IMA 2015 - 2015 Museums in Society: Navigating Public Policy

27 February - 1 March 2015 - The Annual Conference will take place in Belfast and examine how museums respond to, and negotiate, policy directions. It will focus in particular on museums' role in relation to social inclusion, education, economic regeneration, and tourism agendas.
Invited speakers and conference participants will share their experiences and expertise on the interdependent relationship between government bodies and museums: the ‘mirror and lamp' effect whereby public policies both reflect and guide the functions and missions of the museum and vice versa. The conference will examine how museums can better position themselves to reflect changes within society and in government policies, while at the same time performing their historical roles of custodianship, presentation and scholarship. How should museums approach the difficult task of fulfilling these multiple, and sometimes competing, functions?