We live in a time of fundamental change. Our landscapes and geographies are shifting with ever dire consequences predicted for the future; income inequality is rampant; climate change is upon us; budgets are tight; and misinformation can spread fast.
While it sometimes feels overwhelming, museums have proven that they can be creative, empathetic, resourceful and resilient. How do we as trusted institutions respond to the changes in our world? Come to this conference and generate ideas for action, plans for equality and accessibility, ideas to make a positive social impact in our communities and strategies for creating spaces of activism and action.
This fall, the BC Museums Association Conference will be held on the unceded traditional territory of the Salish Peoples, in particular the land-based communities q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), and Semyome (Semiahmoo) First Nations.
The BC Museums Association’s Annual Conference brings together professionals and volunteers from museums, galleries, cultural centres and historic sites. Presenters have a unique opportunity to gain recognition and exchange ideas with well over a hundred registrants from across BC, and will also receive a discounted conference registration rate if registered by the early-bird deadline of June 30, 2021. Deadline for proposal submissions is May 1, 2021.
Proposed sessions should be grounded in practice rather than theory, and focus on topics of interest to the museum, gallery, archive, library, history, and heritage sectors. Session formats in the past have included:
Have an idea for a different format? We’re looking for out-of-the-box, innovative ideas for sessions. We encourage everyone with a great idea to send us proposals for new formats and experiences.
Each meeting room will be supplied with the following AV:
Each year’s conference includes dozens of speakers. In an effort to streamline administration, minimize technical issues and provide the best possible experience for delegates and presenters, we ask that our presenters adhere to these guidelines:
May 1, 2021 – Deadline for proposal submission
June 5, 2021 – Notification of accepted proposals will be issued
June 30, 2021 – Deadline to access discounted presenter registration rate for conference. After this date, regular registration fees apply.
August 28, 2021 – Deadline for presenters to submit their PowerPoint presentations to BCMA
A $100 discount on conference registration will be provided to accepted presenters if registration is completed and paid for prior to the early bird registration deadline June 30, 2021. Presenters are responsible for their own transportation and accommodation. Presenter fees and/or honorariums are not provided.
We encourage all presenters to register for and attend the full conference. We do recognize that there are times when this is not possible due to time or financial constraints. Please get in touch with the BCMA office during the proposal process to discuss alternatives and arrangements.
For a pdf version of this call for proposals, click here.
We invite you to connect with us by phone 250-356-5700 or email bcma@museumsassn.bc.ca to discuss ideas for proposals.
Click here to submit your proposal using our online form.
Deadline for submissions is May 1, 2021
When completing this form, we recommend that you complete the information in a separate word processing program and then paste your responses into this form. This form does not allow for saving and returning to the form at a later date.
Check out this great resource from Museum Hack to help you with your conference session: 5 Tips for Designing a Great Conference Session