Local Challenges – International Solutions? How International Cooperation Opens New Spaces of Possibility for Museums

Like other institutions around the globe, museums in Germany face a variety of tasks. Limited resources and necessary investments, such as digital infrastructure, bureaucratic hurdles, audience development, and social participation, demand new strategies. In this workshop, entitled “Local Challenges – International Solutions? How International Cooperation Opens New Spaces of Possibility for Museums”, organised by the museum agency, we discuss what role international cooperation could play when faced with these tasks. The workshop demonstrates how targeted networking enriches museum work and how the museum agency can support museums and their staff find the right partner. While doing so, we sharpen awareness for international cooperation opportunities: What potentials are offered by global networks, and what challenges can be overcome through cooperation?

The FOCUS: MUSEUM conference and professional fair takes place annually and focusses on different topics each year. It views itself as an interdisciplinary forum as well as a sustainable communication and training event for professionals from the museum, exhibition, and cultural sector. From 28–30 April 2025, attendees gather for exchanges under the title “Augen auf und durch! POTENZIALE für eine zukunftsfähige Museums- und Ausstellungspraxis“. The event location is the 700-year-old St. Paulikloster monastery in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany.

More information on the conference is available on the FOCUS: MUSEUM website.