MEG Annual Conference
What to Expect
Usually hosted at a UK museum, our Annual Conference involves the presentation of papers around a set theme, as well as a more general session, at which members and sector colleagues present their work-in-progress. In recent years, a tradition has been established whereby the final session of the conference is given over to a discussion of issues arising from it. The conference is also an occasion for MEG to hold its Annual General Meeting.
As well as these formal elements, the conference is an excellent opportunity for networking, or as we like to think of it, making new friends and catching up with old ones. During the evening, on the first day of the conference, there is usually a drinks reception in the museum, followed by the option to carry on conversations at a casual dinner elsewhere.
A Supportive Forum
While our conferences often address serious topics, there is equal emphasis on practice, practical experience, and academic research. We encourage participation from all areas of museum and creative practice as well as lived experience in addition to academic-based work. The conferences are a collegial and supportive forum in which we aim to challenge ourselves and our sector to expand our practice and ensure our duty of care to the collections we look after and the communities we serve.
Conference Bursaries
To make our conferences accessible to everyone in the field, we provide two bursaries of £300 each to cover conference fees, travel, accommodation, and food. Applicants will be required to fill a form stating why they wish to attend the conference, how attendance at the conference will benefit them, and how they will share their learning. An online form will be made available when the Call for Papers goes live. Deadline for applications will be the closing date of the Call.
We especially welcome applications from those underrepresented in the cultural sector and those on a low income. Please state in your application if you identify as BIPOC and/or receive a low income.
Past Conferences
We have held our Annual Conference every year since the 1970s, with each addressing pressing issues surrounding the care of world cultures collections. Programmes of all the past conferences as well as lists of abstracts submitted to each can be found in the MEG archive. If you wish to consult these, then please email our Archives Officer. A selection of papers presented at previous conferences are also available to read in previous editions of the JME, accessible via JSTOR.
To offer you a glimpse into our previous conferences and the topics covered, we’ve also shared details about some of them on our website.
