Access in Museums Conference Schedule
23rd and 24th March 2026
Day One - Thursday 23rd March 2026
| 9.15 - 9.50am | Registration and tea/coffee reception (Brodrick Hall) |
| 9.55 - 10am | Welcome from Carl Newbould (Brodrick Hall) |
| 10am |
Intro from GEM Event partner introduction from Group for Education in Museums (Brodrick Hall) |
| 10.20am |
Spotlight - Live Transcription Oliver Webster from StageText will discuss what live transcription is and why it is important for access. |
| 10.35am | Break |
| 10.45am | Keynote: Jessica Starns |
| 12pm |
Pinc: A college inside a museum Learn about the authentic story of a grass roots social enterprise that became a creative college (SEND) based in museums and galleries nationally. (Brodrick Hall) |
| 11.30am | Break |
| 11.45am - 12.30pm |
Workshop Choice A: Fostering hope, optimism and inspiration: South Shields Museum and Art Gallery ESBA programme with Leslie Palanker-Jermyn (Thoresby room) Choice B: Out of Sight, Out of Mind? Making Museums Accessible and Engaging for People with Visual Impairments with Amy Jo Kearton (Broderick Hall) |
| 12.30-1.10pm | Lunch and networking |
| 1.15 - 2pm |
Spotlights (Broderick Hall) What is the UK Disability Heritage Club? - Louise Bell The Disability Badge Scheme - Emily Elsworth and Pen Foreman Museum Development Supporting the Sector - Liz Denton, Access Cohort |
| 2pm | Break |
| 2.15pm |
Workshop Choice A: Advancing Accessibility: Disability Work Culture in Museums with Alexandra Morris (Broderick Hall) Choice B: Workshop TBC - Dionne Matthews (Thoresby room) |
| 3.00pm | Break |
| 3.15 - 4pm |
Discussion Groups Choice A: Education and Community Conversation Group (Broderick Hall) Choice B: Staff and Volunteers Conversation Group (Thoresby Room) |
| 4pm | End of day 1 |
Day Two - Friday 24th March 2026
| 9.15 - 10am | Registration and tea/coffee reception (Brodrick Hall) |
| 10 - 10.15am | Welcome from Carl Newbould (Brodrick Hall) |
| 10.15 - 10.30am |
Spotlight on supported Internships Sophie Hewitson, Employment and Skills Manager at Leeds City Council, will discuss what supported internships are and their importance to young adults with additional needs. (Brodrick Hall) |
| 10.30am | Break |
| 10.45am |
Keynote: Julie Collar - Collars and Cuffs The Ball that Cam Back: Sensory Archetypes and the Everyday Access Revolution for People with PMLD (Brodrick Hall) |
| 11.30am | Break |
| 11.45am |
Workshop Choice A: Included and Understood: What we have learned from prioritising deaf audiences with Selene Burn (Broderick Hall) Choice B: Artist-Led Creative Access in Museums and Galleries with Michelle Duxbury (Thoresby) |
| 12.30 - 1.10pm | Lunch and Networking |
| 1.15 - 2pm |
Workshop Choice A: Sensory Storytelling in a Box with Sharon Healy (Thoresby room) Choice B: Creating Equitable Museums with and for Neurodivergent People with Justine Reilley (Broderick Hall) |
| 2 - 2.15pm | Break |
| 2.15pm |
Spotlights (Broderick Hall)
|
| 3.15pm | Closing statements in Brodrick Hall |
| 3.30pm | End of day 2 |