49th Conference 2026
Changing the Script: Transport and Communications Museums and their Communities
13-16 September 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland
The Conference Programme
Join the IATM Community for our conference and study day.
This year IATM will meet in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland. For decades of the 20th century Belfast was synonymous with the civil and political conflict known as ‘The Troubles’. Since the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement brought an end to the conflict in 1998, the city has made remarkable use of its maritime and industrial heritage to change the stories it tells about its own history, and to power impressive cultural and economic change in the region.
Drawing on this example, we want to discuss our roles within the neighbourhoods, communities, cities or regions that surround us. We want to look at institutions as part of the social fabric as well as drivers and enablers of change. As always, this IATM Conference aims to inspire your work and to offer the chance for exchange and support. We will look at the role of our museums in their neighbourhoods, region or city. Through stories and talks about different concepts and approaches towards placemaking, we aim to inspire your work and the communities or local businesses you interact with.
Meet colleagues from around the world for engaging discussions. Learn more about their work as well as the city of Belfast. Particularly, the role of its history and cultural institutions in developing it from a symbol of conflict to a cultural and thus economic hub.
What to expect at “Changing the Script”
Prior to the conference, we invite you to explore Belfast and the region’s rich history during the European Heritage Open Days. We will ring in the conference with our welcome round at Ulster Museum on 13 September.
Ulster Museum is one of four museums operated by our host, National Museums Northern Ireland (NI). The four museums and large collections span art, history and natural sciences as well as transport and communications.
On 14 September we will discuss placemaking and urban development in relation to museums and heritage sites. Before we will hop on the train and enjoy tours of the Ulster Transport Museum.
In our first panel, we welcome three impressive speakers with a breadth of experience in creating new spaces and places through heritage within larger infrastructure projects. While Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive of the Maritime Belfast Trust will contribute a local experience and share Maritime Belfast’s vision and process, Graeme Craig, Director & Chief Executive of Places for London shares the broader perspective on shaping an entire city. We are excited that Huw Edwards, responsible for Stations and Placemaking at HS2 will join the panel and provide us with his insights on a new train line and stations. IATM Board Member & CEO of the London Transport Museum, Elizabeth McKay, will chair this introductory session.
Changing Cities and Identities through Heritage
Meredith Greiling, IATM Board Member & Principal Curator, Technology Science and Technology Department at National Museums Scotland will chair the next session, building on the previous discussions. We will dive into specific examples of Heritage changing cities and identities. Following the large response to our call for papers, we were able to invite museum voices from different parts of the world.
In her talk, Suvi Jalli, Head of Exhibitions and Public Engagement at the Finnish Postal Museum, explores how exhibition and contemporary documentation can strengthen professional identity and create dialogue between past and present postal communities. Especially during a period when digitalisation is rapidly changing the role of postal services. By looking at the recently opened new permanent exhibition of the Finnish Postal Museum, Suvi shares how transport and communication museums can act as engines of social and cultural change by strengthening occupational identity and documenting the human impact of digital transformation.
The National Technical Museum in Prague is dealing with another real-world phenomenon that has turned a historic railway depot into a heritage island within a district reshaped by speculative real estate development and the economic pressures of urban transformation. Adam Horký, Curator of the Railway Collection at the National Technical Museum in Prague, will critically explore how cultural institutions can navigate community building, local and foreign audiences, and memory-making amidst rapidly developing surroundings.
While Adam points to sites being endangered among such changes, another example shares and draws a different perspective. The joint presentation by Stephen Quick, General Director of the Musée régional de l’Outaouais, and Paul Jennings, Director of XCENTUATE ltd. representing Dundee Transport Museum, will highlight the anticipated impact of these cultural institutions on the revitalisation of their respective city centers. Both museums play a pivotal role in reimagining urban spaces, promoting cultural engagement, and fostering community pride. Through unique programming, exhibitions, and community outreach, they aim to not only enhance the cultural landscape but also to drive economic growth, increase tourism, and improve the overall quality of life for residents.
Our first day continues with a visit to the Ulster Transport Museum in Cultra, where Curator Clare Ablett will introduce us to the exhibitions before leaving us of to explore the premises by ourselves.
