Session B Archives

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Considers the critical decisions museums make about which stories, assets, and cultural elements to prioritise, while maintaining their crucial role as stewards of historical truth, authenticity, and accuracy. In an era of technological change, misinformation, and climate challenges, how are preservation practices and the integrity of narratives affected?

Emirati woman demonstrating traditional palm frond weaving for ICOM Dubai 2025.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Looks at how museums reflect and adapt in response to global shifts in societal values, cultural norms, and demographic changes within communities. This day offers actionable insight into how museums can cultivate representative and responsive institutions that serve the changing needs of the public.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

In the spirit of the inaugural General Conference in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, ICOM Dubai 2025 promises to be a groundbreaking and uniquely transformative experience for museum professionals, cultural leaders, and community members globally.

The scientific programme features engaging panels, interactive sessions, lecture performances, masterclasses, workshops and more, offering an exciting assemblage of critical cultural dialogue and cutting-edge innovation. Paralleling the diversity of Dubai, the organised sessions set an exemplary balance in the representation of not only age, geography, experience, and skillset, while also showcasing the wide range of museum interests, disciplines and global perspectives.

Under the theme ‘The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities’, we aim to work together to preserve, share, and delve into our cultural identities, reinforcing the role of museums as vital societal pillars and catalysts for growth. The Scientific Programme will interweave three sub-themes, ‘intangible heritage’, ‘youth power’, and ‘new technologies’, across the three days to address the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing museums today.

Each day is structured to explore a distinct dimension of rapidly changing communities, where sessions address the three sub-themes equally and together.

Explores the vital role museums play in helping communities navigate and access opportunities amongst social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Welcome to Dubai, and welcome to the future of museums!

The ICOM Dubai 2025 programme of tours and excursions promises to be an unparalleled experience, designed to immerse participants in the vibrant culture, history, and dynamism of the United Arab Emirates. Taking place on Sunday 16th November, 2025, this exciting programme will offer a series of tailored excursions and events that will showcase the UAE in all its diversity, blending the country’s unique mix of rich traditions and hyper-modernity.

Participants will explore all seven emirates, each with its own distinctive identity, yet collectively embodying the UAE’s essence. From world-class museums and institutions in urban centres to smaller, more intimate cultural spots deeply rooted in local heritage, the programme will offer something for every interest. The programme will take participants on a journey to explore the UAE’s living heritage, engage meaningfully with a dynamic new generation of professionals and creatives, and experience some of the most innovative technologies shaping the cultural sector.

Expect to visit a wide range of sites and destinations, spanning multiple disciplines including archaeology, art, architecture, ethnography, performing arts, craft, culinary art, history, design, sustainability, and more. Participants will have the rare opportunity to step into the UAE’s past at significant archaeological sites and historical landmarks, witness exceptional contemporary architecture, explore the living heritage of the UAE and experience how the UAE has become a global hub for innovation, technology, and sustainable development. A memorable feature of this Emirati journey will be experiencing many of the UAE’s sixteen intangible heritage practices that are inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The ICOM Dubai 2025 programme of tours and excursions is designed to enhance the conference experience, offering participants the opportunity to connect, share experiences, and immerse themselves in the culture of the United Arab Emirates. Stay tuned for a detailed list of sites and experiences to be revealed soon!

Traditional Emirati architecture the Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, featured at ICOM Dubai 2025

Digital Transformation in Cultural Heritage: Leveraging Data, AI, and Digital Tools in the Production and Dissemination of Audiovisual Content

The digital era is driving a profound transformation in the cultural heritage sector, reshaping how content is produced, curated, and distributed. How can cultural institutions and content creators harness data, AI, and digital tools to expand access to cultural and audiovisual content? How can they use AI, digital tools and media to offer an open space for people to communicate, to connect culture to culture and person to person?
Main Areas of Interests of this session are:
– AI and Machine Learning in Cultural Content
– Digital Tools for Cultural Content Dissemination
– Digitisation and Preservation of Cultural Heritage
– Emerging Technologies in Audiovisual Production
– AI and Technologies for a “Museum of Love, Understanding and Connection”

Presentation of CECA’s Research, Best Practice and Young Members awards

CECA organizes every year for its members the possibility to submit a project within the framework of three international competitions;
– The Best Practice Award, a tool to improve museum education internationally
– The Colette Dufresne Tassé Research award
– The Young Members award
More than thirty projects are submitted each year to three international jurys
Three Best Practice awardee projects, two Research awardee projects and one Young Member awardee project will be presented by their wilnners and the session will end with the official award ceremony

Youth Power and New Technologies

We will dive into the pivotal role of young people in forging the Egyptian and Sudanese museums and collections of tomorrow. Youth is the power engine that is needed to move ahead and navigate an ever-changing world, while museums, and not least the ones with Egyptian and Sudanese collections possess a unique potential, offering young people a window into the past, a tool for reflection on the present, and a platform for shaping the future.
As communities undergo swift transformations driven by technological advancements, combined with the rise of distance learning, there is an opportunity for museums to tap into the potential of new technologies to create new forms of expression, enhance audience engagement and visitor experiences, and improve operations.

