European Working Conference on Collections from Colonial Contexts

Many museums and institutions across Europe are custodians of objects and collections originating from colonial contexts. As professionals managing these collections, and recognizing our shared responsibility in addressing historical injustices, how can we best fulfill this role? What can we learn from each other’s experiences?

The Consortium Colonial Collections in the Netherlands warmly invites museum and collection professionals across Europe to participate in The European Working Conference on Collections from Colonial Contexts.

Tuesday 23 – Thursday 25 September 2025
Locations: Amersfoort and Leiden, The Netherlands

This conference welcomes professionals from European museums and collection institutions, including curators, registrars, conservators, collection managers, and depot staff — anyone involved in managing collections from colonial contexts.

Four key topics:

  • Shaping Collaboration: Building meaningful partnerships with communities of origin and diaspora.
  • Becoming Transparent, Doing Our Research: Sharing approaches to provenance research and data transparency.
  • Methods for Return, Procedures and Logistics: Navigating restitution requests and ethical returns.
  • Caring for Objects: Rethinking preservation approaches for returned objects.

 

Deadline: 1 August 2025