A Dinner at the famous Northern Whig will conclude our first day.
Our Programme
Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5AB
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18.00 – 20.00 |
Welcome Reception Welcome and Introduction from Karen Logan, Curator of „The Troubles“ Gallery at Ulster Museum |
Ulster Museum Lecture Theatre, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5AB
Ulster Transport Museum (Transfer organized as part of the conference)
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08.45-9.00 |
Registration |
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9.00 |
Welcome to the Conference Joachim Breuninger, IATM President & Director, German Museum of Technology Berlin |
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9.10 – 10.30 |
Opening Panel Session 1: Placemaking through Heritage in Large Infrastructure Projects Chair: Elizabeth McKay, IATM Board Member & CEO, London Transport Museum Graeme Craig, Director & Chief Executive, Places for London Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive, Maritime Belfast Trust Huw Edwards, Stations and Placemaking, HS2 Panel Discussion |
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10.30 |
Tea and Coffee Break |
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11.00 – 12.30 |
Session 2: New Venues and Urban Developments Chair: Dr Meredith Greiling, IATM Board Member & Principal Curator, Technology Science and Technology Dept., National Museums Scotland
Q & A |
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12.30 – 13.30 |
Lunch |
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13.30 – 14.30 |
Train Transfer to Ulster Transport Museum, Cultra |
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14.30 – 16.30 |
Introduction to Ulster Transport Museum Clare Ablett, Curator, Ulster Transport Museum, National Museums NI Visit and Guided tours Ulster Transport Museum |
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16.30 – 17.00 |
Return train to Belfast |
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19.00 – 22.00 |
Conference Dinner Northern Whig, 2 Bridge Street, Belfast BT1 1LU |
SS Nomadic at Titanic Belfast, 1 Olympic Way, Queen’s Road, Titanic Quarter, Belfast BT3 9EP
SS Nomadic and Hamilton Dock are located around 150m from the front door of Titanic Belfast, directly across the road from the Titanic Sign.
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08.45-9.00 |
Arrival |
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9.00-9.10 |
Introduction Joachim Breuninger, IATM President & Director, German Museum of Technology Berlin |
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9.10 – 10.40 |
Session 3: Engaging Communities Chair: Stephen Quick, IATM Board Member & General Director, Musée régional de l’Outaouais Gatineau Quebec Minister Gordon Lyons, Minister for Communities, Northern Ireland Executive
Panel Discussion |
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10.40 |
Tea and Coffee Break |
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11.00-11.45 |
News from the Field IATM Members report on their current projects, questions and else |
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11.45-12.30 |
General Assembly |
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12.30-13.30 |
Lunch |
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13.30 – 13.45 |
Update from Yurii Savtchuk, Director, National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War |
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13.45 – 15.30 |
Session 4: Placemaking in Museums Chair: Jens Toftgaard, IATM Board Member & Director Danish Railway Museum
Welcome to the 50th IATM Conference 2027 in Slovenia Natalija Polenec, Director,Technical Museum of Slovenia |
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15.30 – 16.00 |
Introduction to Maritime Belfast & Titanic Experience |
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16.00 – 18.00 |
Visit to Titanic Experience |
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19.00 – 22.00 |
Conference Dinner The Bridge, Titanic Experience |
Delegates may pre-select one of the options:
- Visit & Tour Downpatrick and County Down Railway (Bus transfer)
- Visit and Tour of the Ulster Aviation Society (Bus transfer)
- Visit of HMS Caroline (National Museum of the Royal Navy) and Belfast Discovery Walking Tour sponsored by Maritime Belfast Trust
Belfast is home to a proud history of shipbuilding, and most famously is the place where the White Star Line ship, RMS Titanic, was built. Titanic Belfast opened in an iconic building in 2012 to enhance Northern Ireland’s tourism offering. We will be able to visit the immersive experience on 15 September as well as see the historic drawing offices and slipways where the ship was launched. The second conference day also features an array of talks on community engagement and placemaking. All of which will take play onboard SS Nomadic, Titanic’s tender. We’ll conclude the day with a visit to Titanic Belfast Museum and dinner. Bring your camera for the spectacular view at the dinner site!
