49th Conference 2026

Changing the Script: Transport and Communications Museums and their Communities

13-16 September 2026 in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Provisional Programme available

Registration open

Join the IATM Community for our two day conference and an additonal study day.

This year IATM will meet in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland. For decades of the 20^th 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.

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!

Provisional Programme

Pre-Conference | 13 September 2026

Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5AB

18.00 – 20.00

Welcome Reception

Welcome and Introduction from Karen Logan, Curator of „The Troubles“ Gallery at Ulster Museum

Day 1 | 14 September 2026 | Ulster Museum

Ulster Museum Lecture Theatre, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5AB

Ulster Transport Museum (Transfer organized as part of the conference)

08.45-9.00	Registration
9.00	Welcome to the Conference Joachim Breuninger, IATM President & Director, German Museum of Technology Berlin
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
10.30	Tea and Coffee Break
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 For the Nation and the World (and Northern Virginia…): The National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (TBC) *Jeremy R Kinney*, Associate Director for Research, Collections, and Curatorial Affairs, Smithsonian, Washington DC Lost In The City. Building a Museum Amidst a Real Estate Bonanza (TBC) *Adam Horký,* Curator of the Railway Collection, National Technical Museum, Prague Revitalizing City Centers: The Impact of Cultural Institutions *Stephen Quick,* General Director, Musée régional de l’Outaouais Gatineau Quebec, and Paul Jennings, Director XCENTUATE ltd. representing Dundee Transport Museum Q & A
12.30 – 13.30	Lunch
13.30 – 14.30	Train Transfer to Ulster Transport Museum, Cultra
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
16.30 – 17.00	Return train to Belfast
19.00 – 22.00	Conference Dinner Northern Whig, 2 Bridge Street, Belfast BT1 1LU

Day 2 | 15 September 2026 | SS Nomadic

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.

08.45-9.00	Arrival
9.00-9.10	Introduction Joachim Breuninger, IATM President & Director, German Museum of Technology Berlin
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 Integrating the Future: How Museums Are Rewiring Canada’s Aerospace Ecosystem *Chris Kitzan,* Director General, Ingenium, Canada Aviation and Space Museum Ethical and Sustainable Disposal; a partnership case study with UTM and Hydebank Wood College and Women’s Prison *Clare Ablett,* Curator, Ulster Transport Museum, Cultra The Heterosexist Geography of London and its Transport Network (TBC) *Zoe Few,* Doctoral Researcher, London Transport Museum and University of Westminster The Finnish Railway Museums Social Impact (TBC) *Marina Bergström,* Head of Content, Finnish Railway Museum Panel Discussion
10.40	Tea and Coffee Break
11.00-11.45	News from the Field IATM Members report on their current projects, questions and else
11.45-12.30	General Assembly
12.30-13.30	Lunch
13.30 – 15.30	Session 4: Placemaking in Museums Chair: Jens Toftgaard, IATM Board Member & Director Danish Railway Museum Transported by Culture: Placemaking in Covent Garden *Elizabeth McKay*, IATM Board Member & CEO, London Transport Museum From Ships to Global Entanglements – Shifting Narratives in the German Maritime Museum *Prof. Dr. Ruth Schilling*, Director, German Maritime Museum, Bremerhaven, and *Dr Pablo v. Frankenberg*, Curator and architecture researcher Where communities come together: The PEKING as a space for stories and action *Ursula Richenberger,* Head of Public Programming, German Port Museum, Hamburg Shifting the Gears of Slovenian Transportation Heritage (TBC) *Matevž Šlabnik,* Curator of Transport, Technology Museum Slovenia, and *Barbara Rezar Grilc*, Senior Curator, Technology Museum Slovenia Welcome to the 50th IATM Conference 2027 in Slovenia Natalija Polenec, Director of theTechnology Museum Slovenia
15.30 – 16.00	Introduction to Maritime Belfast & Titanic Experience
16.00 – 18.00	Visit to Titanic Experience
19.00 – 22.00	Conference Dinner The Bridge, Titanic Experience

Day 3 | 16 September 2026 | Optional Study Day

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)
HMS Caroline (National Museum of the Royal Navy) and Discovery Walking Tour of Belfast’s historic waterfront, graving dock, pump house and distillery, Harland & Wolff drawing offices (now the Titanic Hotel)

Our post-conference tours on 16 September feature three different site visits to choose from: Downpatrick and County Down Railway, the Ulster Aviation Society, or get aboard the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s HMS Caroline.

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.

Conference Fee

Along with the programme, the conference fee covers all transfers, venues, lunches and dinners.

13-15 September 2026. 360€
13-16 September 2026: 390€ (meaning +30€ to the regular conference fee for your selected tour on our study day/16 September 2026).