What kind of museum will the next generation dream of and build? How might perceptions of museums – and what museums can be – change in the next 10, 20, 100 years? Rachel Noel on the future of museums

Having worked with young people and creative learning for the past decade, naturally I believe that the experience of learning with and encountering art must be central to museums of the future. At Tate, we describe creative learning as “using artistic processes, materials, imagination, and curiosity to develop new skills, knowledge, and perspectives (which could include creativity, wellbeing or personal growth) in an open and limitless way”. But before that is possible, public perception of cultural spaces continues to be an enduring barrier that excludes so many from so much as setting foot inside in the first place, let alone having meaningful encounters or making memories.

On the question of who has the right to amazing culture, artist and urban planner Theaster Gates said that after seeing Jay-Z perform in the Brooklyn arena he helped build, he had come to believe that “all one has to do is build the space you want to rock in”. For me, future museums will be the houses that young people, and those from communities and backgrounds marginalised by society can ‘rock in’ – can see themselves in, can be their full selves in, imagine and even dream in.

Open invitation, collaboration and participation will be a part of every museum function – from collecting, to commissioning, to exhibition making, public programme making, and archiving

Perceptions of what a museum or cultural space can look like will have radically shifted – they will be seen as spaces that are as alive and as messy as our everyday lives. They will function as our homes, our corner shops, our schools, our dancefloors and our temples – equally essential for quiet contemplation or study, as creative expression, fiery debate or dancing.

They will not only represent (or consult with) young people, artists, cultural workers, communities, leaders who are from the global majority, queer, disabled or working class – but will be founded and led by us. They may look different to museums as we know them – existing outside of grand, contemporary buildings, and taking new forms within social housing, doctor’s surgeries, nightclubs, prisons, online and other public spaces. Our perception of what cultural spaces can be will have shifted – as poet and writer Abondance Matanda says in her essay of the same title: “the first galleries I knew were Black homes”.

Future art museums will be a space for expression, joy, emergence; of connections between people, ideas, projects – even artworks. They will be used as much for taking part and joining in as introspection and reflection. They will utilise their unique place in the world; as spaces that facilitate public dialogue, connection, and make visible collective consciousness. Museums of all kinds will be connected and well networked, enabling an equitable sharing of resources (and power) with each other and their communities.

Open invitation, collaboration and participation will be a part of every museum function – from collecting, to commissioning, to exhibition making, public programme making, and archiving. Institutional practices will have long moved away from internal ‘divisions’ and towards models and modes of working that best support, care for, present and invite the public to engage with art and ideas – and the most pressing issues of our time. My hope is that by embracing these practices, we can build a future where our museums reflect a more authentic, nuanced and liberated representation of our truly diverse cultural ecology.

Rachel Noel
Head of Learning Programmes & Partnerships, Tate Britain and Tate Modern

This short essay is part of the FutureMuseum Project. Museum workers based in 18 countries — including Nigeria, Guinea, Botswana, South Africa, Argentina, Colombia, Singapore, New Zealand, Denmark, and Norway — have already contributed their ideas to this ongoing free-to-access project.

Published 25 Nov 2024

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Discover creative approaches, actionable ideas and practical tools to use in the development of your museum’s youth engagement programmes. Gain a deeper understanding of how we define ‘youth engagement’ and explore the fundamental role of trust, care and advocacy in developing outreach programmes and initiatives.

At this study day you will consider how youth voices can be accurately represented in museums, particularly if they come from marginalised and underserved backgrounds, and how this representation might change your organisation or practice from within. There will be the opportunity to learn from examples of best practice in youth engagement and examine how you design programmes and build long-term relations with young people as equal partners.

Engage with Practical Exercises: Engage in practice-based exercises that will help solidify your understanding of youth engagement and how it can be approached in your own museum.

Case Studies and Real-World Examples: Gain inspiration and understanding from a variety of case studies showcasing a range of youth engagement projects and the lessons learned from them.

Reflect and Collaborate: Work in small, supportive groups to reflect on your youth engagement ideas and activities. This conversational and relaxed setting encourages open discussion and peer learning.

Actionable Next Steps: Leave with a clear ideas to help you approach your own youth engagement projects in your museum.

Places on this study day are limited to help create the most engaging and productive learning experience for participants.