The day opens with Session 3: Engaging Communities, chaired by Stephen Quick. Together with a welcome from Minister Gordon Lyons, Minister for Communities in Northern Ireland, this session explores how museums can become active partners in education, sustainability and their communities.
Chris Kitzan, Director General of the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, demonstrates how a national museum is helping to address Canada’s aerospace labour shortage by connecting industry, educators, government bodies and young people to build a sustainable talent pipeline for aerospace.
From the Ulster Transport Museum, Clare Ablett talks about their partnership with Hydebank Wood College and Women’s Prison approaching the delicate topic of disposal and deaccessioning and its opportunities.
Researcher Zoe Few from the London Transport Museum and the University of Westminster challenges traditional narratives of London’s transport history by uncovering LGBTQ+ experiences and highlighting how participatory research can reshape museum collections and community engagement.
Concluding the session, Marina Bergström from the Finnish Railway Museum shares how volunteering, internships and work experience programmes have transformed the museum into one of Finland’s leading examples of social impact and community participation.
We are very honoured to welcome a special update on the current situation of museums in Ukraine from Yurii Savtchuk, Director of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.
Taking up space
In our final session, Jens Toftgaard, IATM Board Member and Director of the Danish Railway Museum, will guide us through museums creating meaningful places.
Our examples will start with Elizabeth McKay, CEO of the London Transport Museum. She will introduce “Transported by Culture“, an initiative that is transforming the museum’s identity through art, performance and public programming in the heart of Covent Garden.
From Bremerhaven, Prof Dr Ruth Schilling and Dr Pablo v. Frankenberg share how the German Maritime Museum’s new permanent exhibition “Ship Realms – The Ocean and Us,” takes a new course. Moving away from the sole idea of telling history through material culture, it frames maritime history as an ongoing narrative that includes both documented and undocumented elements. A special focus is the correspondence of these narratives to contemporary social, technological, political, economic, and ecological contexts.
Still, material evidence and particularly large objects obviously shape our work and reception in the public. In Hamburg, Ursula Richenberger, Head of Public Programming, has developed the the historic (cargo) sailing ship PEKING into a vibrant space for storytelling and community activities. She will share their approach and experiences with us.
Finally, Matevž Šlabnik and Barbara Rezar Grilc from the Technical Museum of Slovenia trace the museum’s evolution from a event and spectacle-focused approach to collections and public engagement to a dynamic community hub, where transport heritage becomes a starting point for reflections about mobility and society.
Last, but not least, Natalija Polenec, Director of the Technical Museum of Slovenia, will give us a preview of what to expect at the 50th IATM Conference in Bistra near Ljubljana next year.
The day concludes at Belfast’s iconic Titanic Experience, including a visit to the award-winning museum, before we gather for the Conference Dinner at The Bridge.
Our post-conference tours on 16 September feature three different site visits to choose from:
- Downpatrick and County Down Railway
- the Ulster Aviation Society,
- National Museum of the Royal Navy’s HMS Caroline and Belfast Historic Waterfront Walk sponsored by Maritime Belfast Trust. Explore Belfast’s historic waterfront, a working port for over 300 years and once home to the world’s largest shipyard. The walk will take in key heritage sites including Thompson Dock, The Great Light, Titanic Slipways, the former Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices and SS Nomadic, bringing Belfast’s rich industrial and maritime heritage to life. The tour will finish at Queens Quay Kiosk for a coffee.
We are looking forward to strengthening and growing our network together with you from 13 to 16 September 2026 in Belfast!
Your visit does not have to end then. We highly recommend to extend your stay to explore Belfast and Northern Ireland further. A special recommendation by IATM’s president Joachim Breuninger: The Giant’s Causeway.
Further unbiased suggestions are available at Visit Belfast and Discover Northern Ireland.
Hotels
We recommend to make your travel arrangements as early as possible. The Belfast Premiere Inn or the Residence Inn by Marriott are both located closely to the Conference venues and in the flourishing Titanic Quarter.