Workshop Invitation
Museums, Migration, and Democracy
At a time of democratic backsliding and deepening social division, we warmly invite curators, exhibition producers, museum directors, educators, conservators, and others who work at or with museums to participate in this workshop on the role of museums as spaces of dialogue, critical reflection, and social responsibility. Students of museum studies, archival studies and cultural heritage are also most welcome to register.
The workshop is organized within the framework of Moving Europe – Negotiating Legacies of Migration at the Museum, a European project exploring how museums can engage in the challenges and responsibilities of representing migration in Europe today.
The workshop offers critical perspectives on Europe’s shifting political landscape and examines the role of museums as democratic institutions within multicultural societies shaped by inequality, segregation, and contested narratives of belonging.
Drawing on examples from, among others,
Niclas Järvklo, Deputy Museum Director, Sveriges museum om Förintelsen
Amelie Tham, Creative DIrector, Fisksätra museum
The workshop provides space for joint learning and the exchange of perspectives. It will be held in English - during exchange and work phases in groups, it is of course possible to switch to your preferred language.
Participation is free of charge.
Register by May 15th.
Please unregister if you suddenly realize you can'r come. A No Show Fee of 100 SEK if you don't cancel your registration 24 hours before the workshop starts.
WELCOME & SETTING THE SCENE
13:00 Lunch
Free lunch, time to settle in and get to know each other.
14:00 Welcome and Introductions
Participant presentations and a shared exploration of expectations and goals for the workshop.
WHERE ARE WE NOW? - Contextualizing Museums, Migration and Politics
14:15 Museums in a context of threatened democracy
This session provides a critical overview of the political and cultural shifts in the politics of multicultural diversity and monocultural nationalism over the past decades. Special attention is paid to the role of museums and how these institutions represent migration and diversity, contribute to public debates, and promote inclusive narratives that challenge exclusionary understandings of identity and belonging.
15:00 Museums, Migration, and Inequality in Segregated Societies
This module focuses on museum practices in societies marked by ethnic urban segregation, social inequality, and structural racism. Through shared examples and discussion, we examine how museums can critically address migrationrelated issues without reproducing stereotypes, tokenism, or hierarchies of voice.
15:45 Coffee Break
WHERE DO WE GO? - From Critical Analysis to Democratic Practice
16:10 Collaborative future speculating: From Analysis to Action
An interactive workshop to process and synthesize insights from the day. Using collaborative speculation methods, we will collectively envision what the future of a democratic and resilient museum could look like. The workshop aims to translate critical reflection into concrete ideas for ongoing institutional conversations and practices.
17:00 Summing Up and Closure
