Programme: Scotland's Museums and Galleries Strategy Symposium
Welcome to our 2025 Strategy Symposium, held at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. If you have any questions throughout the day, please find a member of MGS staff wearing a purple lanyard; we’re more than happy to help.
Arrival
9am – 10am: Registration & networking
Location: Collaboration Space
Enjoy muffins and coffee while mixing with museum sector colleagues and representatives of key sector organisations.
9:10am – 9:50am: Delivering Change meet up
Location: Cullen Suite
An opportunity for participants of our Delivering Change programme to get to know one another over coffee and muffins.
Welcomes, plenary & showcase
Welcome
Location: Auditorium
Speaker
- Duncan Dornan – Chair of the Board, Museums Galleries Scotland
Keynote speech
Location: Auditorium
Speaker
- Professor David Olusoga OBE
David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, author, presenter and BAFTA winning film-maker. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester and a columnist for The Observer. He writes also for The Guardian, The New Statesman, The Voice and BBC History Magazine.
Cabinet Secretary’s address
Location: Auditorium
Speaker
- Angus Robertson MSP – Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
Plenary panel discussion: What does the future hold for our sector?
Location: Auditorium
Speakers scan the horizon and discuss shared challenges and opportunities for Scotland’s museum sector.
Speakers
- Chaired by Lucy Casot – CEO, Museums Galleries Scotland
- Angus Robertson MSP – Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
- Duncan Dornan – Chair of the Board, Museums Galleries Scotland
- Emma Halford-Forbes – Heritage Director, Dundee Heritage Trust
- Helen Avenell – Partnerships & Projects Manager, Museums and Heritage Highland
Showcase sessions
Location: Auditorium
Get a snapshot of key areas shaping current museum practice with these insights from Museums Galleries Scotland staff and sector colleagues. Topics include repatriation, LGBTQ+ inclusion, Intangible Cultural Heritage, and Modern Apprenticeships.
Refreshment break
Location: Collaboration Space
Have tea and coffee while networking with museum sector workers and organisations.
Session 1
Panel discussion: The current and future skills landscape
Location: Auditorium
This panel will explore how Historic Environment Scotland, National Museums Scotland, and Museums Galleries Scotland support training and development across the culture sector. Speakers will highlight areas including access to training, workforce confidence, and the importance of understanding and meeting the sector’s needs.
Speakers
- Chaired by John Campbell – Senior Skills Development Manager, Museums Galleries Scotland
- Ailsa Macfarlane – Head of National & International Partnerships, National Museums Scotland
- Ashley Wakenshaw – Head of Workforce & Resilience, Museums Galleries Scotland
- Catherine Cartmell – Skills Investment Plan Manager, Historic Environment Scotland
Workshop: Understanding climate and digitisation in museums
Location: Cullen Suite
Discover how museum digitisation has both positive and negative impacts on the climate. Participants will be invited to discuss their collections, approaches to digitisation, and climate strategies with the aim of forging a way forward which benefits collections, audiences, and nature.
Speaker
- Dr Nicôle Meehan – Lecturer in Museum Studies, University of St Andrews
Workshop support
- Bridget Hardiman – Doctoral Researcher, University of St Andrews
- Emily Chandler – Grants Officer, Museums Galleries Scotland
Networking lunch
Location: Collaboration Space
A sandwich lunch with a variety of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Served with a fresh fruit platter and tea and coffee.
Session 2
Panel discussion with Q&A: Sustainable co-production
Location: Auditorium
The Sustainable Co-production Fund, developed by MGS as part of the Delivering Change programme, supports museums to collaborate with communities and help all people to access culture. Participating museums are working with community groups to engage with wider audiences and increase the representation of people who have been systematically excluded from museums.
Attendees will learn about the experiences of Fund recipients and discover the benefits of adopting a sustainable co-production method.
Speakers
- Chaired by Ellie Muniandy – Senior Museum Development Manager, Museums Galleries Scotland
- Dr. Angela Massafra – Learning and Access Curator, Glasgow Museums – Gallery of Modern Art
- Dr. Fiona Salvesen Murrell – Curator, Paxton House
- Ghizala Avan – Programme Manager, Mental Health Foundation
- Lisa Williams – Founder, Edinburgh Caribbean Association
Workshop: Inclusive recruitment practice
Location: Cullen Suite
This workshop opens with a spotlight on how National Museums Scotland has worked to create more inclusive recruitment practices. Participants will then work together to review and develop an inclusive person specification and consider changes they can apply in their own organisations.
Speakers
- Christian Barber Smith – Resourcing Partner, National Museums Scotland
Workshop support
- Frankie Bradley – Workforce and Training Officer, Museums Galleries Scotland
- Markus Offer – Workforce and Partnerships Manager, Museums Galleries Scotland
Session 3
Panel discussion with Q&A: Planning for resilience
Location: Auditorium
This session highlights why strong strategy planning is vital for museums and galleries which aim to develop their financial resilience. Speakers will share their experiences of building resilience through phased development, connecting with local audiences, internal advocacy, and museum Accreditation.
Speakers
- Chaired by Douglas Westwater – CEO, Community Enterprise
- Daisy Cunynghame – Heritage Manager & Librarian, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
- David Mann – Director, The Scottish Maritime Museum
- Neil Firth – Director, Pier Arts Centre
Presentation and workshop: ‘Breaking the mould’: principles for an anti-racist curriculum
Location: Cullen Suite
This session starts with a presentation from our guest speakers on what an anti-racist curriculum can mean in practice. This will be followed by an interactive workshop on how museums can support efforts to promote and embed race equality and anti-racism in the curricula in a meaningful, effective, and sustainable way.
Speakers
- Chaired by Loretta Mordi – Museum Development Manager – Learning and Engagement, Museums Galleries Scotland
- Jennifer Keenan – Learning and Access Curator, Glasgow Museums
- Dr Lynne Robertson FRSGS – Senior Education Officer, Education Scotland and Anti-Racist Education Programme
- Rachel Tranter – Director, Group for Education in Museums
- Sarah Cowie – Senior Heritage Learning Advisor, National Trust Scotland
Workshop support
- Titilayo Farukuoye – Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums Manager, Museums Galleries Scotland
Closing remarks
Location: Auditorium
An update on Museums Galleries Scotland’s work to advocate for the sector, and our shared progress on Scotland’s Museums and Galleries Strategy.
Speaker
- Eithne Ní Chonghaile – Head of Strategy and Communications, Museums Galleries Scotland
Museum and historic rooms tour
Join staff from the Physicians’ Gallery for a behind-the-scenes tour of their museum and library, as well as historic rooms designed by architect Robert Adam. Attendees will be invited to explore objects such as wax moulages and rare books that have never been on public display.
Continuing the conversation
Location: New Library
A relaxed networking event with refreshments.