Over the past 30 years, museums around the world have increasingly recognised the importance of understanding and engaging the communities they represent, as well as the many other important stakeholders. Their engagement has been motivated by the need for better public accountability and long-term sustainable funding and support. Fundamentally however, it is the recognition that museums are essential for the well-being of society, which has helped to strengthen these relations. In the age of globalisation, museum-community partnerships are even more imperative.

Strategies for engagement are wide-ranging and often require an holistic approach. They include: collaborative research projects with source communities; volunteering and public programmes run by community representatives; market research that reveals the needs of non-visitors, relationship-building that ensures continued support from the funding community, and finally the engagement of stakeholders such as board members and advisors who help to lobby agencies such as policy-makers and the media.

How do ASEAN museums strategise and manage these different aspects of their work and what impact will this have on their role in an increasingly globalised world ? This symposium brings together representatives from public and private museums around the ASEAN region to explore current best practices in building community partnerships. It includes case-studies presented by the future generation of museum leaders and will encourage dialogue between museum industry professionals. Commonalities and innovative practices will be identified that will further consolidate the position of ASEAN museums in the 21st century.