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Tuesday, 12 November 2025
Session B: Youth Power and New Technologies

16:30–16:40 Shreen Abdelmegeed, Exploring how digital storytelling, AR/VR, and AI enhance public understanding of ancient Egypt

16:40–16:50 Faïza Drici, A Virtual Museum for Sudan in Times of Conflict: Digital and Immersive Technologies by and for Young Cultural Heritage Professionals

16:50–17:00 Heba Allah Moamen, The Technological Movable Museum: Engaging Youth in Cultural Heritage Preservation

17:00–17:10 Aliaa Raafat Youssef, Innovative Pathways to Museum Education: Developing the Museum of the Faculty of African Studies at Cairo University through Youth-Led and New Technologies

17:10–17:20 Riham Refay, From Museum to Community: Empowering Youth to Confront the Challenges Facing Alexandria’s Intangible Maritime Heritage Amidst Urban and Climate Change

17:20–17:40 Keiko Tazawa, Enhancing Accessibility in Museums with New Technologies: The initiatives of The Ancient Orient Museum, Tokyo

17:40–17:50 Ossama Abdel Meguid, Royal Mummies: The Sanctity of Death or the Holiness of Resurrection

17.50.-18.00 Heba Hassen Amer, Enhancing Belonging Among Youth with Intellectual Disabilities: A Digital Puppetry Model in Egyptian Museums

Evening: ICOM Opening Party

Homo Viator. Dressing Nomads, Travelers, Migrants and Pilgrims.

The nomadic lifestyle is connected with the beginnings of many civilizations, but it is also an important feature of the culture of numerous contemporary societies. The need to travel is an indispensable part of human life. During ICOM GA 2025 in Dubai, the international committee ICOM Costume wants to address for its paper sessions the issue of clothing for different kinds of journeys, in all aspects of this phenomenon and from all of communities, regions and times… This overarching theme also seeks to explore tangible and intangible heritage in rapidly changing communities. We seek contributions that examine a wide range of case studies and theoretical approaches, including, but not limited to, the following: Tradition in nomadic and travel dress; Dressing ancient nomads; Dressing contemporary nomads; Travel and migration; Dress accessories.

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Dubai World Trade Center 12th November 2025, 16h30-18h00
PAPER SESSION BC-4 COSTUME
HOMO VIATOR. DRESSING NOMADS, TRAVELERS, MIGRANTS and PILGRIMS
ICOM COSTUME CHAIR CORINNE THEPAUT-CABASSET

Joanna Kowalska (ICOM Poland) member of COSTUME, Poles Travelling for Health and Relaxation

Janet Purdy (ICOM USA) member of COSTUME, Embroidered Traditions, Roots and Routes: Presenting Tangible and Intangible Histories from SWANA in a Museum Exhibition

Katarzyn Wodarska-Ogidel (ICOM Poland) member of COSTUME, The Vision of Wanderers and Nomads in European Theatre. Costume as a Reflection of Changing Attitudes to Nomads and Travelers

Adila Laidi-Hanieh, From Nomad to Settlement, from Villager to Refugee, to the Museum

Myoung-Sun Song, Wearing Where I’m From. A Korean American Adoptee’s Journey in Identity and Belonging

Future Museums of (GLASS) and Rapidly Changing Communities

Although the Corona disaster that has threatened us in recent years has finally come to an end, the social environment around us is changing rapidly and is by no means stable, with natural disasters in various regions, destruction caused by war and global political instability.

However, in this environment, the arts have always served as a unique communication tool to connect people in a friendly and peaceful manner, transcending cultures and ethnic groups. We look forward to your presentation of examples of outstanding communication activities in your museum, institution or academic institution, including ongoing or innovative educational outreach through glass art and new ways to engage viewers. By sharing these initiatives with our members, who have glass collections from around the world, we hope to contribute to the international community by further expanding the museum as a place of communication that is close to each of our communities.

Museum Architecture and Techniques and New Technologies

Museums are increasingly leveraging digital formats to present tangible and intangible heritage. This session explores how emerging technologies are reshaping museum architecture and exhibition design (flexible spaces, interactive exhibits, use of new technologies) with a special focus on the empowerment of audiences. It examines how digital tools, interactive design, and immersive experiences can safeguard heritage while making it more accessible and engaging, especially for younger audiences. Additionally, the session will address the evolving relationship between physical and virtual museum spaces, immersive and interactive exhibitions, combined with material choices, that promote a deeper emotional connection to cultural practices and histories.

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ICAMT Session B-6
WEDNESDAY 12th of NOVEMBER 2025 / 14:45 – 16:15 PM (Dubai time)
Museum Architecture and Techniques and New Technologies
Moderator: Danusa Castro, Vice-Chair of ICAMT
Room number: Al Ain F

14:45-14:55 Experiencing the Space: Strategies for Inclusive Museum Design at Photo Elysée: Marina Martin Barbosa

14:55-15:05 New Technologies and Multisensory Inclusive Design for Accessibility: The Case of “Tiresias, the Myth in Your Hands” and “The Rizzon Collection” in National Museum of Matera: Annamaria Mauro (presenting), Adele Magnelli (presenting) and Alessandro Cavallaro

15:05-15:15 The Role of Technology in Integrating Tangible and Intangible Heritage for the Modernization of Museums: Abduraheem Kozhikodan and Farha

15:15-15:25 New Frontiers in Digital Storytelling at the National Medal of Honor Museum: Gregory Waters

15:25-15:35 Using digital technology to reconstruct the environment of the archaeological site: a case study in Nanke Archaeological Museum: Fang-Yi Lin

15:35-15:45 A Maritime Museum for All. Developing Accessibility in Estonian Maritime Museum: Mihkel Karu

15:45-15:55 Inclusivity in Cultural Institutions: A Case Study of the Jordan Museum: Yosha Abdelsalam Alamri

