Within the framework of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage is organising the digital conference Museums and Social Responsibility – Participation, Networking and Partnerships on 23 and 24 March 2021.
This initiative is part of a series of three conferences of the Trio of Presidencies of the Council of the European Union (Germany, Portugal and Slovenia) on the common theme of the relationship between museums and social responsibility. The first conference took place on 17 and 18 September 2020 during the German Presidency, and the third one will be held on 23 and 24 September 2021 during the Slovenian Presidency. The partners of the Directorate General for Cultural Heritage are NEMO - Network of European Museum Organisations and the Association of Slovene Museums.
Reflecting on the social responsibility of museums is in line with the priorities of Culture in the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, in particular within the framework of a Resilient, Social and Global Europe seeking to contribute to the development of more cohesive and supportive societies.
The Portuguese conference aims to address key issues posed to museums from a social perspective and point out possible clues for the future in the areas of culture, art, society, education, economy and territory. The focus on these aspects will serve as a basis for discussing what social responsibility means for museums in today’s challenging world, through the exploration of strategies to promote participation, networking and partnerships, as well as innovative methodologies for assessing the social impact of museums.
The main objectives of the conference are:
• To raise awareness of the importance of the social responsibility of museums;
• To promote approaches focused on the participation and mobilisation of citizens;
• To highlight the contributions of museums to social transformation and networking;
• To contribute to the debate on diversified methodologies for assessing the social impact of museums.
The conference will take place online, through presentations, debates, interviews, round tables and posters dedicated to the following topics:
• Museums and social responsibility in post pandemic times
• Participatory approaches
• Collaborative networking and partnerships
• Local and global territories
• Cultural democracy
• Social impact assessment
The conference is bilingual, Portuguese / English, with simultaneous translation and interpretation in Portuguese sign language.
Have a look at the programme
Have a look at the conference VIDEOS
News update:
During conference coffee breaks and lunch breaks, speakers from previous panels will be available to answer individual questions from participants. Stay connected and explore the one-to-one function on the conference platform.
