Reimagining Museums and Cultural Institutions for a New Era

Museums the world over are being compelled to keep up with the expectations of their increasingly diverse publics, whether to address collections that have been acquired through violence or conquest; interpretation that perpetuates a singular or biased worldview; unethical, insufficient or inconsistent funding sources; or dull visitor experiences unable to compete in the fast-paced attention economy of today. This session will explore what the future of museums could look like globally and how we can move towards relevant, human-centred, interesting cultural spaces.

Introduction: Albie Sachs (South Africa) – Activist, Writer and Former Judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa

Moderator: Ngaire Blankenberg (South African) – Founding Director of the Institute for Creative Repair

Panellists:

• Prof Carolyn Hamilton (South Africa) – South African Research Chair in Archive and Public Culture Historical Studies, University of Cape Town
• Storm Janse van Rensburg (South Africa) – Senior Curator & Head of Curatorial Affairs at Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa
• Lekgetho Makola (South Africa) – Chief Executive Officer at Javett Art Centre
• Steve Kwena Mokwena (South Africa) – Curator Robben Island Museum, Heritage Department, and Founder and Curator of the Afrikan Freedom Station
• Albie Sachs (South Africa) – Activist, Writer and Former Judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa
• Sophia Sanan (South Africa): Educator, Writer, Thinker, Research Consultant and Project Manager for Museum Futures Africa (a project by the Goethe Institute)