15:55-16:05 Curating Art Exhibitions for Kids: Insights from the Children’s Museum at Louvre Abu Dhabi: Amine Chouaib Kharchach

16:05-16:15 Q&A

Adornment and Identity in Spatial Design and Objects

This joint session between DEMHIST and DESIGN (formerly ICDAD) explores adornment in domestic environments as a form of personal expression and cultural identity, as seen in museum architecture, collections, and display. It invites papers on house museums, decorative objects, ornament, and interior design, considering how domestic interiors reflect identity, aesthetics, social roles, and historical context across time and place. Period rooms, furnishings, and objects reveal both individual tastes and broader artistic movements.
Papers that engage with one or more of the ICOM Dubai 2025 subthemes of “intangible heritage,” “youth power,” and “new technologies” are especially welcome. Topics might include sustaining craft traditions, engaging younger generations with historic design, and using digital tools to reinterpret or present domestic spaces.
With perspectives from both DEMHIST and DESIGN, the session aims to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue on how domestic adornment shapes and reflects lived experience and how museums preserve and share these narratives with the public.

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Session B-7
DESIGN & DEMHIST
Adornment and Identity in Spatial Design and Objects
12 November, 2:45 – 4:15 PM (Dubai time)
Sheikh Rashid Hall B

Presentations

Arianna VALLARINO (Project Manager and Curator Educator, Museo della Ceramica di Savona and Casa Museo Jorn), “The House Museum as a Witness to the Contemporary World”

Brianna BRINKLEY (Cultuurfonds-funded Research Residency, Museo Sant’Orsola), “Between Ruin and Renovation: Museo Sant’Orsola as Exhibition Space”

Nicole VAN DIJK (Founder and Director, Stichting Wijkcollectie/District Heritage Collection Foundation), “The Ornament of Lombardijen: Adornment as Collective Identity and Civic Ritual”

Melissa RINNE (Senior Specialist, Kyoto National Museum), “Nineteenth Century Japanese Textiles and the Western Interior”

Anika REINEKE (Curator of Textiles, Decorative and Applied Arts and the Henry van de Velde Museum, Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz), “Seeing the Maker: Engaging with the Spirit of Villa Esche Then and Now”

Moderators

Alexander Belousev (DEMHIST Board Member and Head of Publishing Department, Peterhof Museum)

Denise HAGSTRÖMER (DESIGN Board Member and Senior Curator of Design at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design)

Timna Seligman (DEMHIST Chair and Senior Curator, Ticho House)

Milja Stijovic (DEMHIST Vice Chair and Senior Curator, Yugoslav Film Archive)

From talk to Action with a Global Perspective: What does Museum Decolonisation Really Look Like? Decolonisation across Different Contexts

This conference session addresses a pressing and often uncomfortable question: Are museums truly transforming or engaging in symbolic gestures to appear progressive? In recent years, many institutions have made public commitments to “decolonisation”, but the substance behind these declarations is often unclear. We invite contributions that critically assess whether Western museums are enacting meaningful change or simply adopting the language of decolonisation without altering foundational power structures.

Conversely, we are interested in opening the conversation beyond the often Euro-American-centric lens and recognising that decolonisation means different things in different historical, cultural, and geopolitical contexts. We encourage contributors to explore how museums in the Global South, Indigenous contexts, or formerly colonised regions approach and understand decolonisation in ways that may differ from those of Western institutions.

1. From Talk to Action — What Does Museum Decolonisation Really Look Like?

Presenters are invited to critically examine how we might distinguish between genuine structural change and more superficial effort such as updated labels, renamed galleries, or the hiring of diverse staff without accompanying shifts in institutional power. Contributors may explore how progress in decolonising museums can be meaningfully evaluated, whether through repatriation efforts, changes in governance and staff demographics, community participation, or other tangible criteria. This theme also encourages reflection on whether museums are truly transforming their internal cultures or merely changing their external image, and whether they are fundamentally rethinking the ways they collect, interpret, and display objects—or simply rebranding colonial collections. Submissions may include both constructive case studies of institutions undergoing radical change and critical analyses of those that have failed to follow through on decolonial commitments

2. Global Perspectives — Décolonisation accross Different Contexts

Possible directions for papers may include explorations of how the Western Museum model itself is rooted in colonial ideology, and how institutions outside the West are challenging or adapting this framework. Authors might examine the differences between postcolonial and settler colonial contexts — for example, comparing how decolonisation is approached in Australasia, Africa, or any other former colonial context, and how historical legacies and current political realities influence museum practices. Indigenous-led museums and cultural centres may offer grounded examples of decolonisation from the community level, providing valuable insights into alternative models. Papers could also consider how museums in formerly colonised countries handle the display of colonial-era objects or represent their own cultural narratives in ways that subvert dominant colonial interpretations. Cross-cultural comparisons are especially welcome, such as examining repatriation efforts across regions or contrasting community engagement strategies in different national contexts. Finally, the role of language, indigenous knowledge systems, and oral histories in shaping curatorial narratives invites reflection on how decolonisation intersects with broader questions of representation, authority, and interpretation.

