TheMuseumsLab Forum 2026: A day of reconnection, exchange, and dialogue

Museum directors, cultural practitioners, researchers, and colleagues from across the TheMuseumsLab network and beyond came together in Berlin for a day of exchange on the evolving role of museums and memorial sites in a rapidly changing world.

On 18 June 2026, TheMuseumsLab Forum welcomed museum and heritage professionals from across Africa and Europe at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Museum directors, cultural practitioners, researchers, and colleagues from across the TheMuseumsLab network and beyond gathered for a day of exchange, reflection, and dialogue on the evolving role of museums and memorial sites in a rapidly changing world. Together, they explored how the sector can respond to contemporary challenges while shaping a just and equitable future. 

For many participants, the Forum was also an opportunity to reconnect with colleagues and friends from across the network. Alumni, representatives of the Partner Museums Network, Fellows, and long-standing collaborators came together in one space, creating a unique atmosphere of exchange across cohorts, institutions, and professional backgrounds. Alongside welcoming the 2026 Fellows, it was particularly rewarding to see so many familiar faces. 

097A5552.jpg

From curators in Nairobi and Berlin to lecturers in Dar es Salaam and Kyiv, and museum directors in Lagos, Windhoek, Lisbon, and Stockholm, participants represented museums, memorial sites, archives, universities, and independent cultural initiatives, bringing a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and professional backgrounds to the conversations. 

Keynote speaker Esme Ward speaking to the audience

The day opened with a keynote on ‘Restitution, Empathy, Co-curation and Ecologies of Hope’ by Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum and representative of one of TheMuseumsLab’s longstanding partner museums. Her reflections set the tone for a day centred on institutional responsibility, collaboration, and the evolving role of museums in society.

A Programme Shaped by its Participants 

A distinctive feature of this year’s Forum was its participant-led format. Prior to the event, all were invited to propose topics and facilitate their own roundtable discussions. As a result, the programme reflected the expertise, interests, and current concerns of the network itself. Discussions addressed a wide range of topics, including restitution and ethical practices, natural history collections from colonial contexts, conservation and capacity building, digital heritage, governance and accountability, public engagement, leadership development, and international partnerships.

097A55242.png

The roundtables created opportunities for in-depth exchange across institutional, disciplinary, and geographical boundaries. Participants shared experiences from their own contexts, discussed common challenges, and explored practical approaches. Conversations highlighted both the diversity of museum practice across Africa and Europe and the many questions that institutions continue to grapple with collectively.



Roundtable Topics

List of roundtable topics and participants

More than a platform for discussion, the Forum served as a space for mutual learning, relationship building, and collective reflection. It reaffirmed the importance of international dialogue and collaboration in addressing shared challenges and demonstrated the value of bringing together diverse voices to imagine new possibilities for museums and memorial sites. It became clear we all share many questions, and together we can help develop the answers into the future.

Guests entering the dinosaur hall

Photos by A'ja Dotson and TheMuseumsLab team