This year’s Museums Association conference is an opportunity to hear the latest thinking and ways of working from across the sector – and it’s also a chance to meet members of the team to discuss our core programmes and funding opportunities.

Taking place on 2-4 November at the Repertory Theatre in Birmingham, our hybrid conference will explore the theme of Museums Connecting Communities through a mix of panel discussions, case studies, workshops and breakout groups.

Whether you’re interested in career development, looking after wellbeing within your team, applying for funding or supporting anti-ableism across the sector, in-person delegates can attend small drop-in networking sessions to find out more.

Meet the MA sessions include:

  • Meet our grants manager Sarah Briggs to hear more about the Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund.
  • Meet project officer Craig Smith to learn about the Health and Wellbeing in Museums grant programme.
  • Meet workforce lead Tamsin Russell to discover how to develop your freelance career or take part in one of our professional development programmes.
  • Hear the recommendations from our new wellbeing and anti-ableism report.

Elsewhere in the conference programme, MA staff will take part in different sessions and discussions.

Policy and ethics lead India Divers chairs breakout session ‘Colonialism, climate and communities’, exploring the intersection between climate justice and decolonisation in museums through case studies from two Esmée Fairbairn Communities and Collections Fund projects: Broken Tech: Broken Earth at the Centre for Computing History, and Extinction Silences at Bristol Museums.

Craig Smith delivers training on the impact of health and wellbeing programmes, in collaboration with Anna Cullum, and Tamsin Russell shares networking hints and tips at our first-time delegate meet and mingle.

Members of the Ethics Committee will also offer advice in our Ethics Surgery for in-person delegates.

Finally, participants in the MA’s Anti-racist Museums Programme are invited to a closed meeting to discuss progress, challenges and opportunities.