The Museums Association of the Caribbean (MAC) presents its 2023 MAC Conference, organized around the theme “The Power of Museums: Relevancy, Advocacy, Transformation.” This year, the conference takes place from March 1 through 5, 2023, in Nassau, The Bahamas.

Description: [. . .] This will be MAC’s first in-person conference since 2019, and will feature panels by museum and cultural heritage site professionals from across the Caribbean and its diaspora, featuring the 2023 conference themes; site visits and tours of The Bahamas museums and cultural heritage sites; networking and social events highlighting the cuisine, music, art and culture of The Bahamas.

Our conference hosts are the Central Bank of The Bahamas, The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, University of The Bahamas, and the Antiquities and Monuments Museum Corporation. The 2023 conference received support from the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Our Shared Future, Reckoning with our Racial Past Initiative.

Conference Theme: The Power of Museums: Relevancy, Advocacy, Transformation

During the Covid-19 pandemic, museum and cultural heritage sites faced numerous challenges in relation to how to sustain themselves and how to support their local communities. We recognized once more the power we hold to bring people together, promote healing, and advocate for change in difficult times. As we approach a post-pandemic era, the time seems ripe to assess how museums and their roles have evolved alongside the surrounding world. For the 2023 conference, we ask museum and other cultural heritage workers to look at the past, their present or the future and consider:

• How have museums used or can they use their power for good?
• How can they remain relevant and at the forefront of discussions around identity, culture, sustainability, and more as the field evolves?
• How have or can museums advocate for change through projects and programs, with their directors, governments, funders, and communities?
• What roles have museums and cultural heritage sites play in transforming how individuals think, learn, and act in an ever-evolving world?

Note: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will NOT take place during this conference. The 2023 AGM will be held virtually in November 2023.

For more information, see https://caribbeanmuseums.com/macconference2023/, https://caribbeanmuseums.com/macbahamas2023/, and https://caribbeanmuseums.com/