CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Agoitz Plaza, 1, Deusto, Bilbao, Bizkaia

Language: EU/EN
Individual tours of the exhibition with audioguide are available. EU/ES/EN/FR
No registration required.

Pre-registration required:
registration@euskararenetxea.eus

Palace of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia
Gran Vía Don Diego López de Haro, 25, Bilbao. How to get there

10:00 – 13:00 Group 1
11:00 – 14:00 Group 2

Venue: Euskararen Etxea
Agoitz Plaza, 1, Deusto, Bilbao, Bizkaia

Kaixo!
Join our express class to learn the essentials for getting around the city like a local. Come break the ice with Basque!

No registration required.

Venue: Euskararen Etxea
Agoitz Plaza, 1, Deusto, Bilbao, Bizkaia

Two workshops will be offered simultaneously.

No registration required.

Where Nature Meets Art. Step into Agustín Ibarrola’s “Painted Forest” for a one-of-a-kind creative experience. Discover the secrets of Land Art, decode the messages hidden in the trees, and find your inspiration in the heart of the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve.

Experience the Basque Soul. Step inside the heart of Bilbao’s Old Town for a hands-on journey through Basque heritage. From ancient crafts to cultural secrets, discover the traditions that shaped our people in this unique creative workshop.

Venue: Euskararen Etxea
Agoitz Plaza, 1, Deusto, Bilbao, Bizkaia

A networking space designed to foster conversation between representatives of Basque and European museums.

Pre-registration required:
registration@euskararenetxea.eus

Welcome: Director of Bilbao Bizkaia Museoak, Iurdana Acasuso, Director of Euskararen Etxea and Joan Seguí, EMYA Judge

Followed by a live performance of traditional Basque music featuring Korrontzi, folk music band.

Abandoibarra Etorb., 4, Abando, Bilbao, Bizkaia

Amina Krvavac, Chair, European Museum Forum
Iurdana Acasuso, Director, Euskararen Etxea
Leixuri Arrizabalaga, Minister of Bizkaia for a Basque language, culture and sport

Esme Ward, Director, Manchester Museum, United Kingdom
European Museum of the Year 2025

Introduction: Amina Krvavac, Chair, European Museum Forum

Ujammiugaq Engell, Museum Leader, Nuutoqaq – Nuuk Lokalmuseum, Greenland

Introduction: Sharon Heal, EMF Trustee

Introduction: Agnes Aljas, Co-Chair, EMYA Jury

Museums engaging with rights, resistance, and violent histories share how they confront harm, oppression and struggle without neutrality or silence. Panelists discuss how inclusive curatorial strategies surface fraught narratives and honor lived experience and how museums disrupt institutional comfort by inviting dialogue, accountability and transformation through histories often deemed too difficult to display.

Moderator: Zandra Yeaman, EMYA Judge

• National Museum of Resistance and Human Rights, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
• Museum Henry Dunant, Heiden, Switzerland
• Obersalzberg Documentation Center, Berchtesgarden, Germany
• Seddülbahir Fortress, Çannakale, Türkiye

While museums are open to everyone, the question remains what this truly means in everyday practice: who museums are created for, whose voices are heard within them, and how inclusion can become a sustained, relationship-based way of working rather than a project-based activity.

Moderator: Beat Hächler, EMYA Judge

• Museo de Villena MUVI, Villena, Spain
• Pimenta Palace, Lisbon Museum, Lisbon, Portugal
• Den Gamle By, National Open – Air Museum of Urban History and Culture, Aarhus, Denmark

Patrícia Dos Reis Ramos, Anthropologist, The Alvor Lifeguard Interpretative Centre (CISA), Portimão, Portugal
Winner of the Silletto Prize 2025

Introduction: Daniëlle Kuijten, Co-Chair, EMYA Jury

Asking what it means to work with or as a community, this panel brings together institutions shaped by grassroots initiatives and those that invite participation. It explores co-creation, care, memory, activism, and disruption, examining how community voices can unsettle institutional norms while enabling museums to empower participation, foster inclusion, and drive social change.

Moderator: Daniëlle Kuijten, Co-Chair, EMYA Jury

• Museum of Madness Institute, Trate, Slovenia
• AlpenStadtmuseum Sonthofen, Sonthofen, Germany
• Tartu City Museum, Tartu, Estonia
• Museum of the Rural Civilization of Mendrisiotto, Stabio, Switzerland

Xavier Huther, Director, MUZOO, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
Winner of the Meyvaert Prize 2025

Introduction: Hans Looijen, EMF Trustee

We see a growing number of museums offering audiences multisensory experiences, activating sight, sound, smell, touch, and immersion to deepen connection and meaning. The panel discusses how sensory design can enrich interpretation without overwhelming content, and what role do the senses play in shaping memory, empathy, and public engagement.