Transforming Youth Engagement in Your Museum
Study Day, 28 January 2025, London

Workshop leader: Dhiyandra Natalegawa is an Indonesian Creative Educator and Producer born and raised in Brent, London. Throughout the last decade, she has devoted herself to the practice of Art Education as a vehicle for social change. She has been committed to designing, facilitating, and producing programmes that can raise the aspirations, creative confidence, and inclusive experience of underserved communities. In 2021, after securing Art Council England’s ‘Develop Your Creative Practice Arts’ grant she focused on developing alternative ways to ethically design community art projects/programmes through collaboration. This development period created a blueprint from which she developed creative programmes with young people, families, and schools with organisations such as Somerset House, Art Night, Artangel, and the Museum of London. She is currently a Programme Producer in the Learning and Digital team at the V&A.

Book tickets: Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £137 – £177. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at a reduced rate for museum workers who may often be excluded from training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ and working class members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and people new to the sector. Reduced rate tickets are £97 – email info@museum-id.com to check availability and to book a ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed due to Covid-19 your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.

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Explore the role of play and its purpose in museums. If museums want a better future they must be welcoming, playful, social spaces.

Join interpretation specialist Anna Ravenscroft to explore play and its purpose in museums. Play is not childish, it is child-like – inviting wonder and leading to discovery. Play is active and it is how children learn. Discover how designing playfulness into our museum spaces allows adults to experience that same feeling, even those that are excluded by traditional styles of interpretation. Explore how playful experiences change the way all audiences interact with content and create a manifesto for less text and more play, as well as a tool kit for putting that into action at your museum.

Engage with Practical Exercises: Engage in practice-based exercises that will help solidify your understanding of the role of play and how it can be approached in your own museum.

Case Studies and Real-World Examples: Gain inspiration and understanding from a variety of case studies showcasing a range of playful approaches to museum interpretation and the lessons learned from them.

Reflect and Collaborate: Work in small, supportive groups to reflect on your ideas and activities. This conversational and relaxed setting encourages open discussion and peer learning.

Actionable Next Steps: Leave with a clear ideas to help you approach your own playful approaches to museum interpretation.

Places on this study day are limited to help create the most engaging and productive learning experience for participants.

Playful Approaches to Museum Interpretation
Study Day, 18 February 2025, London

Workshop leader: Anna Ravenscroft believes that her experience of delivering interpretation for and with young people has developed her practice, and that the principles that underlie this approach improve interpretation for all audiences. Work with her to create a manifesto for less text and more play, as well as a tool kit for putting that into action. All outputs will be shared with the group after the session as a draft you can use and adapt to your own settings. Anna has delivered world-class interpretation for Imperial War Museum and Science Museum masterplan galleries. In her freelance capacity she has worked with Natural History Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Science Museum, Barts Health Archive Trust and more. For this workshop Anna will draw from her experience of working on Technicians Gallery at Science Museum and the development work on a forthcoming Children’s Gallery at Natural History Museum. In developing an intergenerational learning strategy she has spent a lot of time observing playful experiences and how this changes the way all audiences interact with content.

Book tickets: Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £137 – £177. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at a reduced rate for museum workers who may often be excluded from training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ and working class members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and people new to the sector. Reduced rate tickets are £97 – email info@museum-id.com to check availability and to book a ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed due to Covid-19 your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.

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How to Make Playable Immersive Experiences in Your Museum: join us for an in-depth guide to designing, developing and delivering an immersive playable experience in your museum.

In this study day you will learn how to turn themes and collection stories into puzzles, how to create an exciting narrative that has historical integrity and how to structure a game so it is sustainable.

Responding to themes and stories in real heritage sites, you’ll use props, equipment and tools to devise your own pop-up escape rooms. Playing the roles of designer and player you will get a real sense for what makes a successful immersive experience. Discover how you don’t need ludicrous budgets to create a memorable experience in your museum that will get your heart racing.

Workshop leader Sacha Coward will use his skills and experience of working in the weird world between escape room designer and museum professional to offer you hands-on tips on how museums – of almost any scale and theme – can create fun, frightening, thrilling and meaningful experiences. This is a brilliant opportunity to learn how to introduce gaming into museum engagement and have a LOT of fun whilst you’re at it! Working in small groups with a welcoming and informal atmosphere, study day participants will benefit from expert guidance and support coupled with hands-on, practical sessions.

Engage with Practical Exercises: Engage in practice-based exercises that will help solidify your understanding of how to make playable immersive experiences in your own museum.