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IC-Ethics Session B (BC-8)
From Talk to Action: What Does Museum Decolonization Really Look Like?
12 November 2025, 16:30- 18:00
DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTER, DUBAI, UAE

Programme:
16:30 Welcome
-Dr. Lina G. Tahan, Chair of ICEthics

16:30 – 18:00 Presentations
Moderator: Lucia Patrizio Gunning

16:30-16:40 Hadeer Mohamed Reclaiming Lost Cairo: Decolonial Reinterpretation of Islamic Monuments through French Colonial Archives

16:40-16:50 Kim Seulah Museum Decolonization in Korea: Practices and Implications beyond Euro-American Paradigms – A Case Study of the National Museum of Korea

16:50-17:00 CHIU Chunni Decolonial Dialogues: Rethink it together

17:00-17:10 Mossin Tuva Archival Amnesia: Uncovering Norway’s Role in the Colonisation of Greenland

17:10-17:20 Charkaoui Célia Participatory provenance research and the decolonial turn: Rethinking responsibility and governance through Belgian-Congolese Collaboration

17:20-17:30 De Wolff-Finies Jude Bonaire And Its People: Between Narrative, Representation, and Systemic Constraints

17:30-18:00 Discussion

Session 2: What Technology Enhances – Digital Innovation and Artistic Expression

Technology is reshaping the way art is created, preserved, and experienced. From digital curation in museums to AI-generated art and virtual reality exhibitions, new technologies offer both opportunities and challenges in representing diverse artistic traditions. This session explores how technological advancements can enhance our understanding of ethnicity in art, bridge cultural gaps, and expand accessibility while also questioning potential risks such as cultural dilution or digital exclusion.

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November 12
2:45–4:15 pm at Dubai World Trade Center (Exhibition Hall 5)

14:45 CACCIN Daniele, Chinese calligraphy goes digital: Intersections between calligraphy and digital art
15:00 AL THANI Najla, Preserving and Transforming Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age
15:15 WANG Suwen, From Disconnection to Reconnection: Cross-Cultural Communication In Cultural Heritage Studies Through AI-Based Digital Storytelling
15:30 HOZOURI Bahar, Sonic Bridges: Exploring Auditory Modalities for Fostering Cross-Cultural Understanding in Art Museums
15:45 SOBANOVA Petra, Between Prompt and Practice: AI-Supported Artistic Creation and the Redefinition of Authorship in Emerging Visual Culture
16:00 Discussion / Q&A

Transformations in Museum Practice Through Intergenerational Change

One of the most important forces pushing transformation in museum practice is youth. In this session, ICME wants to address the way museums and their staff are responding to youth-led initiatives and youth participation, and to their demands for activism and justice. Particularly, we would like to focus on how collaboration with new generations can provoke changes in leadership structure, museum vision and research agendas. Are these collaborations taking museums to a genuine and meaningful shift in policies or practice, or are they superficial? How are museums engaging with younger generations as partners and visionaries? We invite participants to think about what younger generations want from museums today, and how we are meeting their expectations as cultural institutions.
Moreover, in this session we want to explore how we define “youth” in museum practice. Are we talking about temporal age or newness in practice or ideas? What happens when youth is also understood as a political position and discursive approach that challenges the conventional and insists on alternative knowledge(s) and futures?

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Transformations in Museum Practice
Through Intergenerational Change
Wednesday, 12th November 2025, 16:30 – 18:00

16:10 – 16:30 Coffee Break

Moderator: Anamaria Rojas Munera (Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington/ICME Secretary)
Moderator: Ali Mahfouz (Falconviz Company)

16:30 – 16:35 Introduction

16:35 – 16:45 Ana Isabel Maya (Comfenalco Antioquia): Coolness as Commitment: Youth, Relevance, and the Museum’s Social Role

16:45 – 16:55 Marenka Thompson-Odlum and Aolani Kailihou (Pitt Rivers MuseumUniversity of Oxford, UK and Kamehameha Schools): Moʻolelo in Motion: Youth-Led Reimaginings of Museum Practice Across Oceans

16:55 – 17:05 Ana Katarina Ziherl (Slovenian Alpine Museum): Reaching New Summits: Curating Alpinism for Gen Alpha

17:05 – 17:15 Sara Eisa (Sharjah Museums): From Employing Augmented Reality Technology to Enhance Museum Experience for Children with Autism Case Study: Sharjah Museums

17:15 – 17:25 Yuling Lin (Another Year Studio): Envisioning Future-Oriented Museum Management in the Digital Age through the Lens of SDG 17: A Case Study of a Cultural and Creative Entrepreneur’s Innovative Start-up Journey

17:25 – 17:35 Fatma Ahmed Soliman Abdelnabi (King Tut Ankh Amon Training Center): Bridging Tour Guides and Exhibitions: A Community-Centered Approach at the Grand Egyptian Museum

17:35 – 17:45 Alessandra Frontini and Ramona Quattrini (Università Politecnica delle Marche): Bridging the Digital Divide: empowering Digital Maturity and Transformation for young professionals in Museums

17:45 – 18:10 Panel discussion

The Landscape of Memory and Resistance Through Music and Performance

Music, while often thought of as intangible heritage, is also reflected in the material culture found in many types of museum collections. The ubiquity of music in cultural life, the myriad ways in which it delights and moves people, and its rich scope for cultural significance at many levels, make music and its tangible heritage important fields of inquiry and collaborative research. Musical instruments may be viewed at the heart of such investigations, yet when placed within historical and contemporary contexts, musical practices may be intertwined with other artefacts which also embody and express cultural identity, social, political, and spiritual ideas and values. Best practices in museum work allow for new ways for society to see, hear, access and engage with tangible and intangible heritage, and learn about the histories, artistry, craft, and techniques. The importance and fragility of such work is directly impacted by current wars and conflicts, suppressing and destroying material and immaterial cultural heritage.

