OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS
ICOM COMMS and AVICOM are planning a joint webinar series (English) for this fall on social media innovations and challenges for museums. Please send us your ideas for topics, speakers, discussions, workshops, and models.
RETHINKING MUSEUM COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE: POWER, PLATFORMS & POSSIBILITIES ON SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
Organised by: ICOM COMMS, ICOM AVICOM
Location: Online (ZOOM)
Dates: Thursday 11th September, 2nd October, 16th October 2025
Times: to be determined
ABOUT THE WEBINAR SERIES
In an era defined by digital acceleration, political turbulence, and rapidly evolving AI technologies, museums are increasingly challenged to navigate a complex and shifting communications landscape. This webinar series—designed as a three-part online program—invites cultural professionals, researchers, digital creatives, educators, and policymakers to critically examine how museums operate, communicate and engage online, particularly on social media channels.
As digital communication becomes central to cultural participation, museums must adapt to new platforms, diverse audiences, and emerging tools. The series will explore how museums can build authentic digital relationships: from co-creating content with influencers and marginalised communities to negotiating political pressures, and from embracing ethical practices and synthetic media to cultivating inclusive and responsible digital communities.
WEBINAR 1: DIGITAL VOICES IN MUSEUM COMMUNICATION – INFLUENCERS, COMMUNITIES & ENGAGEMENT
Date: Thursday 11th September 2025
Explore strategies to build trust, participation, and cultural branding online. From co-creating content with communities to embracing emerging technologies, these sessions look ahead to responsible digital innovation in museums. Join us for a forward-thinking webinar that explores how museums can develop audiences, foster participation, and stay engaged in the digital age. This session will spotlight innovative engagement strategies, ranging from influencer partnerships to community co-creation. Attendees will gain practical insights into shaping digital identities, curating inclusive narratives, and adopting responsible digital innovation.
We invite contributions on topics such as:
- 1.1. Influencer partnerships & community co-creation
- 1.2 AR/VR, synthetic media, and deepfakes
- 1.3 Digital identities and museum narratives
- 1.4 Ethical innovation and digital responsibility
- 1.5 Live demo & content creation workshop
WEBINAR 2: ARTIFICIAL IMAGINATION – USING AI TOOLS TO TELL CULTURAL STORIES
Date: Thursday 2nd October 2025
Social media is transforming how museums communicate, and artificial intelligence is rapidly expanding what’s possible. This hands-on session invites cultural professionals to explore the creative and ethical potential of AI in social media content creation, in particular videos, from scripting and automated voiceovers to animating archival materials and generating subtitles.
Through talks, demonstrations, and real-world case studies, participants will experiment with emerging tools while critically reflecting on issues of copyright, authorship, and algorithmic bias. Whether you’re new to AI or already experimenting with it, this session provides practical insights and ethical frameworks for using AI to craft compelling, responsible cultural content online.
We invite contributions on topics such as:
- 2.1 Creative uses of AI in producing museum content (video, audio, image)
- 2.2 Ethical and legal considerations in using AI-generated media
- 2.3 Copyright implications when using digitised collections with AI platforms
- 2.4 Case studies of AI-enhanced campaigns (e.g., Instagram reels)
- 2.5 Tools and workflows for AI-driven content creation
- 2.6 Live demo & content creation workshop
WEBINAR 3: NAVIGATING POLITICAL INFLUENCE IN MUSEUM SOCIAL MEDIA: POWER, POLITICS AND SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS
Date: Thursday 16th October 2025
Museums are active participants in public discourse, but how independent are they in the digital realm? This webinar examines the political dimensions of museum communication, including funding restrictions, censorship, activist interventions, and crisis management.
Museums today are not only custodians of culture but active agents in shaping public discourse. Social media amplifies this role, but also exposes institutions to direct and indirect political influence—from government funding conditions to censorship, from public backlash to resistance movements.
This webinar invites museum professionals, cultural theorists, digital curators, activists, and policymakers to explore the complex intersection of government, politics, and museum communication in the digital sphere.
We invite contributions on topics such as:
- 3.1 The role of funding programs in shaping digital museum narratives
- 3.2 Political agendas (e.g., equality, restitution, sustainability) and their digital footprint
- 3.3 Social media as resistance: decoloniality, activism, and institutional critique
- 3.4 Government censorship and media bans
- 3.5 Institutional responses to online backlash
- 3.6 The algorithmic power and how to manage algorithmic logics
- 3.7 The ethics behind the use of social media platforms
WHO SHOULD APPLY
We welcome proposals from:
- Museum, Gallery & Heritage Professionals
- Curators, Educators & Cultural Strategists
- Artists, Creative Technologists & Influencers
- Researchers in AI, Ethics, Media & Cultural Policy
- Digital, Media & Content Professionals
- Students & Early-Career Professionals
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Please submit
- A short abstract (150–250 words) outlining your perspective, project, workshop concept or case study related to the webinar themes.
- A short bio (max 100 words)
- Website (if applicable)
Indicate clearly which webinar you are applying to, or note if you wish to be considered for multiple sessions.
Submission form: Submission form COMMS-AVICOM rev
Email submissions to: avicom@icom.museum
Deadline: Friday 18th July. Successful applicants will be notified by the 30th of July.
