The UK’s leading museum and heritage event comes to Oxford.
Museum Diplomacy in Action takes place on 16-17 April 2026 in Oxford, exploring the unique role of museums as cultural diplomats in an increasingly uncertain world.
Museums are increasingly globally engaged and deal with global challenges, an agenda that often requires museum professionals to play an important diplomatic role. At the same time, museums – and other memory institutions – hold a privileged position, being widely considered as trustworthy sources of public information. They operate as spaces where narratives, perspectives and values are communicated. They can foster cultural exchange, mediate cross-cultural understanding and encourage global cooperation. Their unique position – between heritage, knowledge and public engagement – makes them powerful agents of cultural diplomacy with the ability to maintain trusting relationships and build bridges, also when more formal diplomatic channels might be strained or broken.
The ICOM UK conference for 2026 will showcase practical examples of how museums can engage in cultural diplomacy to bridge cultural divides, address global challenges, stimulate collaboration, strengthen and heal international relationships. It will explore the unique position of museums as powerful cultural diplomats in an uncertain world. Delegates can expect to learn from tangible examples of museum diplomacy in action and leave feeling empowered to think about their own role and agenda on an international stage.
Programme
See the full programme details here.
Pre-event-Wednesday 15 April 2026
Informal meet-up and networking between 18.00 and 21.00 at The Royal Oak on Woodstock Road.
(Attendees are responsible for paying for their own food and drinks)
Day 1-Thursday 16 April 2026
Location: Oxford University Museum of Natural History
09:00-09:30 Arrivals & Registration
09:30-10:00 Welcome Addresses
Dr Christian Baars, Co-Chair, ICOM UK
Dr Gavin Svenson, Director, University of Oxford Museum of Natural History
Katie Colombus, Director of Audiences, Art Fund
10:00-10:30 Keynote from Dr Sascha Priewe
Dr Sascha Priewe (Director of Collections & Public Programs, Aga Khan Museum President, ICOM Canada) presents ‘Liberation Day for Museum Diplomacy?’ (Joining us online)
10:30-11:20 Session 1: Advancing Global Partnerships Through Museum Diplomacy
‘Can Cultural and Scientific Partnership Bolster the UK’s Special Relationship with the USA?’ Laura Frampton, Associate Director of Global Engagement, Science Museum Group
‘Filling the Gap: Museum Diplomacy Without a Ministry of Culture’ Gregory Houston, President and CEO, International Arts & Artists (USA)
‘From Exchanged to Shared Futures; ACC’s Cultural Diplomacy Model for Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Next-Generation Leadership in Asia’ Sunghee Cho, Curator of Culture and Education Division, National Asian Culture Center, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea
Panel moderated by: Dr. Sascha Priewe, Director of Collections & Public Programs, Aga Khan Museum, President, ICOM Canada
11:20-11:50 Break and Sponsor Marketplace
11:50-12:40 Session 2: Museums Connecting Communities Internationally Through Equitable Cross-Cultural Exchange
‘Nowruz at Leighton House: Belonging, and Cross-Cultural Dialogue through a Living Persian Tradition’ Sabnam Balouch, Preventative Conservation Officer, Leighton House Museum
‘Bridging Digital Heritage and Cultural Diplomacy: Community-Based Museum Partnerships in Postcolonial West Africa’ Gabriel Matesun, Curator, University of Ibadan, Nigeria – Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
‘Common Ground: An International Indigenous Cultural Exchange’ Mattie Reynolds, Chair and Associate Professor, Museum Studies, Institute of American Indians Arts
Panel moderated by: Maria Blyzinsky, Co-Chair, ICOM UK & Freelance Museum Consultant
12:45-13:45 Lunch and Sponsor Marketplace
13:45-14:15 Keynote from Dr Laura Van Broekhoven
Dr Laura Van Broekhoven (Director, Pitt Rivers Museum) presents ‘Do we need Museum Diplomacy or Museum Solidarity?’
