Curatorial Update

Setting the Framework

The first draft of the programme for the upcoming edition of TheMuseumsLab has been finalised! Over the past weeks, we have been working closely on the structure, formats, and thematic emphases of the programme, aiming to create a framework that enables critical engagement as well as collective learning and exchange.

The programme has recently gone through a feedback phase with the International Academic Committee, whose members reviewed the draft and shared their perspectives. This step is a central part of our curatorial process: it allows us to sharpen thematic priorities, identify gaps, and further refine the programme through a diversity of expertise and perspectives.

At the same time, we are in ongoing exchange with the TheMuseumsLab Alumni Network. Alumni will contribute to the programme with their own formats and will take on roles as moderators, panellists, and workshop facilitators. They will also actively introduce and represent the Alumni Network as part of the programme. This creates opportunities for cross-cohort exchange, enabling current Fellows to connect with Alumni from previous years, share experiences across generations of the programme, and strengthen professional and intellectual networks within and beyond a single edition of TheMuseumsLab.

The programme is now being further refined based on the feedback received.
Upcoming Curatorial Updates will continue to share insights into the evolving programme.

About the Co-Curators

Since its launch in 2020, TheMuseumsLab has developed a collaborative curatorial approach that brings together African and European museum partners to shape each year’s programme. In 2026, three Co-Curators based at an African and a European museum collaborate to develop the content of the programme. The African Co-Curators, Jean de la Croix Mbarubukeye and Thomas Cadeau Ngwabije, both TheMuseumsLab Alumni, are based at the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA). The European Co-Curator, Gita Herrmann, is part of TheMuseumsLab team at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN). This process is further enriched through ongoing exchange with the International Academic Committee, the Alumni Network, and local museum partners.