Reflections from the ITP+ and ICOM UK conference 2026

Written by Amelia Kedge, International Training Programme Coordinator (Legacy Projects)

On Monday 13 April, we welcomed 8 ITP fellows back to the British Museum to take part in the ITP+ course global engagement and cultural diplomacy a three-day programme of expert-led discussions, presentations and knowledge sharing. This year’s programme explored how museums can act as agents of cultural connection, collaboration and dialogue in a rapidly changing world. It also coincided with the ICOM UK annual conference, offering fellows the opportunity to make connections and engage with sector-wide debates.

Joining us for this programme were:

Alsu Akhmetzyanova, Independent Curator and Art Manager (Uzbekistan, ITP 2019)

Barbara Vujanović, Chief Curator, Meštrović Atelier (Croatia, ITP 2016)

Gao Rui, Researcher, The Palace Museum (China, ITP 2023)

Levent Boz, Specialist, Directorate General of Cultural Assets and Museums, Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Türkiye, ITP 2011)

Mattie Reynolds, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Museum Studies, Institute of American Indian Arts (USA, ITP 2024)

Olena Shevchenko, Senior Researcher and Head of the Archaeological Collections Management & Research Department, Odesa Archaeological Museum (Ukraine, ITP 2025)

Roshan Mishra, Director and Curator, Taragaon Next (Nepal, ITP 2018)

Tapunga Nepe, Director, Tairāwhiti Museum (New Zealand, ITP 2017)

Over two days, colleagues from the British Museum and across the wider museum sector delivered presentations and led discussions sharing their experiences of international collaboration and the role that museums and cultural institutions can play as agents of soft power. The ITP+ concluded with a workshop considering the tools necessary for developing and sustaining ethical international partnerships. Our discussion quickly revealed the complexity of the topic! Fellows shared experiences from their own institutions and communities, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of working across borders, cultures and organisational structures.

Then we were off to Oxford, and to the ICOM UK annual conference. This year’s theme museum diplomacy in action continued many of the discussions we had during the ITP+, exploring power‑sharing, sustainability, community‑led practice and the responsibilities of international partnerships.

We were especially proud of our ITP fellows who presented at the conference:

Mattie Reynolds, Department Chair and Associate Professor of Museum Studies, Institute of American Indian Arts (USA, ITP 2024) who presented Common Ground: An International Indigenous Cultural Exchange and shared experience and learning from facilitating a recent exchange programme with indigenous artists from New Mexico, USA and Brisbane, Australia.

Shreen Amin, Curator and Head of the Scientific Office and the Children’s Museum (Egypt, ITP 2016) who presented AI and Virtual Heritage: Reimagining Museum Diplomacy at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir, sharing the success of the new Children’s Museum initiative using AI to reinterpret photography collections and inspire education resources.  

Roshan Mishra, Director and Curator, Taragaon Next (Nepal, ITP 2018) who presented Museum Diplomacy: The Evolving Role of Museums in Nepal’s Conflict Recovery, sharing his important work in recovering cultural objects stolen during Nepal’s recent conflict.

At the conference, we were also delighted to reconnect with Astghik Marabyan, Head of Department of Culture Heritage, Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (Armenia, ITP 2017) and Ronan Brindley, formerly Lead for Learning & Engagement, Manchester Art Gallery and member of the ITP Conference Working Group.

It is always a pleasure bringing ITP alumni together in person, and we look forward to continuing these conversations in future projects and programmes.