The role of communications in shaping museum culture

A 2-Part Webinar Series by ICOM COMMS in cooperation with ICOM ICTOP, ICOM INTERCOM, “Museum Communication” Working Group of ICOM Italy, NEMO, University of Genoa – Innovation Hub Tourism & Heritage UniGe-Ulysseus, Ulysseus WP6 “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Community Engagement”.

Museums today face a double challenge: to create change, they must navigate contested narratives, colonial legacies, and rising demands for inclusive representation. But transformation begins at home. Internally, museums also confront a troubling reality – workplace toxicity, burnout, and systemic inequities that undermine their stated values. In both arenas, communication is a fundamental tool for preventing and addressing harassment, racism, and discrimination.

SESSION 1: 18 May 2026, h. 5-6 pm CEST

SPEAKING OUT: Strategic Communication to Promote Inclusive Narratives in Museums.
How can museums use their unique public platform to challenge discrimination – without alienating audiences or oversimplifying complex histories? This session explores the museum as an ethical communicator: an institution that takes positions, mediates conflict, and builds trust with diverse communities through the stories it tells.

• Richard Sandell, Professor of Museum Studies and Co-Director of the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries (RCMG) at University of Leicester (UK)
• Sandro Debono, Museum thinker, academic, and advisor based in the Mediterranean island of Malta; Executive Board Member of NEMO Network of European Museum Organisations
• Rebecca Thonander, Communications Officer at NEMO. Invited case study: the “LGBTQIA+ inclusion in European museums. An incomplete guideline”
• Special Guest: Darko Babić, Chair of ICOM ICTOP
• Moderator: Cristina Chiaiso, Research Fellow at the University of Genoa, Board Member of ICOM COMMS, Coordinator of the Museum Communication Working Group of ICOM Italy