TheMuseumsLab Partner Museums Network

Inside the Partner Museums Network: TheMuseumsLab’s Growing Web of Collaboration

One of the most dynamic elements of TheMuseumsLab is the Partner Museums Network. This network connects Museums, Heritage and Art Institutions and Cultural Space across Africa and Europe in a way that is alive, evolving, and open to transformation. It grows organically from year to year—driven by shared interests, common challenges, and a readiness to explore new forms of working together.

A Network That Expands Organically

The Partner Museums Network is not the product of a fixed selection or rigid framework. Instead, it develops through ongoing exchanges, programme experiences, alumni engagement and emerging opportunities. Each edition of TheMuseumsLab brings the partnering institutions into contact with the community, combining perspectives and broadening the scope of collaboration. The result is a network that reflects the diversity of the museum field, while remaining flexible enough to respond to change.

Tandem Residencies and Beyond

At the heart of the network are the tandem residencies, where two fellows from different continents spend an intensive week in a partner institution. These residencies are moments of deep professional immersion—where ideas are tested, practices are jointly reflected, and both hosts and fellows challenge and inspire each other. They are not isolated experiences, but part of a wider pattern of cooperation that the Partner Museums Network sustains throughout the year.

Meeting, Connecting, Cooperating

TheMuseumsLab actively seeks opportunities for the Partner Museums Network to connect and collaborate. One example is the Network Forum, held in June 2025 in Berlin to celebrate TheMuseumsLab 5th anniversary, which brought directors, residency facilitators and alumni representatives from the network together to share experiences, exchange knowledge, and explore future possibilities. Another is the CollabFund, which offers a concrete framework for cooperation between alumni and partner institutions. Through this fund, ideas can grow into exhibitions, research projects, or public programmes, giving the network tangible ways to work together beyond the residency period.to concrete exhibitions, research projects, or public programmes.

Open to Transformation

The distinctive strength of the Partner Museums Network lies in its openness to innovative thinking, constructive dialogue, and meaningful change. It provides a framework in which institutions can experiment with different ways of working, question established narratives, and create space for more inclusive and globally connected museum practice.

Why It Matters

In a museum landscape often limited by geography or resources, the Partner Museums Network shows how sustained, cross-continental cooperation can lead to meaningful, lasting impact. It is a space where professional exchange becomes a shared journey—one that continues to grow, evolve, and transform with every edition of TheMuseumsLab.