Academic Program

Academic exchange in the field of interest of Arms & Military. Topic: The Future of Museums in Rapidly Changing Communities

Youth Power—Co-Creation, Activism, and Digital Fluency

Today’s youth tend to be technology and trend savvy, creative, innovative, compassionate, and curious, but they are also vulnerable to a 24-7 virtual avalanche of information and images that target them to think and behave in certain ways. How do museums connect, inspire, and engage them in this crowded environment of fast-paced and constantly changing messages, images, and modes of digital communication?

Through presentations and interactive discussions, ICOM COMMS (former MPR) will address topics of interest to museum communicators, marketers, fundraisers, and community engagement specialists, including youth-led marketing initiatives, intergenerational engagement strategies, and youth-focused fundraising models.

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Session B
12 November 2025, 2:45 – 4:15 (Dubai time)
Youth Power – Co-Creation, Activism, and Digital Fluency

Moderator = Natia Khuluzauri

James Luo, Jean-Luc Chretien, Lillian Jafari: Whose Knowledge Counts?” Rethinking Museum Authority Through Teen-Led Curatorial Practice

Niloofar Yazdkhasti: Threads of Youth: Co-Creation, Cultural Pride, and Belonging through Costumes and Dolls

Matthieu Taunay, Asmahane Rami, Azim Al Ghussein: Museums and Cultural Education: Empowering Youth Through Co-Creation and Capacity Building

Xun Ji: From Hashtags to Heritage: How Disabled Youth in China Advance Museum Accessibility

Collecting the Digital: Rethinking Materiality in Science and University Museums

Digital technologies present a unique challenge for science and university museums. Unlike traditional scientific instruments or artifacts, digital innovations—such as artificial intelligence, algorithms, and data-driven research tools—often lack a physical presence that corresponds to their profound societal impact. This session explores how museums can collect, document, and interpret digital and contemporary scientific heritage in ways that preserve both their material and conceptual significance.

Bringing together perspectives from universities and museum professionals, this session will examine key questions: How do we collect and exhibit AI and other digital technologies? When is the physical object necessary, and when can alternative collecting strategies be employed? How do decisions about what to collect shape future research and public engagement?

Through a keynote presentation, case studies, and discussion, this session will highlight innovative approaches to collecting scientific heritage from university labs and beyond. Rather than providing definitive answers, it will raise critical questions about the evolving role of collections in the digital age, balancing materiality, research, and dissemination.

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November 12 14:45-16:15
CIMUSET UMAC collaboration – Session B-14
Collecting the Digital: Rethinking Materiality in Science and University Museums
Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE
Location: Hall, Abu Dhabi A

Slaga: Beyond the Tangible: Collecting the Intangible in Contemporary Scientific Heritage
Poce: Beyond the Object: The University of Tor Vergata’s Virtual Museum as a Living Digital Collection
Nykanen: Aviation museums new facilities – a possibility, or a disaster
Hwang: Material Transformations: Cement, Heritage, and Innovation in the 2024 Project
Hao: Beyond Artifacts: Capturing Fleeting Reactions as Digital Heritage in Museums

Leadership and Strategic Advocacy

In the light of declining public funding, museum leaders find that their role increasingly requires effective advocacy to leverage new sources of funding and influence decision-making. Among the tools of advocacy are compelling evidence of the beneficial social and economic value of museums and familiarity with existing cultural policy. In addition, however, campaign development, pitching an idea, identifying decision-makers, building a stakeholder base, and effective lobbying strategies are also essential. This session will explore values-based advocacy for museum leadership to build sustainable futures.

Moderator: Hans van Bunte (INTERCOM)
Keynote speakers: Asma Ibrahim (ICOMON); Terry Nyambe (ICOM Zambia) TBC
Flash presentations: call for papers related to the synopsis

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16:30 Moderator: Hans van Bunte (INTERCOM) introduces the session Leadership and Strategic Advocacy and the keynote panelists: Asma Ibrahim (ICOMON, ICOM Pakistan) and Terry Nyambe (ICOM Zambia)

17:00 Pecha Kucha presentations:

17:01 Dorien Jansen, Title: The New Treasury: Public Engagement and Education without Commercial Goals

17:08 Yuliya Glazyrina, Title: The Permian Period Museum: PR and GR campaign to raise stakeholders awareness

17:15 Sabari Christian Dao, Title: De la promesse présidentielle à l’action : plaidoyer stratégique pour la construction d’une grande salle d’exposition moderne au Musée National du Burkina Faso

17:22 Olivia O’Leary, Title: Innovations in Funding: Insights from an International Case Study

17:29 Noam Alon, Title: Curating Between Autonomy and Attraction: The Hybrid Funding Model of the Palais de Tokyo

17:36 Kirsty Warner, Title: Advocating through Alignment: Amgueddfa Cymru and the Politics of Museum Sustainability in Wales

17:43 Slavko Spasić, Title: From Absence to Advocacy: Building a Natural History Museum in Serbia

17:50 Q & A session: Discussion with presenters and keynotes

Intangible Heritage

Literature, and music are an intangible heritage that literary and composers’ museums try to make visible. Making the invisible visible is the mission of our museums. How will museums of the future work? What kind of installations will they have to make the museum interesting, engaging and interactive? Are there any problems in acquiring collections in literary and composer museums in the 21st century? A very important task of our museums is the ongoing education of adults of all ages, involving the community in the life of the museum, promoting the reading of literary works, spreading and disseminating the poetic heritage, the promotion of music and musical practice, the visit of places linked to writers and composers or narrated in their literary works. Literary and musical museums, house museums of writers and composers’ work in this field of activity and present their good practices, their seminars and conferences on this topic.

