Dear NEMO members,

We hope that this Members' Digest will put a smile on your face since we have some great news and announcements.

First of all, NEMO is turning 30 this year! We would like to thank you for being a member and therefore supporting NEMO and the European museum sector at large. As a network, NEMO is only as strong as its members.

We cannot think of a better moment to launch a new training scheme open exclusively to professionals active within NEMO member organisations. You will find the call for applications to the first round of the One to One Mentoring Programme and more information below.

In this members’ newsletter, you also get the chance to get better acquainted with three of our board members and get a virtual welcome to NEMO's new office.

We would also like to acknowledge that all countries in NEMO’s mapping of museum closures in Europe are allowing museums to remain open. Danish museums, which were closed until 16 January, are even operating without any regulations. We sincerely hope that there will be no more closures and that museums rather will be fully recognised as contributors to wellbeing, which is much needed in these times, and places of safe activities during the pandemic.

Happy reading,
the NEMO office

One to One Mentoring

We are thrilled to offer One to One Mentoring exclusively to NEMO members in partnership with GEM - Group for Education in Museums. By taking part in the programme, emerging museum professionals, typically in education roles, gain the opportunity to learn from more experienced colleagues in recurring individualised meetings.

The call for applications is open until 6 March 2022. Apply now for access to:

• Individual support by experienced senior museum professionals who understand your field
• Help setting and achieving goals that support your career growth
• International networking

Upon selection, mentees will be supported and empowered by experienced GEM Mentors in 2-3 online one to one mentoring sessions (each lasting 60-90 minutes). Mentees are carefully matched with a suitable mentor based on their needs and priorities for development.

Five persons will be selected to take part in the mentoring period March – June 2022. The next call will be published in the autumn to allow another five persons to benefit from the mentoring programme in 2022.

GEM’s One to One Mentoring Programme is usually exclusive to members of GEM. Therefore, we are incredibly pleased about this partnership that allows us to extend a great training offer to NEMO members.

Please share the call with your colleagues, especially those working with education, since they also are eligible to apply and not only the receiver of this newsletter.

Save the (new) date

Mark your calendars for NEMO's European Museum Conference 2022! We look forward to welcoming you in Loulé, Portugal, from 9-11 October 2022.

The theme and programme will soon be published, but we can already guarantee inspiring presentations, engaging workshops, great networking opportunities, the chance of (finally) meeting your European colleagues and plenty of fun.

Originally planned to take place in November, the board and office decide to pre-schedule the conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) in case of another wave of Covid-19 infections.

Get to know the Executive Board

You might recognize our board members from previous meetings and the recent Annual General Meeting (AGM), but how well do you know them? Today we will get better acquainted with 3 out of 7 board members.

Do you remember your first visit to a museum? How did you like it?
I was in a stroller the very first time because my parents loved visiting museums. I was not always calm but always very interested, they say...

I decided to join the NEMO Executive Board because...
I strongly believe that the European perspective is an enrichment for national and local work. As Chair, I want to commit to excellent teamwork between board members and as much collaboration as possible between NEMO members.

What would you say are the most important topics for the European museum sector over the next decade?
Relevance, trust and social cohesion. Museums should constantly question themselves to remain a necessary institution for everyone. They must do everything they can to ensure that their users continue to place their trust in them. In addition, museums must be able to play an even greater role in social cohesion.

What would you say is the main benefit of being a member of NEMO?
In the network you benefit from the experiences of others and can improve your practice. Training courses and conferences give the opportunity to meet colleagues and friends who can accompany you in your professional life. As a member, you can be proud to support NEMO to make an impact on European cultural policies on personal and institutional level and for the whole sector.

Do you remember your first visit to a museum? How did you like it?
I don't know if it was my first museum visit, but I remember a visit to the Estonian Nature Museum in my childhood. I still remember one exhibition display: a wolf killing a sheep.

If NEMO was a person, how would you describe them?
If NEMO was a person, they would be very intelligent, fair and with great communication skills. They would like to make the world a better place.

What would you say is the main benefit of being a member of NEMO?
NEMO offers great webinars, seminars, courses and training exchanges. Still, in my opinion the most important benefit is networking: discussions with great museum professionals, with wonderful and wise people.

Could you name a professional challenge you’ve overcome? How about a personal achievement you’d like to share?
Last year my team and I opened an exhibition in the Estonian Open Air Museum – Kolkhoz apartment building – which was transported to our museum from the south of Estonia. It has been a really challenging and exiting project.  In the end of January 2022, this project gained two prizes from the Estonian Museum Year Award 2021 – The best permanent exhibition and the best museum development.

When I imagine a museum, I think of...
Wonders, beauty, interesting stories and finances. The last one comes with the job, I suppose.

I decided to join the NEMO Executive Board because...
Slovenia is a small country and through NEMO, the Slovenian Museums Association is a part of a bigger community. That is why I wanted to put my money where my mouth is. Cooperating and contributing are my mottos.

What would you say is the main benefit of being a member of NEMO? 
Being a member of NEMO helps our association a lot by getting the relevant information, cooperating with other associations, connecting and thus getting a voice in EU structures as well as learning from the best.

Could you name a professional challenge you’ve overcome? How about a personal achievement you’d like to share?
My biggest professional challenge was staying true to myself and keeping the principles of the museum and association through these politically turbulent times in Slovenia. My biggest personal achievement was to stop caring about what other people think and uphold the principles of respect and acceptance of diversity. That and keeping my sanity while living with my teenager.

Catch up with NEMO

Although travel still is somewhat limited, we are advocating for museums and sharing information about NEMO and the European museum sector digitally and in person. Follow our travels and online engagement in the 2022 NEMO Action Map. 

Our new members

We are happy to welcome new members to the network.

• Municipal Art Gallery of Thessaloniki, Greece
• ICOM Italy, Italy
• Bulgarian Museums Association, Bulgaria
• Museum Documentation Center, Croatia
• Musées de la Ville de Liège, Belgium

We've moved

The NEMO team is very happy with our new office and a successful move! At the moment we cannot work together due to Covid-19 regulations, but we look forward to meeting and welcoming people to our new address:

NEMO – Network of European Museum Organisation
Karl-Marx-Platz 12
120 43 Berlin
Germany

Above you can see the happy team after packing all boxes at the old address and later enjoying a treat after unpacking.

Left to right: Policy Officer Elizabeth Rosenberg, Communications Officer Rebecca Thonander, Secretary General Julia Pagel and Communications Assistant Ksenia Weber. Second picture: Julia, Ksenia and Elizabeth. 

Below Rebecca is working at the office and standing in as a painter to give the wall a touch up - with a sponge in lack of a paint brush.