Our history

TheMuseumsLab seeks to create a new kind of network by centering on emerging talents and future cultural leaders from both Africa and Europe.

Origins, Context and Founding Vision

TheMuseumsLab was conceived in 2020 and launched in 2021 as part of a broader strategy to confront the legacies of European colonialism and to explore new forms of cultural cooperation.

It gives real meaning to the very idea of joint responses to interconnected challenges, by acknowledging and valuing the diversity of approaches, united in the conviction that this diversity can lead to a much-needed shift toward care, shared responsibility, and more just institutional practices. Not by erasing distinct perspectives or dissolving fragmented debates, but by deliberately connecting them through combined experiences, expertise, and creativity across continents.

From its inception, TheMuseumsLab was part of a wider political and cultural effort to move beyond symbolic gestures and initiate lasting structural change in African-European relations in the museums sector. Even before the official decision to return the Benin Bronzes, there was a clear will within German cultural policy and the museum sector to rethink cooperation, not only through objects, but through people. The programme was conceived as a strategic investment in the individuals and relationships that will shape the museums of tomorrow: by fostering professional exchange, supporting career development, and creating the conditions for mutual understanding, trust, and co-ownership to take root. In doing so, TheMuseumsLab also plays a key role in laying essential groundwork for addressing complex issues such as restitution, not as isolated acts, but within a broader framework of long-term collaboration and shared responsibility.

The initiative was developed through a collaboration between the Federal Foreign Office, the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, The Advisors, an African consultancy group and several museum directors and academics. Combining museum expertise, academic networks, political backing, strategic support and strong ties to both African and European cultural sectors, this partnership enabled the programme to launch at scale in 2021, funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

The core vision gradually took shape: to foster a sustainable network of museum professionals that is equipped and empowered to actively shape change towards a joint and more equitable future of museums in Africa and Europe. From the outset, the idea of enabling continuous professional growth and opening up new transcontinental career paths for museum professionals in Africa and Europe was central to this vision, acknowledging that such opportunities form a vital foundation for long-term transformation in the sector. Based on this vision, TheMuseumsLab programme was designed to combine theoretical joint learning during the Fellowship modules with hands-on collaboration during the residencies, fostering a network of professionals able to act as multipliers in their own institutions and contexts. By bringing together equal numbers of fellows from both continents, TheMuseumsLab set out to ensure a balance of perspectives and to challenge power imbalances in the production and sharing of knowledge.

Learning, Scaling, Transforming

From the very beginning, TheMuseumsLab has understood itself as a process, open, dynamic, and continuously evolving through reflection and learning. In this spirit, each edition of TheMuseumsLab programme draws on the experiences of previous years, refining themes, adjusting formats, and rethinking structures of the project to remain relevant and responsive to changing contexts.

This commitment to adaptability is reflected in the programme’s evolution over the years, marked by key milestones and deliberate changes in its structure and reach:

In its first year, the Fellowship and the Partner Museums Network consisted exclusively of German museums, and fellowships were awarded to African and German participants through nominations from partner institutions. In the second year, the programme became a truly African–European initiative, expanding participation to include other European countries for both fellows and partner museums, and moving to a formal, highly competitive selection procedure organised by the DAAD. Year two also saw another key milestone: Module 3 of the Fellowship, designed to be hosted each year by an African partner museum in a different African country, was held for the first time after being cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19. It took place in Cape Town in 2022, followed by Nairobi in 2023, Accra in 2024, and Addis Ababa in 2025. In the third year, the Alumni Network was born and African partner museums became directly involved in hosting residencies, initially made possible through the support of the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) and limited to South Africa. By the fourth year, this hosting capacity extended to 55 Partner Museums across the African and European continent, strengthening the network’s transcontinental character and enriching the Fellowship’s practical component. In the fifth year for the first time, all partner museums were invited to come together in person in Berlin on the occasion of the 5th Anniversary, marking a milestone in building institutional relationships and deepening collective ownership of the programme.

Today, TheMuseumsLab brings together a set of interconnected components that reinforce one another:

The group of main partners now includes the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, DAAD, TheMuseumsLab Academic Committee, the Partner Museums Network, the Alumni Network, and one annually rotating African partner museum. This structure mirrors the programme’s collaborative mission, ensuring shared ownership between institutions and professionals from both continents.

A central focus of TheMuseumsLab remains the question of how museums of the future in Africa and Europe might look. TheMuseumsLab provides a space where these visions can be explored together, enriched by the diversity of professional backgrounds, institutional contexts, and cultural perspectives. This shared process allows for the development of ideas that would not emerge in isolation and fosters a deeper mutual understanding of what is possible. It is as much about imagining and planning as it is about testing and realising new approaches in practice.

Ultimately, TheMuseumsLab thrives on the cross-fertilisation between its participants and partners. The interplay of perspectives, expertise and creativity from across continents creates a fertile ground for innovation and change. In bringing together people and institutions that might otherwise never meet, by challenging traditions and fostering career paths, the programme not only addresses uncovers new possibilities for the fellows and alumni and how museums can serve their communities in more inclusive, connected and forward-looking ways.