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Session B-16
Session B: 12 November, 2:45 – 4:15 PM (Dubai time)
Sheikh Maktoum Hall A
Session timing:10 minutes for papers

Moderator: Galina Alekseeva, ICLCM Vice President

Papers

Alla Byramova, The Museum Future – Is It the Antithesis of the Museum Past and the Museum Present?

Aleksandr Bogatyrov, The Tyutchev Museum and its role in world Literature

Nadezda Kulakova, Literature memorial museums: keepers of traditions or active participants in the modern literary process?

Shuo-Bin Su, Rethinking the General Literary Museum for the Future: Decentralization of National Identity and Objecthood in the Frame of New Museology

Zhamby Dzhusubalieva, Ainura Kabatai kyzy, Living Literature: Reimagining the House of Kubatbek Jusubaliev as a Creative Museum-Residence in Kyrgyzstan’s Alai Mountains

Arusyak Ghazaryan, The History Museum of Armenia as a Space for Community Dialogue:The Living Presence and Preservation of Dialects

Hsuan-Yu Chen, Exploring Youth Education Through the Practice and Experimentation of Literary Museum Collections

Athina Pavlidou, Rethinking Literary Museums in Greece: Strategies, Best practices and Challenges

Interpreting History and Archaeology at Regional Museums – Beyond Display and Innovative Interpretation of Archaeological Heritage

Integrating advanced technology into archaeological practices has revolutionized how researchers uncover, document, and interpret the past. During excavation and documentation, tools such as LiDAR, 3D laser scanning, and GIS enable precise mapping of sites, even beneath dense vegetation/urban layers. These methods enhance accuracy and preserve fragile artifacts by reducing physical handling. Beyond the field, technology plays an equally critical role in communicating archaeological findings to the public. Museums now employ Virtual Reality (VR) to transport visitors to ancient sites, while Augmented Reality (AR) overlays interactive reconstructions atop excavated ruins or artifacts. Interactive touchscreens and holographic displays contextualize objects with multimedia narratives, bridging the gap between ancient cultures & modern audiences. Digital databases and online platforms, such as 3D Heritage Archive, democratize access to discoveries, while AI-driven apps tailor educational content to diverse learning styles. By merging cutting-edge technology with traditional archaeology, researchers & educators foster a deeper, more inclusive understanding of humanity’s shared heritage.

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12th November 2025
2:45 – 4:15 PM (Dubai time)
ICR-DRMC collaboration – Session B-17
Interpreting History and Archaeology at Regional Museums – Beyond Display and Innovative Interpretation of Archaeological Heritage
Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE
Room no: Sheikh Rashid Hall C

Nouran Morsi – Elevating the Multisensory Visitor Experience through Innovative Interactive Exhibition Techniques in Regional Historical Museums – Paving the Way for the Museums of Tomorrow

Zainab Sabri – The role of Research in the Digital Curation of Lahore Museum: Community Inclusion through Innovative Displays

Kim MinSeong – ‘Current Digital Technologies in Archaeological Excavation and Landscape Reconstruction (Focused on the Excavation Results of Mongchontoseong in Seoul)

Mai Khaled Amer – Regional Museums as Cultural Mediators: A Case Study of Kafr El-Sheikh Museum, Egypt

Faiza Bhatti – Decolonizing Heritage: Addressing Colonial Legacies in Historical and Archaeological Collections and Redefining Ownership

Menna Aly – The Role of Regional Museums in Preserving and Decolonising Egypt’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

Jana Walter (Online) – Game of the Snake” – Experience digital archaeology: Augmented reality and 3D reconstruction in a state museum (Case Study)

Ana Paula Barradas Maranhão (Online) – Museos universitarios y arqueología pública: prácticas de mediación entre acervo, ciencia y comunidad en Brasil

Cycling Cities: A Research Model for City Museums

Your City Next! Researching and Curating Cycling Histories (workshop)

Bicycles, once novel, then old-fashioned, are back again. Professor Ruth Oldenziel (Technical University Eindhoven) and Annemarie de Wildt (emeritus curator Amsterdam Museum) present lessons from the Cycling Cities international network and insights from Bicycles Forever exhibitions from Ghana to the Netherlands.

In a hands-on 90-minute workshop they will share inspiring global examples of how cycling histories have been turned into engaging exhibits. Then participants will work in groups to brainstorm, sketch, and pitch ideas for cycling city exhibitions rooted in their own urban experiences. We will explore methodologies for researching and curating urban cycling histories across diverse contexts. Expect lively discussions, rapid idea generation, and a focus on storytelling that connects past, present, and future cycling cultures. Come ready to collaborate and reimagine how museums can champion cycling in the city, including in your own city.

The Future of Collecting

ICOM Dubai 2025 invites us to envision the future of museums and communities together. COMCOL takes on this invitation and will use the time of this session to exchange ideas of community focused collecting and how this poses new questions – ethical, legal, social, psychological and museological. How to rethink collecting when building relations as practice of care becomes first before the care of the object, when shifting ideas about ownership and authority affect collecting practices.

