour. The visit to the museum can also be combined with a light show that lasts about 15 minutes. The chance to attend a light show is, however, subject to the availability of the technical staff.
The main purpose of the meeting was to let as many educational institutions as possible have the chance to visit the Clay Paky company museum. Given the enthusiasm this first event was met with, the provincial education authority has decided to organize another similar event on 24 May 2016.