Location: Ethnographic Museum of the City of Split

Date: May 16, 2026, from 11:00 AM

On the occasion of International Museum Day, which is being celebrated this year under the theme “Museums Unite a Divided World,” the Ethnographic Museum Split has prepared a special program dedicated to dialogue, community building, and the importance of cultural diversity.

The central part of the program is a unique musical project developed through workshops with foreign workers who live and work in Split. Participants learned to perform traditional Dalmatian songs, connecting their own cultural identities with the local musical heritage. The result of this process will be a joint concert featuring Croatian traditional songs as well as songs from the participants’ home countries, creating a meeting of different cultures through music.

After the performance, visitors will have the opportunity to take part in a moderated discussion and learn more about the stories, experiences, and cultural heritage of the choir members. The program will be further enriched by a performance from “Opančići,” the youngest section of Folklore Ensemble Jedinstvo.

Visitors will also be able to view the mini-exhibition “The Emotional Life of Objects,” which offers a different, more personal perspective from the museum’s curators on selected museum objects—not only as witnesses to the past, but also as carriers of emotions, memories, and personal stories. Through their selection of objects, as well as personal comments and associations, the curators open up space for a more intimate and contemporary interpretation of museum collections and establish a new form of communication with the audience.

Through this program, the Ethnographic Museum Split aims to encourage reflection on the role of museums as places of encounter, understanding, and connection in a time of social and cultural divisions.

We invite you to join us in celebrating International Museum Day through music, conversation, and a shared cultural experience.