Case Studies and Real-World Examples: Gain inspiration and understanding from a variety of case studies showcasing a range of playable immersive experiences and the lessons learned from them.

Reflect and Collaborate: Work in small, supportive groups to reflect on your ideas and activities. This conversational and relaxed setting encourages open discussion and peer learning.

Actionable Next Steps: Leave with a clear ideas to help you approach designing and delivering playable immersive experiences in your museum.

Places on this study day are limited to help create the most engaging and productive learning experience for participants.

Making Playable Immersive Experiences in Your Museum
Study Day, 18 March 2025, London

Workshop leader: Sacha Coward has been working in museums for 14 years but he has been playing games his whole life! Previously working at the Natural History Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and Royal Museums Greenwich, he now freelances as a museum consultant and escape room designer. He has developed highly successful playable experiences for the V&A, National Trust, Cambridge Genome Campus, Colchester Castle, Bletchley Park, and Ipswich Museum to name just a few! As well as making games in exciting spaces Sacha is also passionate about LGBTQ+ representation and is an avid mermaid folklorist!

Book tickets: Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £137 – £177. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at a reduced rate for museum workers who may often be excluded from training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ and working class members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and people new to the sector. Reduced rate tickets are £97 – email info@museum-id.com to check availability and to book a ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed due to Covid-19 your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.

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Join us on 15th April for The Co-created Museum study day led by cultural practitioner Stephen Welsh.

Based on Stephen’s personal and professional experiences, consider several recommended steps for developing an empathic and effective approach to co-creation with communities in museums. In addition to sharing these insights, Stephen will also present a range of case studies and lead practice-based exercises. Participants will be invited to reflect on their current co-creation activities and aspirations while working in small groups in a conversational and comfortable setting.

Participate in practice-based exercises that will enhance your understanding of co-creation and how it can be approached in your own museum. Learn from and be inspired by a selection of case studies that highlight various co-creation approaches and the lessons that can be drawn from them. Reflect on your ongoing co-creation plans and projects in supportive surroundings. Develop ideas for approaching your own co-creation projects at your museum.

The Co-created Museum: co-creating with communities
Study Day, 15 April 2025, London

Workshop leader: Stephen Welsh (he/him) is a cultural practitioner with over 15 years of experience developing and delivering a wide range of arts, culture and heritage projects. From 2007 to 2020, he was the Curator of Living Cultures and Acting Deputy Head of Collections at Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester. Prior to this, he was Project Curator at the International Slavery Museum, National Museum Liverpool. He has been a member of the National Lottery Heritage Fund North committee since 2016. He has also served on boards and committees for the Royal Northern College of Music Collection of Historic Instruments, the Islamic Art and Material Culture Subject Specialist Network and Homotopia. To learn more about his practice, visit his website, stxwelsh.com.

Book tickets: Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £137 – £177. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at a reduced rate for museum workers who may often be excluded from training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ and working class members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and people new to the sector. Reduced rate tickets are £97 – email info@museum-id.com to check availability and to book a ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed due to Covid-19 your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.

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Discover how to achieve meaningful co-creation with communities and inspire community-led change in your museum. Explore the values that inform co-creation and different models of best practice when listening to community needs, sharing power, embedding democratic decision-making, and managing open-ended projects that aim to inspire change.

You will have a chance to consider how such approaches might change your organisation or practice from within. You’ll also hear about case studies from museums in London, Manchester and New York and there will be time to build tailored strategies for your own projects and the wider impact that they might be able to make across your museum.

Workshop leader Stella Toonen is a specialist in co-creation practices in museums. As a researcher and museum practitioner, Stella consults internationally about co-creation, collaborative practice, community engagement, constituent museums, and cultural democracy. Her background is as an exhibition and public programmes producer for museums and the programmes she shapes often feature place-based, participatory and socially engaged ways of working.

Power to Communities: Museums, Co-Creation and Making Change
Study Day, 20 May 2025, London

Workshop leader: Stella Toonen is currently writing up her doctoral research with Tate and King’s College London, which looks at the potential for community engagement work as a catalyst for organisational change. As part of her PhD research Stella spent three years with the Tate Exchange project at Tate Modern in London, and also conducted fieldwork at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and the Queens Museum in New York. In addition, Stella is Programme Director for Culture Within Newham.

Book tickets: Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £137 – £177. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at a reduced rate for museum workers who may often be excluded from training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ and working class members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and people new to the sector. Reduced rate tickets are £97 – email info@museum-id.com to check availability and to book a ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed due to Covid-19 your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.

