**The Call for Papers for Congress 2026 has now closed**


Invitation to Participate

ICMM Biennial Congress 2026
Location: Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney, Australia
13 – 18 September 2026

The International Congress of Maritime Museums (ICMM) is pleased to announce this Invitation to Participate in the next biennial ICMM Congress (conference), to be held from 13 – 18 September 2026 at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia.

Call for Presentations

Museums in Action: Moving Forward with Courage & Conviction

ICMM’s Programme Committee are looking for focused and dynamic presentations that draw directly from real-world experiences within the museum sector, from strategic direction and collections care to community engagement, funding campaigns and digital development. The committee are eager to highlight examples of good leadership in these areas, aiming to inspire and inform delegates through practical insights and proven successes.

We particularly welcome contributions that present new thinking, innovative approaches or transferable models of best practice. Whether your story is one of bold action, quiet transformation or imaginative experimentation, we invite you to share it with us at Congress 2026.

We encourage proposals from new ICMM members and from members representing small and mid-sized museums. Please find more details about joining ICMM on our website and contact us if you would like to find out more.

We are seeking proposals for:

  • Individual presentations within thematic plenary sessions (mornings)
  • Short presentations
  • Practical workshops and panel discussions (afternoons)

Thematic Plenary Sessions

We invite proposals for 15-minute presentations that address one of the following themes in a maritime heritage context:

1. Courageous Leadership

  • Steering institutions through change, crisis, or reorientation
  • Building inclusive, ethical, and resilient leadership cultures
  • Supporting staff and developing future leaders
  • Managing conflict, advocacy, and external pressures

2. Community Engagement

  • Community-driven or co-created programming and exhibitions
  • Outreach strategies that deepen relevance and accessibility
  • Long-term partnerships with local, Indigenous, or under-served groups
  • Creative funding collaborations that support community engagement

3. Tomorrow’s Museums

  • Integrating AI and other digital tools in collections care, exhibition development and public programming
  • Reimaging exhibitions for contemporary audiences
  • Sustainable collections care
  • New approaches to balancing conservation, access, and engagement


Short Presentations: Museums and Action: Common Problems, Outstanding Solutions

For these fast-paced sessions, we invite proposals that highlight practical responses to shared challenges across the museum field, be it collections, programming, fundraising, and all things in between. We are looking for concise case studies demonstrating outstanding solutions to common problems, presented in 7 minutes only. This is your chance to share a great idea that others can use. We are particularly interested in proposals that engage with the emerging use of AI and the direction to which this may take the museum sector.

Workshops, Forums, and Panel Discussions

The afternoons will provide opportunities for deeper discussions in the format of parallel sessions. We are looking for individuals or groups interested in:

  • Leading practical workshops
  • Organising special interest forums/panel discussions

These can be on any topic relevant to the activities of ICMM, such as maritime archaeology, historic ship preservation, boat festivals, collection management, new technologies, commercial operations, museum education, exhibition planning, ocean literacy and sustainability, leadership challenges, and fundraising—to mention but a few. You can also propose a forum organised around a region or linguistic affiliation, or a specialist subject area.

Whatever you have a passion for, this is your opportunity to talk about it with others who share your enthusiasm or concerns.

Submission and Deadline

Deadline for Submissions

The call for papers has now closed.

Final programme selection will be made by the end of January 2026 and proposers will be advised by email on the outcome of their submission.

Richard Foster Bursaries

Please note that some bursaries will be available for financial support to attend. More details to follow.

For queries regarding the Invitation for Participation, please contact:
Hanna Hagmark
Chair of ICMM 2026 Programme Committee
E-mail: hanna@sjofartsmuseum.ax