Co-creation, Convening, and Care, a one-day conference hosted at Manchester Museum exploring how museums can be reimagined as places of partnership, care and social change. will take place 6 May 2026.

Price: GBP130
→ Event official website

How can museums be reimagined as places of partnership, care, and social change?

At the conclusion of its 12 months as European Museum of the Year, Manchester Museum is hosting a conference looking at how, in an increasingly polarised world, we can create the museums our communities really need.

This special one-day conference brings together museum professionals, academics, and community partners to build on this work. Through presentations, gallery tours, workshops, and panel discussions, the conference will explore:

• What meaningful co-creation looks like in practice.

• Community-led approaches to interpretation, collections, and programming.

• Decolonisation, repatriation, and ethical collaboration.

• Leadership, care, and institutional change.

Speakers include Esme Ward, Director, and members of the Manchester Museum team, Amina Krvavac, Executive Director of the War Childhood Museum in Sarajevo and Chair of the European Museum Forum, as well as leaders and practitioners from Birmingham Museums Trust, National Museums Northern Ireland, Sheffield Museums, Bowes Museum, the British Museum and more.

Whether you work in public programming, learning, curatorial practice, engagement, or senior leadership, this conference offers:

• Practical insights grounded in real-world case studies.

• Space to reflect, question, and learn alongside peers.

• Tools and ideas you can apply within your own organisation.

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