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Creating Authentic and Unique Museum Experiences: The Good of Being Different in a Time of Sameness. Explore how museum should look to their unique assets to challenge the way their public offer is delivered.

Museums have benefited from formalising their public offers and mitigating risk through business perspectives and approaches. But popularity has come with a price. Some museums have lost their uniqueness and authenticity. Sameness has crept into the public offer. While this can be popular it doesn’t create the most transformative of experiences. As times change so do audience motivations and needs. In this study day you will discover why there is no better time to push for more inspirational and enriching experiences. You will have the opportunity to rethink your work and leave the study days with the ideas you need to revitalise your museum’s public offer.

Engage with Practical Exercises: Engage in practice-based exercises that will help solidify your understanding of how to create authentic and unique experiences in your museum.

Case Studies and Real-World Examples: Gain inspiration and understanding from a variety of case studies showcasing how museums have created a unique public offer.

Reflect and Collaborate: Work in small, supportive groups to reflect on your ideas and activities. This conversational and relaxed setting encourages open discussion and peer learning.

Actionable Next Steps: Leave with a clear ideas to help you approach creating an authentic and unique public offer in your museum.

Places on this study day are limited to help create the most engaging and productive learning experience for participants.

Creating Authentic and Unique Museum Experiences: The Good of Being Different in a Time of Sameness
Study Day, 10 June 2025, London

Workshop leader: Mike Sarna has worked in museums for over 25 years from small to large — including eight years as Director of Collections and Senior Curator at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, and six years as Head of Interpretation and Design at the Natural History Museum in London. Between 2012–2018 Mike served as Director, Collections and Public Engagement, at Royal Museums Greenwich where he led the development of the public offer across four museums and the care and conservation of the collection. This included leading their £25 million Endeavour Project with the opening of four new permanent galleries.

Book tickets: Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £137 – £177. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at a reduced rate for museum workers who may often be excluded from training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ and working class members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and people new to the sector. Reduced rate tickets are £97 – email info@museum-id.com to check availability and to book a ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed due to Covid-19 your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.

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AI is changing the way we work. Discover how it will transform your museum. Join us for a study day exploring the next wave of digital innovation in museums. Discover how AI will redefine museum operations, curation, engagement, and creativity. AI is at the forefront of technological discussions but what does this mean for museums? Whether you’re a curator, educator, marketer, collections manager, or digital specialist, this study day will show you how to harness AI’s potential.

Key Topics:

The impact of AI on museum operations, curation, engagement, and creativity

Practical applications and case studies of AI in museums

Strategic approaches to leverage AI benefits while mitigating risks

What to Expect:

Interactive Sessions: Spend a day collaborating with colleagues from across the sector and get hands-on with the latest AI technologies.

Expert Insights: Access the most current research and insights on AI’s role in museums, understanding both its opportunities and challenges.

Prototyping New Experiences: Develop your own digital experience using AI, learning how it can help shape the museums of tomorrow.

Skills Development: Enhance your expertise in a supportive atmosphere with practical, hands-on sessions guided by industry experts.

Study Day Leader:

This study day has been devised by one of the sector’s leading voices on technology in art and culture. Chris Michaels is a prominent consultant, advisor, and author on innovation and advanced technologies in the Creative and Cultural sectors. Chris works on strategy and business cases for major investments in R&D and Innovation projects and programmes, with clients including UKRI, the AHRC, Oxford University, the BFI and the Natural History Museum. He is Director of Strategy at Bolton & Quinn and an Associate at Human Economics. He is Deputy Chair of English Heritage and sits on the digital advisory boards of the National Gallery and the BFI. Previously, he was the Director of Digital, Communications, and Technology at the National Gallery. He also writes for The Art Newspaper and his influential Substack, “Creative R&D,” explores new intersections in art, ideas, and technology.

AI and Digital Innovation in Museums
Study Day, 8 July, London

Register Here: Book your ticket to stay ahead of the curve in digital innovation and AI in museums. Gain valuable insights, develop new skills, and network with likeminded colleagues from across the museums sector.

Book tickets: Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £137 – £177. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at a reduced rate for museum workers who may often be excluded from training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ and working class members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and people new to the sector. Reduced rate tickets are £97 – email info@museum-id.com to check availability and to book a ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed due to Covid-19 your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.

