Our common culture is concentrated in those institutions of predominantly public character concerned with documenting, holding exhibitions and spreading information about what is called cultural heritage. Museums are centres that carry out the tasks of research, conservation and storage of collections and that guarantee their preservation for future generations. In order to get closer to the society that gives them their reason to exist, museums organise more participatory awareness-raising activities, exhibitions and events which display what it is they do to ever larger groups from the general public. As part of this work, the latest idea of opening museum doors outside their usual opening hours is being very well received.
This year, the fourth edition of A Night at the Museums (May 17 th ) has demonstrated, through both the number of proposed activities and attendance numbers, the need to revise the nature of the “classic” participatory events offered by these cultural centres. A Night at the Museums is promoted by the Council of Europe and organised in parallel with ICOM's International Museum Day. The participation of the more than 2,000 European museums which opened their doors that night has succeeded in attracting large numbers of the public, in particular young people, and creating innovative ideas that reveal museums to be lively, cultural spaces. More than one and a half million visitors to the participating European museums in just one night is a fact that invites reflection.