Hosted at FÆNGSLET, a former prison transformed into a vibrant cultural hub, the conference will bring together museum professionals, cultural practitioners, and cross-sector experts to reflect on the role of museums in supporting wellbeing and resilience in times of challenge and change.
Across three days, participants will be invited to exchange, reflect, and learn with inspiring speakers through a diverse programme of:
- Keynote presentations on the future of wellbeing and museums
- Engaging panel discussions on community wellbeing, cross-sector collaborations, and staff resilience
- Hands-on workshops and small-group breakout sessions
- Practical wellbeing activities, including meditation, dance, and play
- A deep dive into trauma-informed museum practices
- Plenty of museum visits, networking opportunities, and moments for exchange
NEMO aims to highlights perspectives from the host country alongside international voices. This year, participants will hear from several Danish speakers, offering valuable insights into the local cultural landscape and creating opportunities to learn from practices rooted in the region, while still connecting to broader European and global conversations.
Dive deeper into the programme
The conference will open with a keynote by Elizabeth Merritt (USA), futurist and Founding Director of the Center for the Future of Museums. She will explore the trends reshaping health and wellbeing in the United States and invite participants to imagine futures in which museums play a pivotal role in building a new infrastructure of care.
Alongside panel discussions and workshops, participants will also have the chance to take part in energising and restorative practical sessions. Highlights include:
- Meditation
Kick off Monday with a mindful check-in meditation led by Jolien Posthumus (The Netherlands), a trailblazer at the intersection of art and mental health. Through her work with museums worldwide, Jolien has pioneered approaches that combine art, mindfulness and trauma-sensitive care to support resilience and mental health. - Movement
Join the Dance Well Practice on Tuesday morning with artist Hanna Kushnirenko (Italy/Ukraine), who brings her background in improvisation and community dance to create spaces of movement, connection and collective expression. Originally developed with people living with Parkinson’s, Dance Well invites everyone to experience dance as a source of agency and joy. - Play
Explore the power of play with Learning through Play, what’s in it for me? on Tuesday afternoon with Mads Lemvigh Fog and Lisette de Jonge (Denmark) from the LEGO Group. Drawing on their unique workplace culture, they will share how play fosters thriving teams and why playfulness is key to wellbeing at work.
The conference is co-organised by NEMO – the Network of European Museum Organisations, Museum Horsens, and the Danish Museums Association, with support by Central Denmark Region and European Region of Culture, and thanks to co-funding by the European Union.