Moderator: Michał Wiśniewski, EMF Trustee

• Sensoria, The House of Fragrances and Flavours Holzminden, Holzminden, Germany
• Museum St. John’s Hospital, Bruges, Belgium
• Samurai Museum Berlin, Berlin, Germany
• Galáctica, Arcos de las Salinas, Spain

Venue: Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall

Welcome: Iurdana Acasuso, Director of Euskararen Etxea

Dr Helen Charman, Director, Young V&A, London, UK
Winner of the Council of Europe Museum Prize 2026

Introduction: Ms. Luz Martínez Seijo, Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

This panel discusses how museum exhibitions empower children and young people to go beyond being just visitors, highlighting the practices and methods that support this shift and the challenges or tensions that have emerged along the way. It also considers the impact these exhibitions have had on children, young people, and wider audiences.

Moderator: Agnes Aljas, EMYA Judge

• Children’s Museum Miiamilla, Tallinn, Estonia
• Museum of Play, Espoo, Finland
• CERN Science Gateway, Meyrin, Switzerland
• Young V&A, London, United Kingdom

Manuel Borja Villel, Art Historian and Curator, Spain

Introduction: Adriana Muñoz, EMF Trustee

How do we transform stored objects into shared experiences that invite care, curiosity, and long-term engagement? This panel explores how collections can be reconnected with audiences through participatory practices, digital tools, and local storytelling. The speakers share lessons drawn from diverse contexts.

Moderator: Joan Seguí, EMYA Judge

• Musée du Ski – Le Boéchet, Les Bois, Switzerland
• Museum of Ethnography in Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
• MuMAPS. Museum of Art Mechanics and Heritage, Sainte-Croix, Switzerland
• Museum of Engineering and Technology in Krakow, Krakow, Poland

Ümit Mesci, Curator, Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Istanbul, Türkiye
Winner of the Portimão Museum Prize 2025

Introduction: Pedro Branco, European Museum Forum

The museums expand knowledge and stimulate debate about the impact of architecture, design and art on people’s lives. What strategies do museums use to facilitate dialogue around controversial or evolving topics in architecture, design and art? How do museums collaborate with architects, designers, and artists to create meaningful experiences for diverse audiences?

Moderator: Dominika Mroczkowska-Rusiniak, EMYA Judge

• Lahti Museum of Visual Arts Malva, Lahti, Finland
• MUDE – Design Museum, Lisbon, Portugal
• Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel, Switzerland

The past gains new meanings when layered histories are brought to light in ways that resonate with contemporary audiences—whether through bodily practices, everyday life, community memory, or environmental and social questions. The panel considers how material heritage, research, and experiential interpretation can work together to connect past experiences with present realities and future oriented perspectives.

Moderator: Beat Hächler, EMYA Judge

• Pile Dwellings Unteruhldingen, Uhldingen-Muhlhofen, Germany
• State Archeological Collection, Munich, Germany
• Zeyrek Çinili Hamam Museum, Istanbul, Türkiye
• Mining Museum, La Union, Spain

How do museums narrate intangible heritage through sound, memory, language, and lived experience beyond objects? In this panel the museums talk about their approaches and explore how curatorial practices can make the unseen and unheard meaningful to audiences, while remaining rooted in place, community, and contemporary relevance.

Moderator: Nayat Karaköse, incoming EMYA Judge

• Research Center – Tsitsanis Museum, Trikala, Greece
• Latvian National Museum of Literature and Music, Riga, Latvia
• La Muette – espaces littéraires, Pully, Switzerland
• Kaj Munk Museum, Ulfborg, Denmark

Venue: La Campa de los Ingleses, San Mames Stadium
Rafael Moreno Pitxitxi s/n, 48013 Bilbao, Bizkaia. How to get there
The Athletic Club Museum was nominated for the EMYA Awards in 2020

Welcome: Léontine Meijer Van Mensch, EMF Trustee and Asier Arrate, Director of Athletic Club Museum

Followed by a Basque dance performance. From tradition to contemporary.

Abandoibarra Etorb., 4, Abando, Bilbao, Bizkaia 

Nini Sanadiradze, former Director General of the Union of Tbilisi Museums, Tbilisi, Georgia
Winner of the Kenneth Hudson Award for Institutional Courage and Professional Integrity 2025

Introduction: Léontine Meijer Van Mensch, EMF Trustee

Moderator: Sharon Heal, EMF Trustee
The rise of populist politics across the world is a cause for concern. This panel looks at how museums and museum workers are dealing with contemporary challenges and bringing communities together to tackle divisions and polarisation.

Panel guests: Dušan Buran, Researcher, Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava, Institute of Art History and Hannah Fox, Executive Director, Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, United Kingdom

The European Museum Forum will formally present certificates to all nominated museums.