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Join us on 9th September for the Social Justice and Co-production in Museums study day led by Jon Sleigh, engagement specialist and author of What Are Museums For?

Explore what it means to explicitly occupy museum spaces in social justice. How do museums safeguard themselves and others during this process? How does the institution change and respond to being part of social justice narratives? What does trust look like during this process? Our panel will share case studies on museums engaging with social justice through their collections and practice, aiming to create a space for sharing, rooted in care, emotion, and reflection.

Discover how museums can use the power of collections in advocacy, activism and co-production. Discover practical examples of museum engagement which act as an emotional encounter in service of social justice initiatives. At this study day we will explore the role of museums in terms of challenging inequality – the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within society – and how museums can exercise their power towards challenging the status quo.

Co-production and Social Justice in Museums
Study Day, 9 September 2025, London

Workshop leader: Jon Sleigh (he/him) is a learning officer, learning curator and author of the upcoming book What Are Museums For? (Bristol University Press, June 2024) Jon works freelance nationally as a specialist in fine art engagement with a diverse portfolio of arts institutions, museum and heritage sites across the UK. Clients include The National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, The National Archives, Historic Royal Palaces, Art Fund, V&A, Government Art Collection DCMS and the Arts Council Collection. Prior to this Jon worked for Birmingham Museums Trust / The Arts Collection in Round One of the acclaimed ACE National Partners Programme. Jon has built a strong reputation for innovation, applied ethics and delivery of projects reflecting inclusive futures. He has a passion for challenging and underrepresented narratives in art – co-producing with communities and bringing their lived experience to artworks for advocacy.

Book tickets: Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £177 – £137. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at the reduced rate of £97. Reduced rate tickets are available for museum workers who may often face barriers to training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQIA+, working class, and autistic members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and sector newcomers. Email info@museum-id.com to check availability and book your ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.

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“A conference for mind expanding conversations and international networking” — Martin Payne, Head of Schools and Young Audiences, The British Museum

We are excited to invite you to Museum Ideas 2025 in London, where you will gain fresh perspectives to enhance your museum’s impact and discover how museum experiences are reimagined through deeper connections, power shifts, and co-creation. Join us on 9 October to connect with like-minded colleagues from across the globe, share experiences, and gather actionable ideas and insights to enrich your work.

Since 2012, the Museum Ideas conference has hosted speakers from around the globe, including South Africa, Argentina, India, UAE, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and many European countries. The annual event has welcomed museum workers from over 30 countries, fostering a global exchange of transformative ideas through impactful talks, wide-ranging discussions, and international networking.

Learn from an exceptional lineup of speakers, led by Professor Dan Hicks from the University of Oxford. Dan Hicks is Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at the University of Oxford, Curator at the Pitt Rivers Museum, and a Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford. Dan works on the material and visual culture of the human past, up to and including the modern, colonial, contemporary and digital worlds, and on the history of Archaeology, Anthropology, Art and Architecture. His curatorial has included the co-curated exhibition Lande: the Calais “Jungle” and Beyond in 2019 and Victor Ehikhamenor at St Paul’s Cathedral in 2022. Dan has published eight books – including The Brutish Museums: the Benin Bronzes, Colonial Violence and Cultural Restitution which was named one of the New York Times Best Art Books of 2020 and won the 2022 prize for the Best Book in Public History of the National Council on Public History. He has written for a variety of journals, magazines and newspapers and has regularly appeared on Radio and TV, including BBC News at Ten, Channel 4 News, and BBC Radio 4’s In Our Time, Front Row, Today Programme and Making History.

Museum Ideas 2025 takes place on 9 October in London.

Call for Speakers: If you are interested in speaking at Museum Ideas 2025 please email greg (@) museum-id.com

Super Early Bird Tickets Now Available: Click ‘Select options’ below to reserve your ticket. Super Early Bird Tickets available from £107 with multiple delegate discounts. Book tickets now with your colleagues for the best rate. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at the reduced rate of £97. Reduced rate tickets are available for museum workers who may face barriers to training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQIA+, working class, and autistic members of staff, people with a disability, front of house staff, students, freelancers, those working at small independent museums, and sector newcomers. Email info@museum-id.com to check availability and book your ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different events if places are available.

