Schedule

You can sign up for just the afternoon session, or the technology session in the morning as well. The morning session will be limited to 25 participants, due to the practical nature of the session.

1. 10:00 to 12:00 Virtual and Augmented Reality masterclass with the Digital Arts and Humanities Lab (using Meta Quest Pro headsets, Figmin XR, and other tools and experiences).
2. 13:00 to 17:00 Symposium Sessions.
   1. Welcome and introduction from the Warwick team - a brief overview of what Warwick has to offer (including the Warwick Institute of EngagementLink opens in a new window, the Institute for Advanced StudiesLink opens in a new window, the Digital Arts and Humanities LabLink opens in a new window, and Warwick departments.
   2. Meet the museums and other partners.
   3. Short presentations.
   4. Discussion - the future of museums and how universities can work with them.

Location

University of Warwick, more details to announced later (including directions and parking).

Participate

Everyone is welcome, although space is limited. So please register as soon as possible.

Present

For our first event, we are aiming to highlight and explore the great work and amazing talent in our network, including academics, students, and museum professionals. Everyone is welcome. To do this, we are assembling an exciting and diverse programme - you don't have to be an academic to contribute, and you don't have to present in an "academic" way. Inspiration is more important.

The style of the event will be friendly and informal.

If you're not used to presenting at events like this, don't worry, we are happy to help.

You might already have a great idea, or some work you want to tell us about.

You might also find inspiration in this call for papers created by Dr Jamie Larkin:

Call for Papers: Museums in a Changing World

The title of Edward Alexander’s Museums in Motion is a challenge to the view of museums as stale repositories, unresponsive to the world around them. Since the publication of the book in 1979, a convergence of museum theorization, cultural policy, and changing economic structures has bound museums ever more closely with emergent social discourses. Recently, museums have been expected to address global challenges (like the climate crisis), navigate changing notions of representation and identity (e.g. making space for LGBTQ+ communities), reflect on their collections and the way objects were acquired in the past (e.g. practices of decolonization), implem ent new technologies of communication (social media) and engagement (AR, VR), all whilst maintaining a relevance and impact for local communities. But museums now face an increasingly uncertain moment of precarious funding structures, and a shifting environment in which the progressive values they have assumed are confronted by rising illiberalism and authoritarianism, both at home and abroad. As such, this conference brings together scholars and practitioners to consider how museums can address the challenges they face and consider how they position themselves as vital, adaptable and resilient institutions in a changing world. 

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): 

• Reconceptualizing the museum for present challenges;  

• Connections between the academy and the sector; 

• New approaches to museum pedagogy; 

• Museums and the politics of representation; 

• Museums and sustainable development; 

• The role of creative technologies in museums; 

• Museums and the marketplace; 

• Museums and political discourse (international, national, local). 

A broader aim for this conference is to connect those with an interest in the study of museum in the region. This will bring together scholars from the University of Warwick and practitioners from local museums and heritage sites, to discuss how museum navigate their current realities, with an aim of promoting continued dialogue, collaboration and partnership.   

This conference coincides with and supports the theme of International Museums Day ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities.’ 

Participation 

We welcome short papers on any topic related to the conference theme of 10 minutes in length. Papers will be assigned to papers with the intention of promoting dialogue and discussion. 

Please submit an abstract of your paper of no more than 200 words to the submission form by Monday 15 April 2025.

If you have any questions about the conference or would like to discuss your prospective submission with the organizers, please contact:

 

Submit a proposal

It doesn't have to be complicated or academic, we welcome a broad range of perspectives and styles.

Use this form to submit your proposal by 15th April

Register to attend

Please use this form to tell us that you will be attending.