Presented by EMYA Judge Dominika Mroczkowska Rusiniak and the EMF National Correspondent for Spain, Karmele Barandiaran

Registration for the workshops will take place onsite, at the registration desk, and on a first-come, first-served basis.

By Manchester Museum, United Kingdom – Winner of EMYA 2025

Facilitated by: Esme Ward, Director; Georgina Young, Head of Collections and Exhibitions; and Sam Kalubowila, Head of Learning and Participation.

A participatory workshop exploring lessons learned and how museums can work more collaboratively and equitably with communities and partners.

By Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkiye – Winner of the Portimao Museum Prize for Welcoming, Inclusion and Belonging 2025

Facilitated by: Umit Mesci, Curator

This workshop invites museums into dialogue and collaborative exploration, identifying shared questions and common challenges in contemporary museology. Participants will collectively develop ideas that may grow into future partnerships, joint programming, or funding initiatives, fostering connections that extend beyond the conference.

By The Alvor Lifeguard Interpretative Centre (CISA), Portimao, Portugal Winner of the Silletto Prize for Community Participation and Engagement
2025

Facilitated by: Ana Patricia dos Reis Ramos, Anthropologist

What object in your museum symbolises a transformative narrative? This workshop invites participants to reflect on such objects and to imagine an activity that could be developed with a community or group based on the stories they carry.

By MUZOO, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland — Winner of the Meyvaert Museum Prize for Environmental Sustainability 2025

Facilitated by: Sara Tocchetti, Science Communicator

Museums are among the most trusted institutions. In times of social and environmental crises, this workshop explores what empowerment practices museums might develop—or avoid—through shared examples and experiences.

Ceremony venue: Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
Dress code: Semi-formal

Performance: An artistic composition showcasing the journey of Basque tradition from its origins to the avant‑garde, featuring the Aukeran dance company.

Master of ceremony: Mathieu Viau-Courville, EMYA Judge

Welcome:
Amina Krvavac, Chair, European Museum Forum
Elixabete Etxanobe, President of the Government of Bizkaia

Presented by Ms. Luz Martinez‑Seijo, Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)

Presented by Agnes Aljas, Co-Chair, EMYA Jury

Presented by EMYA Judges: Dominika Mroczkowska-Rusiniak and Joan Seguí

Presented by Leontine Meijer-Van Mensch, EMF Trustee

Presented by Carol Jackson, Silletto Trust

Presented by Alvaro Miguel Bila, Mayor, Municipality of Portimao

Presented by Amina Krvavac, Chair, European Museum Forum

Presented by Danielle Kuijten, Co-Chair, EMYA Jury

Venue: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Winner of the European Museum of the Year Award 2000
Abandoibarra Etorb., 2, Abando, Bilbao, Bizkaia

Welcome: A representative of the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum and Amina Krvavac, Chair, European Museum Forum

Pre-registration required:
registration@euskararenetxea.eus

Want to discover the soul of Bilbao? Step on board and sail along the River Nervión, the waterway that shaped the city’s past and its modern identity. There’s no better way to explore Bilbao than by following the river that runs through it.

Duration: 10:45-12:00

Meeting point: Pío Baroja Plaza, 1, Bilbao. How to get there

Discover the essence of Bizkaia on a journey that transports you into the past.
Be amazed by the magic of La Encartada Fabrika Museoa in Balmaseda. This original 19th century mill is preserved exactly as it once operated, — with its machinery and equipment intact and in their original positions. As one of the world’s most complete collections of historic textile technology, it allows visitors to experience the authentic sights, sounds, and even smells of a working mill from that era. Continue your route at the Basque Mining Museum in Gallarta. Here you can explore the land’s major iron deposits, learn about the demanding work of miners and metalworkers, and trace the evolution of mining techniques and industrial technology up to the present day. See how the landscapes, tools, and stories that shaped our mining heritage come to life. Two distinct museums, woven by wool and forged in iron, that together define the resilient soul of the Basque identity.

Duration: 9:00-13:00

Meeting point: Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall

Discover two essential expressions of Bizkaia’s heritage with a combined visit to the Txakoli Museum–Txakolingunea in Bakio and the Arrantzaleen Museoa in Bermeo. Begin by exploring the history, evolution, and production of txakoli, learning how this unique wine has shaped local identity. Then continue to Bermeo’s historic Ercilla Tower, where the Arrantzaleen Museoa offers an engaging look into the traditions, daily life, and maritime culture of Basque fishing communities through its exhibitions, guided visits, and activities.

Duration: 10:00-18:00

Meeting point: Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall

SATURDAY, June 13, 2026
Venue: Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
Abandoibarra Etorb., 4, Abando, Bilbao, Bizkaia