Next 6-7 June 2013, Vilnius will be at the heart of innovation and creation in the cultural sector. We Are Museums is a free 2-day conference with a unique format, that has chosen the Baltic area to play host to its very first edition. The event will be held at the Contemporary Art Centre, the largest venue for contemporary art in the region.

We are Museums was born a year ago, chiefly inspired by the buzz and creativity of Vilnius. An exciting emerging arts scene, coupled with the energy of its youthful communities, makes the city the perfect location for building bridges between museums and cultural organisations and their audiences in Lithuania. Conceived and organised by a team of culture professionals, We are Museums will share a passionate belief in the idea that institutions and the public shape each other’s identity, through conversation and innovation.

The event will boast a lineup of leading experts and pioneers in their fields, from a number of prestigious, internationally-renowned museums. Speakers include Marc Sands (Tate, UK), Laurent Gaveau (Château de Versailles, FR), Martijn Pronk (Rikjsmuseum, NL), Sarah Hromack (Withney Museum of Art, US), Don Undeen (Metropolitan Museum of Art), Samuel Bausson (Musée de Toulouse, FR), Loic Tallon (Pocket Proof, UK) and Carolyn Royston (Imperial War Museum, UK). Together they will share their visions and experiences, engaging with audiences on how to build museums that are more connected and participative.

We are Museums will bring a strong professional focus to its audience. Speakers will team up with participants in unique workshops designed to help create strategies suitable for medium and small-scale institutions and in which participating teams will design a roadmap for their own projects.

We are Museums is not limited to the professional sphere and aims to promote Vilnius’s cultural avant-garde and help boost creativity, through a broad artistic programme including photography, music, fashion and design.

The conference expects to attract 100 -150 international participants from across the Baltic States, Poland and Scandinavia, including participants working in the fields of museums and culture as well as innovation and digital economy. The event will also draw students and researchers together with those who are curious to find out the very latest and revolutionary ideas in the world of museums. It will be an invaluable opportunity for participants to meet, share thoughts and work together. A blog will be featured on the We are Museums website ahead of the conference, with a view to encourage exchange of knowledge and to build resources prior to the event.

We are Museums is an entirely FREE event open on a ‘pay what you can’ basis, through which each participant is encouraged to balance what they can aford with how they value the experience. The talks will be held in English only.

Due to limited capacity, registration for the conference is essential and participants can register on the event’s website.

We are Museums is supported by the British Council, the Institut Francais, the Netherlands Embassy in Lithuania, the Contemporary Art Centre of Vilnius (SMC), the Vilnius College of Design, Tumblr, Novius, Smart Taxi, Herito, NEMO and Coffee Inn.

Contacts: [email protected]
Website: www.wearemuseums.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wearemuseums
Twitter: @WeAreMuseums