ITP MA Conference Leeds 2024

Written by Claire Messenger, Manager, International Training Programme

This autumn we are delighted we will be joined by five ITP Fellows from 9 – 17 November 2024 for the Museums Association (MA) conference and exhibition in Leeds.

Joining us this year will be:-

Kayla Kuʻualoha Annen, Ethnology Collections Manager, Bishop Museum, Hawaii, USA (ITP 2023)

Mohammad Al Qaisi, Education Manager, Jordan Museum, Jordan (ITP 2022)

Rodah Kalondu Lange, Curator, National Museums of Kenya, Kenya (ITP 2023)

Priyanka Kundu, Museum Keeper, Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum, India (ITP 2022)

Shreen Mohamed Amin Taher, Visiting Lecturer of Heritage and Museum Studies

Helwan University and Senior Museum Education and Programme Developer, The Children’s Museum, Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt (ITP 2016)

Read their biographies HERE.

The conference will take place on 12-14 November 2024 at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds and will focus on The Joy of Museums.  The conference will celebrate the innovation, inventiveness and creativity that make our museums such incredible places. Sessions and workshops will explore how the sector continues to innovate, working closely with communities to use our collections to tell new stories, developing productive partnerships and embracing the opportunities created by new technology. The conference will discuss the importance of ethics whilst asking how museums of all types and sizes are having a real impact on society, improving health and wellbeing, creating better places to live and work and offering spaces for debate and reflection.

As part of the week in the UK there will also be the opportunity to spend time at museums, galleries and heritage sites in and around Leeds with additional programming focused around our participants specific areas of interest. 

‘First time visitors to the Bishop Museum are fun to observe. The Museum’s main galleries, Hawaiian Hall and Pacific Hall are full of stories about Oceania. Many visitors from outside Hawaiʻi are not aware of the depth of history that resides in the islands. It is my hope to maintain that sense of wonder and joy for our visitors and colleagues. This conference interests me because the value and joy of museums is experienced on so many levels from visitor to staff, and I would like to learn more about and from other professionals on how they maintain that vision across their institution’.

Kayla Annen, Bishop Museum

‘The Joy of Museums’ resonates with me deeply as it encapsulates the essence of what museums strive to achieve – to inspire joy, wonder, and curiosity in their visitors. To me, this theme speaks to the transformative power of museums in enriching lives, fostering a sense of community, and sparking imagination and creativity. This conference theme interests me because it celebrates the positive impact museums have on society, highlighting their role in improving health and wellbeing, creating vibrant and inclusive spaces, and stimulating intellectual and emotional engagement. As an advocate for museum education, I am passionate about creating experiences that bring joy and meaning to our visitors, and I am excited to explore how museums around the world are innovating and adapting to meet the evolving needs of their communities’.

Mohammad Al Qaisi, Jordan Museum

‘The conference theme ‘The Joy of Museums’ means the satisfaction which comes with museums to the staff, the communities and its audiences. Museums are cultural institutions which not only showcases heritage but also preserve and promote the cultural identity of communities. The communities have entrusted museums with their material culture for preservation for present and future generations. They have good will from the communities as the custodian of their heritage. They give an opportunity for people to learn from the past to solve present and future problems. Museums are inclusive and open for dialogue for emerging issues. Museums develops community-based programs to empower local communities. They are connected and have the expertise to training local communities both locally and internationally. This fosters a sense of ownership and pride among the local communities living next to the museum.’

Rodah Lange, National Museums of Kenya

‘While browsing the Museum Association Conference page I observed that the speaker section promoted two museums; The Museum of Homelessness and the International Slavery Museum. That caught my interest and made me curious because the term ‘joy’ does not seem to fit the character of these museums. They appear to me as some challenging and unusual museum stories. So I hope, sincerely, that this conference will alter my perception of The Joy of Museums. It would be encouraging and motivating to hear their success talks and learn from them. Attending the conference will provide new ideas, practical guidance and peer support, which are important in the global museum and heritage field’.

Priyanka Kundu, Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum

‘The MA Conference 2024 theme, ‘The Joy of Museums’, celebrates the remarkable aspects of museums that bring joy, inspiration, and transformative experiences to people’s lives. It means to me the importance of museums in building an inclusive and connected community, whether through physical exhibits, virtual experiences, or collaborative efforts, education programs, many museums house items of great meaning and cultural importance that should be accessible to everyone.  The conference theme is very interesting because it highlights how museums work closely with communities: using collections to tell new stories, developing productive partnerships, and embracing opportunities created by technology. The conference sheds light on the ways to understand the real impact museums have on society, and the positive impact of cultural institutions on society, education, and wellbeing’.

Shreen Mohamed Amin Taher, Helwan University and the Egyptian Museum

We are looking forward to re-connecting with the ITP fellows and showing them all that the city of Leeds and its environs has to offer.