CIMCIM is the acronym for Comité international pour les musées et collections d’instruments et de musique (International Committee for Museums and Collections of Instruments and Music; Comité internacional para museos y colecciones de instrumentos y de música).

CIMCIM is one of 31 international committees of ICOM, the International Council of Museums, and was established in 1960.

CIMCIM aims to promote high professional standards in the use and conservation of musical instruments in museums and collections.

MISSION

As an international committee, CIMCIM works within the framework of ICOM in fostering connections amongst, advocating for and advising museums and collections of musical instruments and music of all kinds.

As an organization that promotes high-professional standards, CIMCIM supports ICOM’s Code of Ethics in providing a global platform to discuss state-of-the-art, best-practice solutions related to tangible and intangible musical heritage, particularly in the context of museums.

As a worldwide and inclusive committee, CIMCIM aims at a mutual understanding of different cultural practices and viewpoints with respect to musical instruments and music in supporting active dialogue and exchange between all stakeholders.

 

MEETINGS

CIMCIM meets normally every three years during the ICOM General Conferences and in each of the other two years organizes a special meeting, usually including symposium papers and museum visits. Meetings are held in different countries of the world: recent venues have included New York, Paris and Brussels, Rome, Edinburgh, Vienna, and Vermillion, South Dakota.

Professional matters where international co-operation is advantageous are discussed in detail in CIMCIM’s Working Groups, which are set up as needs arise. The deliberations of Working Groups are usually published as CIMCIM Publications.

The Next conference (Beyond the Object and Back, the Role of Collections in Music Museums) will be held in London (Royal College of Music – Horniman Museum and Gardens), 6-10 September 2020.

 

JOIN US

Membership of CIMCIM is personal, and is open to personal and institutional members of ICOM. Under special circumstances, non-members of ICOM can be co-opted. Benefits of membership include invitation to annual meetings, the CIMCIM Bulletin, voting rights at business meetings (held during the annual meetings), and the opportunity to participate in Working Groups.

Services offered by CIMCIM to members and non-members alike include a series of publications and CIMCIM-L, an e-mail discussion forum devoted to topics of relevance to the use and care of musical instruments in museums.

Updated on February 2020