“Museum Ideas is the best museum conference. It secures superb, relevant speakers, who cover a rich and wide range of topics. It offers food for thought and feeds the soul with engaging and inspiring conversation, networks and ideas” — Helen Whiteoak, Head of Participation, National Portrait Gallery, London

“A packed programme with a breadth of insight into museums that is not otherwise accessible – diverse and inspiring” — Susan Eskdale, Lead for Community Engagement, Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton

“An impressive conference, expertly curated to bring together voices from across the world. I would highly recommend to colleagues and will definitely attend again in the future” — Laura Crean, Assistant Director, Strategy and Governance, Imperial War Museums

“An inspirational conference! A coming together of museum minds – sharing ideas and making connections” — Gillian Crumpton, Head of Interpretation, Ironbridge Gorge Museum

Past Speaker Highlights
Past speakers have included Bonita Bennett, Director, District Six Museum, Cape Town, South Africa; Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC; Joyoti Roy, Head of Strategy, CSMVS Museum, Mumbai, India; Manal Ataya, Director General, Sharjah Museums, UAE; Kaywin Feldman, Director and President, Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell, Head of Public Programs, Smithsonian American Art Museum; Esmé Ward, Director, Manchester Museum; Nina Finigan, Curator, Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Aotearoa New Zealand; Maria Ribas, Head of Audience Development, Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona; Winnie Lai, Curator, Learning and Interpretation, M+ Museum, Hong Kong; Christian Díaz and Romina Frontini, HABEMUS//, Bahía Blanca, Argentina; Ranmalie Jayawardana, Community Participation Lead, International Slavery Museum, Liverpool; Rachael Minott, Head of Participation, Birmingham Museums Trust; Aleema Gray, Collections Gallery Partnership Lead, Wellcome Collection, London; and Nick Merriman, Chief Executive, Horniman Museum and Gardens, London.

Speakers at the 2024 and 2023 conferences included Puawai Cairns, Director of Audience and Insight, Te Papa Tongarewa, Aotearoa – New Zealand; Jennifer Scott, Director and Chief Curator, Urban Civil Rights Museum, United States; Helen Arfvidsson, Curator of Global Contemporary Issues, National Museums of World Culture, Sweden; Afia Yeboah, Senior Producer: Community Partnerships and Participatory Practice, V&A East; Khalil Thirlaway, Creative Producer: Community and Youth, Natural History Museum; Rachel Noel, Head of Learning Programmes and Partnerships, Tate; and Co-chair, We Don’t Settle, Birmingham; Chloe Cousins, Social Justice Manager at Manchester Museum; Iheanyi Onwuegbucha, Princeton University, and co-curator, John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History, Lagos, Nigeria; and Korantema Anyimadu, Senior Curator of Anthropology at the Horniman Museum & Gardens in London.

At the 2018 conference award-winning playwright Linda Brogan spoke about the ‘Excavating The Reno’ community project in Manchester’s Moss Side. Bringing together archaeologists, artists, social historians and the public, the project explored the story of a soul and funk club that became a sanctuary from racism in the 1970s. Linda’s talk was extraordinary. This is what Sandra Shakespeare from Museum Detox had to say about it: “Excellent to see the work of Excavating The Reno — an absolutely remarkable fresh change to see such honesty at a museum conference where the tendency is always to showcase the great and the good. It was deeply moving to witness vulnerability and authenticity.” This was echoed by Dhikshana Pering: “Still thinking about the Excavating The Reno project at Museum Ideas — hands down no conference session in my life has left such an impact”

Kayleigh Bryant-Greenwell, Head of Public Programs at Smithsonian American Art Museum, opened the 2019 conference and set the agenda with her compelling talk ‘Break the Wheel: Museums Challenge the Status Quo’: “As museum practitioners we can allow museums to be a tool of the establishment, the powered, even the oppressor. But through a reflective practice and a reimagining of our purpose, we can instead exercise the power of the museum towards challenging the status quo.” Dr Lauren Vargas from the University of Leicester commented: “This may have been the best museum conference presentation I have ever witnessed — thank you for reminding museums of their role in challenging the status quo and how power is determined by relationship with social justice.”

Other highlights from previous editions of the conference have included ‘The Right to Remember’ by Bonita Bennett, Director of the District Six Museum in Cape Town; ‘A Year in Museums’ by Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC; ‘The Good of Being Different in a Time of Sameness’ by Mike Sarna, Royal Museums Greenwich; ‘Immersive Theatre in Museums’ by Peter Higgin, Director of Enrichment at immersive theatre company Punchdrunk; and ‘Talking to Strangers’ by Rosie Stanbury from Wellcome Collection.

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