The full guide for the Museums Association (MA) Conference and Exhibition in Glasgow has now been published, with details of sessions, themes and social events at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on 7-9 November.
Highlights include keynote speeches by Jackie Kay, the national poet for Scotland, Oonagh Aitken, the chief executive of Volunteering Matters, and Alexandre Fernandes from the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The conference themes are being brave; people and places; and health and wellbeing. There will be a series of sessions under each of these themes, including the role of community museums, confronting censorship and controversy, and partnerships for wellbeing.
A series of social events will give delegates the chance to see the Zaha Hadid-designed Riverside Museum, the Gallery of Modern Art and also Kelvin Hall, a new collections study centre. And this year delegates are invited to a third day of special events and tours at sites around Glasgow including the Scottish Football Museum, the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, the Glasgow Science Centre, and the Glasgow Women’s Library.
Smarter Training sessions will provide hands-on practical instruction throughout the conference on everything from using text in museums and galleries to crowdfunding and embracing Instagram, first-time delegates can meet others in the sector at a networking breakfast on the first morning, and delegates can access the Careers Hub for advice on creating successful CVs, succeeding at interviews, and surgery sessions to find out about more about the MA’s professional development schemes.
And in the Exhibition Hall pop-up museums will showcase work by museums and galleries working with the Esmée Fairbairn Collections fund, and a marketplace will allow delegates and visitors to meet some of the specialist museum organisations that support the sector.
Simon Stephens, the MA’s head of publications and events, says: “Glasgow is famous for the groundbreaking approach its museums have to community engagement and the confidence of its visual arts scene. There is much that can be learned from the city’s cultural offer.
“But we will also be looking beyond Glasgow and welcoming speakers from around the world to share best practice and new thinking on the future of museums – whether it is about audiences, advocacy, collections, technology, funding or partnerships.
“We look forward to welcoming delegates to Glasgow for what promises to be an exciting and forward-thinking conference.”
Book now to take advantage of the early-bird booking discount, which ends on 5 August.
Sectors:
- Museums
