History
Our History
Our History
Founded in 2008, the International Conference on the Inclusive Museum brings together a community of museum practitioners, researchers and thinkers. The key question addressed by the conference: How can the institution of the museum become more inclusive? In this time of fundamental social change, what is the role of the museum, both as a creature of that change, and perhaps also as an agent of change?
The International Conference on the Inclusive Museum is built upon four key features: Internationalism, Interdisciplinarity, Inclusiveness, and Interaction. Conference delegates include leaders in the field as well as emerging scholars, who travel to the conference from all corners of the globe and represent a broad range of disciplines and perspectives. A variety of presentation options and session types offer delegates multiple opportunities to engage, to discuss key issues in the field, and to build relationships with scholars from other cultures and disciplines.
The Inclusive Museum Research Network enables members to publish through two media. First, network members can enter a world of journal publication unlike the traditional academic publishing forums—a result of the responsive, non-hierarchical, and constructive nature of the peer review process. The International Journal of the Inclusive Museum provides a framework for double-blind peer review, enabling authors to publish into an academic journal of the highest standard. The second publication medium is through the The Inclusive Museum Book Imprint, publishing cutting edge books in print and digital formats. Publication proposal and manuscript submissions are welcome.
The Inclusive Museum Research Network offers several opportunities for ongoing communication among its members. Any member may upload video presentations based on scholarly work to the network YouTube channel. Quarterly email newsletters contain updates on conference and publishing activities as well as broader news of interest. Join the conversations on Facebook and Twitter, or explore our new social media platform, Scholar.
The International Conference on the Inclusive Museum has a rich history of featuring leading and emerging voices from the field, including:
Director, Barbados Museum and Historical Society, Bridgetown, Barbados
(2008, 2009, 2010, 2012)
Founding Director, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C., USA
(2008)
President, The International Council of Museums, Paris, France
(2009, 2010, 2013)
CEO, National Heritage Council of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa
(2010)
Founding Director, Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture, Washington, D.C., USA
(2012)
Executive Director, International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, New York, USA
(2013)
Our delegates' opinions are important to us. Below are a few responses when asked: "What did you like best about the conference experience?"
Having the conference at MUNTREF and speakers from Buenos Aires was great.
Opportunity to take time out of a busy office schedule to reflect upon both my work and the nature of museums generally. The location was great as well.
Meeting international colleagues.