Getting to Know the CTM in 7 Questions

The CTM is the host organization for MAC’s 2019 Conference and Annual General Meeting. In this short interview posed through seven questions, we get to know more about how the CTM oversees some of Martinique’s 23 museums.

1. What is the CTM formally?
CTM is an abbreviation for the Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique (Territorial Community of Martinique). It was officially created by Act Number 2011-884 on July 27th, 2011 – which modifies the general code of local governments – and relates to the territorial communities of Guyana and Martinique. Politically, Martinique is a territorial community of the Republic of France, governed by Article 73 of the Constitution. The CTM exercises the powers conferred to an overseas department and to an overseas region and all the powers invested to them to consider its particular characteristics and constraints. The bodies of the CTM consist of the Martinique Assembly and its speaker, the Executive Board of Martinique and its Chair, with the assistance of the Conseil Economique, Social, Environnemental, de la Culture et de l’Education de Martinique (CESECEM). The Martinique Assembly consists of 51 members elected for six years.

2. How long has the CTM been in existence?
The first election of the Martinique Assembly took place at the same time as regional elections at the national level, in December 2015.

3. What is the name of the division of the CTM that oversees museums?
The CMT is divided into several so-called DGA (Direction Générale Adjointe), including the DGA Culture Sport Jeunesse (Youth Sports Culture). This DGA also includes the Direction des Musées, Sites et Domaines: the Board of Museums, Sites and Estates.

4. How many people are employed in the division and what are their roles?
The DGA currently employs 94 people and their functions include:
Curators
Site Managers
Task Officers
Administrative and Financial Managers
Hosts
Technical Agents
Inventory Managers
Librarians

5. Does the CTM oversee all of Martinique’s existing museums?
No. Some museums in Martinique are managed by other community groups and by private entities. The CTM oversees 9 museums in Martinique, which are described in another short blog post.

6. How does the CTM oversee its nine museums?  What services does it provide?
The nine CTM museums are internally regulated. CTM oversees the political orientation of the museums and their exhibits and programming to ensure they follow established cultural policies and protocol. It also handles financing and management of the museums and their programs. The museums are staffed by CTM personnel, so personnel management also falls under CTM’s purview.

7. How many museums are there in Martinique?
There are currently 23 museums in Martinique. They are:

Basse-Pointe
•          Musée des figurines végétales
Le Carbet
•          Galerie d’histoire et de la mer
•          Musée Paul Gauguin
Le Diamant
•          Musée des coquillages et de la mer
Fort-de-France
•          Musée départemental d’archéologie précolombienne (Musée de France)
•          Muséum d’histoire naturelle (Musée de France)
•          Musée du Père Pinchon (Musée de France)
•          Musée d’histoire et d’ethnographie de Martinique (Musée de France)
Le François
•          Fondation Clément
Le Morne-Rouge
•          Maison du volcan
Rivière-Pilote
•          Écomusée de Martinique (Musée de France)
Sainte-Marie
•          Musée du rhum Saint-James
•          Musée de la banane
Saint-Esprit
•          Musée des arts et traditions populaires
Saint-Pierre
•          Centre de découverte des sciences de la Terre, habitation Perinnelle
•          Musée historique de Saint-Pierre
•          Memorial de la catastrophe de 1902. Musée Franck A. Peret
Tartane
•          Musée du château Dubuc
Les Trois-Îlets
•          Le Musée de La Mer [archive]
•          Maison de la canne (Musée de France)
•          Musée de la Pagerie
•          La Savane des esclaves
Le Vauclin
•          Musée de la pêche