PROGRAMME
DECEMBER 4
10:00 – 16:00 (Eastern European Time)
10:00 – 11:30
Masterclass #1 | Benaki Museum/Pireos 138
Futures of Conservation
with
Azra Bečević Šarenkapa, Deputy Director, National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Alessia Strozzi, Conservation Officer, Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist for Cultural Heritage, Facilitator, Futurist, Paper Book Photography Conservator, Italy
Anthea Phoca, Conservator, Benaki Museum Conservation Department, Greece
The masterclass will explore the futures of conservation through three key lenses: sustainability, technology and digital innovation and inclusive practices. Participants will explore how emerging technologies and community-driven approaches can preserve heritage, fostering hope and resilience in the process, using a bespoke scenario tool from strategic foresight to imagine the futures of conservation.
10:00 – 11:30
Masterclass #2 | Benaki Museum/Pireos 138
Future of Leadership
with
Dr. Wiebke Ahrndt, Director Übersee-Museum Bremen, Germany
and
Sharon Ament, Director of London Museum, UK
Facilitated by
Dr. Marlen Mouliou, Assistant Professor of Museology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece
This masterclass promises to provide valuable insights into the evolving landscape of museum leadership within the context of a world increasinly more complex and fragmented. It will explore the kind of political tensions museum directors face nowadays, the core values they possibly uphold and how these intersect with their intricate roles as spokespersons for their institutions.
The masterclass invites collaborative interaction on the part of the audience in order to trace the most effective leadership traits, and assess if and how these may differ depending on the positioning of museums and their leaders in different geographies and political landscapes.
10:00 – 11:30
Masterclass #3 | Benaki Museum/Pireos 138
The future of cultural assets
with
Dr. Denis Avrilionis, Founder & CEO at Compellio, Luxembourg
and
Thalia Tsalkitzi, Manager of Cultural Solutions Department, Uni Systems, Greece
This masterclass explores the future of cultural assets in the age of AI and blockchain. We will introduce the Digital Cultural Asset Passport (DCAP), a new framework designed to help museums and creators leverage technological innovation securely. Discover how to protect and manage digital cultural heritage while embracing the potential of emerging technologies.
12:00 – 13:30
Masterclass #4 | Benaki Museum/Pireos 138
Co-Curation with communities – Enabling reflective practice
with
Lynn Scarff, Director National Museum of Ireland
12:00 – 13:30
Masterclass #5 | Benaki Museum/Pireos 138
Arts Council England
Future of futures thinking
with
Emmie Kell, Director Museums and Cultural Property, Arts Council England (UK)
Hannah Fox, Executive Director, Bowes Museum
Dhikshana Turakhia Pering, Head of Creative Programmes, London Museum
Sandra Shakespeare, Founder, Museum X (and leader of the Black British Museum project)
Kim Streets, Chief Executive, Sheffield Museums Trust
and
Pedro De Senna, Futures Consultant & Director of the Brazilian Association of Futurists
14:30 – 16:00
Masterclass #6 | Online
Re-imagining Heritage, Archives and Belonging
with
Amanda Egbe, Senior Lecturer in Media Production, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
and
Japheth ‘Jeff’ Monzon, Project Officer at Black South West Network, UnMuseum, UK
This 90-minute masterclass explores the UnMuseum project—a radical rethinking of heritage and belonging rooted in racial justice, decolonial practice, and post-colonial critique. Participants will engage with consultation findings, reflect on institutional narratives, and co-create practical strategies for inclusive, community-led heritage work.
By the end of the session, participants will:
- Understand the rationale and framework of the UnMuseum project
- Situate the project within racial justice and decolonial/post-colonial discourse
- Translate these ideas into practical heritage, curatorial, and digital strategies
- Co-create next steps for living archives, community ownership, and belonging narratives
