Tomorrow's World

Today, November 11, begins the 2013 Museums Association Conference (Liverpool). Ann Sumner, executive director of the Brontë Parsonage Museum will be one of the speakers at the themed session, Tomorrow's World:

Tomorrow’s World
Coordinated by Iain Watson, director, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
This theme explores how museums can learn from what is happening now to plan successful futures not just over the next few years, but taking a lead from the futurologists to create a vision of museums our grandchildren and great grandchildren might enjoy.
We will explore technological developments and how they are changing the museum experience.
But these sessions are not just for geeks and hackers. We will also look at the skills that will be needed by the museum workforce of the future (human or robot) and how museum people will need to adapt.
Delegates will have a chance to hear what the public wants and how Museums 2020 has informed thinking. While classical historians might suggest we use the entrails of animals, we will use some rather more modern techniques to help us divine possible futures.

Tomorrow’s World: The tomorrow people

Hall 1a
Since 2008 museums in the UK have experienced perhaps the biggest rate of change since the end of the second world war.

This new context requires different people and different skills.

As well as collections knowledge we need people who care about diversity, are committed to the role of museums in making a difference in people’s lives, understand and use new technology, and have change management and leadership skills.

This session will explore what these skills are and how museums can develop and retain them.
Chair:
Iain Watson, director, Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums
Speakers:
Ann Sumner, executive director, The Bronte Parsonage Museum
Prakash Daswani, founder and chief executive, Cultural Co-operation
Peter Latchford, chief executive, Black Radley Consulting
Georgina Young, senior curator – contemporary history, Museum of London