Traveling Exhibitions Workshop

ICOM Exhibitions brings the pros to you! In this workshop, industry experts will share their extensive experience in managing and touring exhibitions, both large and small. Participants will gain valuable insights into the key aspects of planning and executing a successful traveling exhibition, including: Topic Selection: Learn how to choose compelling and relevant themes that resonate with diverse audiences. Vendor Agreements: Understand the essentials of negotiating and managing agreements with vendors, ensuring smooth collaboration and clear expectations. Touring Artifacts: Explore the considerations involved in deciding whether to include artifacts in your exhibition, including conservation, security, and legal implications. Logistics: Delve into the practicalities of transporting, installing, and maintaining exhibitions across multiple venues. Rental Agreements: Gain knowledge on drafting and negotiating rental agreements that protect your interests while fostering successful partnerships. Whether you’re new to traveling exhibitions or looking to refine your approach, this workshop will provide you with the foundational tools and strategies needed to bring your exhibitions to life on the road.

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Attendees:

Tim Pethick
Anik Dorion-Coupal
Alec Cole
Jol Martinenghi

Young People Shaping the Future of Museology through the Lens of the SDGs

Led by Jamie Allan Brown (ICOFOM and the University of St Andrews), the ICOFOM Youth Workshop Series is a special project funded by ICOM’s Strategic Allocation Review Committee (SAREC), running from 2022 to 2025. Grounded in research led by the University of St Andrews in collaboration with ICOFOM, this three-year global initiative has fostered safe spaces for young people, early-career practitioners, and those working with youth to engage in critical dialogue. In partnership with museums and heritage organisations, the project spans 18 countries and territories and has delivered over 19 workshops worldwide. For this session, Kaye Hall (ICOM Barbados and the Barbados Museum & Historical Society), Melissa Alexandra Aguilar Rojas (ICOM Costa Rica), and Prof. Karen Brown (ICOFOM Chair and the University of St Andrews) will offer comments and reflections on practice. This workshop will also feature reflections from the ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice–nominated Shared Island Stories project, offering highlights from its transnational youth exchange between Barbados and Scotland, a collaboration between The Barbados Museum & Historical Society and the University of St Andrews. Participants explore how museums can foster climate literacy, advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and support community adaptation strategies. Rooted in critical pedagogy and socially responsive museology, the series draws inspiration from youth engagement to promote mutual learning between young people, museum professionals, traditional knowledge holders, and other stakeholders. This ICOFOM-led workshop will offer both a reflection on the global series and an opportunity for participants to contribute to its findings. Please bring an object or photograph with you that represents your community. The session is open to a maximum of 50 participants.

Disaster Preparedness for Museums

This session is designed to provide museum professionals with essential knowledge and skills to prepare for and respond effectively to various types of disasters. Attendees will hear from experts representing several International Committees, each discussing different aspects of disaster preparedness, from risk assessment to emergency response and recovery. Speakers will cover common disasters such as natural disasters (floods, earthquakes, hurricanes), fires, and man-made emergencies, while offering practical methodologies for creating disaster preparedness plans, handling damaged collections, and managing limited resources.

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Programme:

11:45 (Paris) | 14:45 (Dubai)

11.45 – 11:50 Introduction: Diana Pardue

11:50 Vernon Rapley ICOM SECURITY

11:58 Goranka Harjan ICOM INTERCOM

12:06 Samuel Franco ICOM DRMC

12:14 Kate Seymour ICOM CONSERVATION

12:22 Cheeyun Kwon ICOM ICTOP

12:30 Interactive Workshop: Building Museum Disaster Preparedness Together

Participate in this interactive workshop on Padlet! Share your insights, questions, and experiences on disaster preparedness, engage with fellow attendees, and help build a collaborative resource to support museums in managing emergencies effectively.

Padlet: https://padlet.com/ICOMCC_Solidarity_Projects/disaster-preparedness-for-museums-86aj5e89wwzw9jtc

Title: Emergency Planning: Risk Management

Speaker: Vernon Rapley, ICOM SECURITY

Vernon Rapley FSA is Director and Principal Consultant of Vernon Rapley Ltd, with 30+ years in art crime investigation and museum security. Chair of ICOM’s Museum Security Committee, he lectures internationally, founded multiple heritage security initiatives, and contributed to exhibitions, publications, and media on art crime.

Title: Leadership and Resource Management During Emergencies

Speaker: Goranka Horjan, ICOM INTERCOM

Dr. Goranka Horjan, PhD in information and communication sciences, is an art historian and director of Castle Trakošćan National Museum. Former Assistant Minister of Culture, she has led Croatian museums, chaired the European Museum Forum, and serves as INTERCOM president, skilled in leadership and stakeholder engagement.

Title: Ambulance of Culture

Speaker: Samuel Franco, ICOM DRMC

Samuel Franco is a Guatemalan sound engineer, videographer, and cultural first aider. Founder of Casa K’ojom, he documents, preserves, and shares Maya intangible cultural heritage. He has held leadership roles with ICCROM, Blue Shield Guatemala, ICOM LAC, and UNESCO’s Memory of the World program, working internationally in cultural emergency response.

Title: Disaster Preparedness: Floods

Speaker: Kate Seymour, ICOM Conservation

Kate Seymour is an internationally recognized paintings conservator and educator. Chair of ICOM-CC and Fellow of IIC, she founded Art Conservation Education in 2024. She lectures and leads workshops globally, advancing conservation through teaching and hands-on expertise.

