A Night at the Museum, a fundraiser to ensure Greek history and culture is embedded in the mind of all Australian students, will take place at the Hellenic Museum on Saturday 5 December.

Organised by AHEPA Youth, the event itself will enable guests to immerse themselves in the treasures of Greek history and raise money for the Hellenic Museum’s all important education program.

The Hellenic Museum’s bilingual education program covers both primary and secondary school education, with the secondary education program sectioned off by subject and year level. The education guide works hand-in-hand with a curator-led guided tour of the collection.

All ticket holders to the AHEPA Youth fundraiser will have the opportunity to view the award-winning Benaki exhibition ‘Gods, Myths and Mortals: Greek Treasures Across the Millennia’, right here in Melbourne, as well as bring in the festive season with a scrumptious feast provided by the Sweet Greek’s Kathy Tsaples to the sounds of a soulful jazz outfit.

“Through art and culture, the education program of a museum is fundamental in educating students about the world they live in,” says the Hellenic Museum’s Penni Pappas.

“Even more so, the exhibition ‘Gods, Myths and Mortals’ challenges students to recognise the past, engage with the present in order to understand their future.”

The museum, as a not-for-profit arts institution, relies on the funds raised from these organisations as well as the generosity of sponsors and individual benefactors.

“Already we have three very exciting exhibitions in store for next year, and with the ongoing cultural collaboration between our museum and the Benaki Museum, we need strong foundations in place to enable us to create inclusive education programs that will suit all Australian students,” says Ms Pappas.
“We are very grateful to organisations such as AHEPA Youth, who understand the importance of education and place as much value on this as the museum does,” she continues.

The Hellenic Museum’s Education Initiative encompasses so many of AHEPA’s pillars that its executive committee members were instantly drawn to support it.

“Supporting education and preserving our cultural heritage, while giving back to the community, is our civic responsibility as young Hellenes in Australia,” AHEPA Youth’s Anthea Tsaousi tells Neos Kosmos, stressing how effective this innovative approach is to engage future generations in history learning.

“Students will have the opportunity to learn about some of the most fascinating historical periods by actually seeing the artefacts that encapsulate the true essence of that era up close.”

Students from all over Melbourne, regional Victoria and interstate have visited the collection as part of a comprehensive and curator-led school tour since the exhibition was launched a year ago.

Teachers are encouraged to engage the students through questions and activities before, and then after the guided tour through the comprehensive education guide developed in conjunction with the Benaki Museum’s education department.

School tours include an introductory talk, a guided tour of the exhibition and a workshop if requested. The tour – which takes up to an hour and is capped at a maximum of 20 students – can be conducted in both English and Greek. The museum is open Tuesdays to Sundays from 10.00 am-4.00 pm. The tours cost $8 per student, with free entry for accompanying teachers.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will assist the museum in the development of new education guides for upcoming collections.

To book a school tour, contact the Hellenic Museum on (03) 8615 9016 or email info@hellenic.org.au

A Night at the Museum will take place on Saturday 5 December at the Hellenic Museum, 280 William Street, Melbourne. Tickets are $55 for students and $65 for adults and can be purchased via www.ahepayouth.org/fundraising