MEG Annual Conference
What to Expect
Usually hosted by a UK museum, the Annual Conference features paper presentations around a set theme, as well as a general session where members and colleagues share work-in-progress. In recent years, the final session has become a space for open discussion on issues raised during the conference. The MEG Annual General Meeting also takes place during the event.
Alongside these formal elements, the conference offers space to connect – whether by meeting new people or catching up with old friends. Typically, the first evening includes a drinks reception at the host museum, followed by an optional informal dinner nearby.
A Supportive Forum
While the conference often addresses serious and urgent issues, it also values practice-based insights and lived experience alongside academic research. We welcome contributions from across the museum and cultural sector – including creative practice, community work, and collections care. The event is a collegial and supportive forum in which we aim to challenge ourselves and our sector to think critically, act responsibly, and strengthen our collective duty of care to both collections and communities.
Conference Bursaries
To support attendance, MEG offers two bursaries of £300 each. These can be used to help cover conference fees, travel, accommodation, and food. Applicants must complete a short form outlining their reasons for attending, how the conference will benefit them, and how they plan to share their learning.
The application form will be available online when the Call for Papers is announced. The deadline will coincide with the Call’s closing date. We particularly welcome applications from those underrepresented in the cultural sector and those on a low income. If you identify as BIPOC and/or are on a low income, please feel free to state this in your application.
Past Conferences
MEG has held its Annual Conference every year since the 1970s, each one addressing pressing issues related to the care and interpretation of world cultures collections. Programmes and abstract lists from past conferences are available in the MEG archive. To consult these, please email our Archives Officer.
A selection of papers presented at past conferences has been published in the Journal of Museum Ethnography (JME), available via JSTOR. You can also find highlights and summaries from previous conferences on our website.