Title: Training Resources and Post Disaster

Speaker: Cheeyun Kwon, ICOM ICTOP

Cheeyun Kwon is Professor and Chair of Arts & Cultural Management at Hongik University, Seoul, and serves on advisory boards including the Seoul City Public Art Committee and The Best in Heritage. Formerly a curator at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, and Smithsonian, she has published on Korean art, museums, and gender. She earned her Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Moderators

Diana Pardue, ICOM DRMC

Diana Pardue is Director of the Museum Services Division at the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island, part of the U.S. National Park Service. Involved in the 1980s restoration creating the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, she oversees museum programming and cultural resources, including historic structures, archaeology, and ethnography.

Rita Capurro, ICOM ICTOP

Rita Capurro is a lecturer at Università Milano-Bicocca and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, teaching Religious Tourism, History of Art, and Museology. Since 2007, she has coordinated the master’s program in Museology, Museography, and Cultural Goods Management. Her research focuses on musealisation of religious cultural heritage.

How sustainable is the future in light of the rapidly changing environmental and social effects on communities?

A panel discussion will explore the intersection of social and environmental sustainability with sustainable development practices in museums, climate action, and environmental justice. The conversation will reflect on how the 2030 UN Agenda incorporates intangible heritage as part of the solutions for sustainable futures, and how museums can foster positive changes through community knowledge and collaboration.
Three diverse guest speakers from different parts of the globe will share their experiences, alongside insights from ICOM SUSTAIN and NATHIST regarding sustainable development and climate justice through museum initiatives.

Collection Management, Publishing, and Exchanging Information

This session will provide an overview with examples focused on basic collections management principles, core concepts, and important data standards. Among others, two standards will receive demonstrations. First, LIDO (Light Information Describing Objects), which acts as a schema for delivering metadata about cultural objects for use in collection databases, and also for sharing across the web in various resources. Second, EODEM (Exhibition Object Data Exchange Model), which is a framework that enables museum databases to export objects from one system and import into another, for the purposes of tracking exhibitions and loans.

The participation of communities in a changing world: a global debate

SOMUS and the ICOM Regional Alliances invite conference participants to join an interactive and participatory workshop designed to foster collective reflection on how museums connect with communities today—from critical, diverse, and committed perspectives.

Inspired by the ICOM museum definition, which calls for community participation in all aspects of museum work, and by this year’s International Museum Day theme, “The Future of Museums in Constantly Changing Communities,” the session will introduce the foundations of Social Museology as a framework for inclusive and transformative practice.

From this shared foundation, participants will engage in roundtable discussions to exchange experiences, explore how museums around the world collaborate with communities, and question established notions of what “community” means. The conversation will go beyond so-called “community museums,” inviting all institutions to consider how they work for, with, and by communities to strengthen participation, democratization, and social transformation—always grounded in a deep commitment to human rights and social justice.

12th November 2025

Session B 14:45 – 16:15

B-1

AVICOM

Digital Transformation in Cultural Heritage: Leveraging Data, AI, and Digital Tools in the Production and Dissemination of Audiovisual Content

B-2

CECA

Presentation of CECA’s Research, Best Practice and Young Members awards

B-3

CIPEG

Youth Power and New Technologies

B-4

COSTUME

Homo Viator. Dressing Nomads, Travelers, Migrants and Pilgrims.

B-5

GLASS

Future Museums of (GLASS) and Rapidly Changing Communities

B-6

ICAMT

Museum Architecture and Techniques and New Technologies

B-7

DESIGN (ICDAD), DEMHIST

Adornment and Identity in Spatial Design and Objects

B-8

ICETHICS

From talk to Action with a Global Perspective: What does Museum Decolonisation Really Look Like? Decolonisation across Different Contexts

B-9

ICFA

Session 2: What Technology Enhances – Digital Innovation and Artistic Expression

B-10

ICME

Transformations in Museum Practice Through Intergenerational Change

B-11

ICMEMOHRI, MUSIC

The Landscape of Memory and Resistance Through Music and Performance

B-12

ICOM ARMS & MILITARY

Academic Program

B-13

ICOM COMMS

Youth Power—Co-Creation, Activism, and Digital Fluency

B-14

CIMUSET, UMAC

Collecting the Digital: Rethinking Materiality in Science and University Museums

B-15

INTERCOM, ICOMON

Leadership and Strategic Advocacy

B-16

ICLCM

Intangible Heritage

B-17

ICR, ICMAH

Interpreting History and Archaeology at Regional Museums – Beyond Display and Innovative Interpretation of Archaeological Heritage

B-18

CAMOC

Cycling Cities: A Research Model for City Museums

B-19

COMCOL

The Future of Collecting

B-20

ICOM EXHIBITIONS

Traveling Exhibitions Workshop

B-21

ICOFOM

Young People Shaping the Future of Museology through the Lens of the SDGs

B-22

ICOM CONSERVATION, ICTOP, DRMC, INTERCOM, ICOM SECURITY

Disaster Preparedness for Museums

B-23

NATHIST, SUSTAIN

How sustainable is the future in light of the rapidly changing environmental and social effects on communities?

B-24

DOCUMENTATION

Collection Management, Publishing, and Exchanging Information

BT-12

SOMUS, REGIONAL ALLIANCES

The participation of communities in a changing world: a global debate

B-1 AVICOM

Digital Transformation in Cultural Heritage: Leveraging Data, AI, and Digital Tools in the Production and Dissemination of Audiovisual Content

B-2 CECA

Session B
14:45 – 16:15