14:15-15:05 Session 3: Sustaining Museum Diplomacy and International Relationships in a Rapidly Changing World
‘Shared Island Stories: Youth, Museums and Climate Action Across Island Communities’ Jamie Allan Brown, Research Fellow, University of St Andrews
‘AI and Virtual Heritage: Reimagining Museum Diplomacy at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir’ Dr. Shreen Amin, Curator and Head of the Scientific Office and the Children’s Museum, Egyptian Museum (Joining us online)
‘Cultural Protection Fund – 10 Years of Cross-Cultural Cooperation in Heritage’ Stephanie Grant, Director of the Cultural Protection Fund, British Council
Panel moderated by: Prof. Laura Van Broekhoven, Director, Pitt Rivers Museum
15:05-15:35 Break and Sponsor Marketplace
15:40-16:30 Session 4: From Conflict to Recovery – The role of Museums in Conflict, Reconciliation and Peace Building
‘Shared Sacred Sites: A case study of Diplomatic Space for Intercultural Dialogue’ Mikaël Mohamed, Director of International relations, Mucem (France)
‘Museum Diplomacy: The Evolving Role of Museums in Nepal’s Conflict Recovery’ Roshan Mishra, Director and Curator, Taragaon Next (Nepal)
‘Ecosystem Museum Diplomacy from Civil Society: MOCA NGO’s Networked Response to War in Ukraine’ Yuliia Hnat, Ecosystem Projects and Development Director, Co-founder, NGO Museum of Contemporary Art (Ukraine)
Panel moderated by: Hannah Crowdy, Head of Curatorial, National Museums NI
16:30-17:00 Keynote 3
17:00-17:15 Closing Remarks
18:00-20:00 Evening Reception at the Ashmolean
Day 2-Friday 17 April 2026
8:45 – 9:15 Arrivals for ICOM UK Annual General Meeting
Location: The Ashmolean – Headley Lecture Theatre
9:15- 10:15 ICOM UK Annual General Meeting
Location: The Ashmolean – Headley Lecture Theatre
10:45-12:15 Session 1: Workshops, Walking Tours & Museum Tours
Delegates select 1 of the following options:
- Workshop A: Collective Intelligence in Action: Lessons from the Bizot Green Protocol
- Workshop B: Museum Bridge: Connecting Museums Internationally
- Workshop C: The Art of Long-Lasting Cross-Cultural Collaboration
- Museum Tour: The Oxford Story at the Museum of Oxford
- Museum Tour: Multaka Tour – With these Hands: Crafting a shared Humanity at the Pitt Rivers Museum
- Museum Tour: Multaka Tour – Captured in Light: A Journey Through Photography at the History of Science Museum
- Walking Tour: Oxford’s Radicals & Rebels
13:00-14:30 Session 2: Workshops, Walking Tours & Museum Tours
Delegates select 1 of the following options:
- Workshop D: Museum Diplomacy as Organisational Development: From International Exchange to Institutional Change
- Workshop E: Community-Led Engagement: Building a Programme for People Seeking Refuge
- Workshop F: Developing New Environmental Tools for the Sector
- Museum Tour: An Introduction to Oxford’s Past at the Museum of Oxford
- Museum Tour: In Bloom at The Ashmolean
- Walking Tour: Oxford’s Queer History
15:00-16:30 Session 3: Workshops, Walking Tours & Museum Tours
Delegates select 1 of the following options:
- Workshop G: The Role of Museums in Cultural Resilience and Identity: International Collaboration with Ramallah Refugee Camp and Multaka Oxford
- Workshop H: The Right to Disagree- Radical Listening and Intercultural Dialogue’ with ICOM UK
- Workshop I: Strategic Planning for Disaster; Blue Shield UK Perspectives
- Museum Tour: An Oxford Night Out at The Museum of Oxford
- Museum Tour: In Bloom at The Ashmolean
- Walking Tour: Shakespeare and Oxford
16:30 Close
See the full programme details here.
Venues
The conference unfolds across five beautiful, centrally located venues – Oxford University Museum of Natural History, the Ashmolean Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum, the History of Science Museum, and the Museum of Oxford. All venues are a short walk apart, offering an inspiring backdrop for two days of discussion and collaboration.
Meet the Speakers
Conference speakers will showcase UK and international case studies of museum diplomacy in action through presentations, panel discussions and workshops. Speakers will be announced here shortly.
Programme
Our conference 2026 programme of talks, panel discussions, workshops, museum and walking tours will be announced here shortly.
Accommodation
ICOM UK has secured a small allocation of rooms at Worcester College, Oxford – offering historic student accommodation with access to the college grounds and an exceptional central location just a short walk from the main conference venues. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis, so early booking is strongly recommended. You can book accommodation at Worcester College when purchasing your conference tickets.
A range of accommodation options are available across Oxford, from affordable city-centre hotels to five-star stays. UniversityRooms offers budget-friendly college accommodation, while centrally located options include Premier Inn Westgate, voco Oxford Spires, the Royal Oxford Hotel and the Courtyard by Marriott Oxford. For those seeking premium stays, Oxford offers several five-star hotels including Malmaison Oxford, The Store Oxford, Vanbrugh House Hotel and the Old Bank Hotel.
Partners & Sponsors
We are grateful to our partners and sponsors for their invaluable contributions and support that have made this conference possible –
Art Fund; National Museum Directors’ Council; University of Oxford Gardens, Libraries & Museums; Barker Langham; Narro; Dellner Glass Solutions; Nomad Exhibitions and blooloop.
ICOM UK’s 2026 Annual Conference programme is co-curated with ICOM Canada’s Dr Sascha Priewe, co-editor of Museum Diplomacy: How Cultural Institutions Shape Global Engagement.
Questions?
For any questions or general enquiries, please contact our conference coordinator at conference@icomuk.org
