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July 28, 2022

Network2021 ICOM Annual Report: A Year to Recover and Reimagine

The International Council of Museums is pleased to share a glimpse of the many activities and projects that were held within the museum network for the year 2021

After the disruptive global crisis of 2020, the year 2021 was an opportunity for the global museum community to reconnect, rethink and put into action new ways of moving forwards, onwards, together. In our hybrid ‘new normal’, digital innovations and solutions abound, broadening access to resources, facilitating inclusive practices, and further diversifying our community.

As we all recover from the pandemic, the ICOM constellation’s interconnectedness and capacity to innovate continue to be our driving strengths. Our united voice is present in such fora as the COP26 and the G20 summit, demonstrating our community’s commitment and results in mainstreaming ecological, economic, and social sustainability, and harnessing the power of museums as spaces for social discourse and learning.

In an effort to continue democratising and decolonising our modus operandi, we reached out to members to build a communal museum definition and to review the ICOM Code of Ethics for museums; we implemented a new online statutory meeting platform, Agora, which has increased participation by 165%, and we trialled a hybrid format for our 2022 General Conference with 850 online participants joining 230 members in Prague for the International Symposium.

By collectively brainstorming and putting the future of museums into action, particularly in the lead-up to our 75th Anniversary, ICOM members can be inspired and emboldened by our rich trajectory thus far. And looking ahead, we can continue evolving towards our community’s shared aim for greater participation and inclusiveness.

To experience the Annual Report in full screen, we invite you to click on the blue button. Otherwise, you can browse the report in the embedded version below.