Since 2020, the CoMuseum International Conference has served museums and cultural professionals as both a physical as well as a digital platform.
Its key long-term goal is to share the best ideas and practices from around the world, highlight contemporary challenges and create a global network of professionals who will co-design a ‘culture-edge’ future for our societies.
This year’s CoMuseum conference is taking place from 3 to 5 December 2025 in a hybrid format:
- face-to-face in Athens and Thessaloniki
- via live streaming on 3 December for those of you who prefer to participate online.
As always, the conference will feature top international experts from museums and cultural institutions in Greece, the UK and beyond, who will share insights and ideas on the present and future of museums.
Over the course of three days, we will uncover tools, ideas and leadership models that empower museums to serve as bridges for resolving differences and catalysts for overcoming adversity.
The CoMuseum International Conference is the core activity of the British Council’s Museums Revisited capacity building programme for the museum sector in Europe that aims to explore the role of museums in society
15th CoMuseum International Conference: Reflecting on the Past, Reclaiming the Future
In 2025, CoMuseum marks its 15th anniversary – an opportunity to both reflect on the past 15 years of transformative museum practice while envisioning the future of museums as hopeful spaces.
This year’s conference frames museums as sites of human connection, imagination, healing and resilience. As global societies face increasing polarisation, rapid technological change and cultural fragmentation, we ask:
What does it mean to be human – and hopeful – today?
And if museums are stewards of the past and curators of our shared future, how can they cultivate a deeper, more sensitive and understanding approach to the human experience.
CoMuseum 2025 will explore the evolving role of museums in shaping a more inclusive, democratic and empathetic world. Through this dual lens – retrospective and forward-looking – we aim to imagine alternative futures and foster innovative practices that empower communities and redefine the cultural landscape.
Speakers
Details of our invited speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.
Programme
- 3 December 2025: The conference will take place at the Benaki Museum (138 Pireos Street, Athens) – the full programme will be announced in November.
- 4 December 2025: A series of workshops and masterclasses will be held at the Benaki Museum (138 Pireos Street, Athens) – the full programme will be announced in November.
- 5 December 2025: The event will be held at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (25 Martiou Street, Thessaloniki) – the full programme will be announced in November.
Registration
Registration for the CoMuseum Conference will open in November.
Participation is free following registration.
Partnerships and support
The conference is organised by the British Council and the Benaki Museum, in collaboration with the Thessaloniki Concert Hall and the Norwegian Embassy.
Information
For further information on the CoMuseum and the Museums Revisited programme, please contact Maria Papaioannou at Maria.Papaioannou@britishcouncil.gr.
Past and future events
Previous editions of the International Conference for Museums are available on the CoMuseum website.
If you’d like to stay up to date with all our museum events, join our Museum Professionals Network, and register for our Arts newsletter and/or CoMuseum newsletter.
