Museums Lab 2026

TheMuseumsLab is a unique African–European joint learning programme for emerging professionals from Museums, Heritage and Art Institutions, and Cultural Spaces. Founded in 2020, it responds to the need for a new kind of cultural collaboration, one that actively addresses the legacies of colonialism and seeks to build a shared, forward-looking cultural future between the two continents (Europe and Africa).

In 2026 the thematic focus of the programme is “Building Futures from Memory: Museums and Memorial Sites as Agents”.

TheMuseumsLab 2026 is jointly organised by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin (MfN) and Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy. An international Academic Committee and TheMuseumsLab Alumni Network are part of the programme’s Steering Board and curatorial process. Over 55 museums and cultural institutions from 16 countries are partners of TheMuseumsLab. The Programme is financed by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media and the German Federal Foreign Office.

Refer to the leaflet for more information on the programme.