London 2027 | Reimagining Research

Reimagining Research in and with City Museums

London Museum Docklands
27-29 January 2027

Organised in partnership with London Museum, University of Westminster, and ICOM CAMOC
ICOM SAREC 2026-27 Special Project, with additional support from ICOM SOMUS and ICOM UK

As cities face unprecedented social, environmental, and political challenges, museums must critically reflect on and expand their research practices to remain relevant and responsive. This conference examines how interdisciplinary, intersectoral museological and urban research meets the spatial, social, and political dynamics of contemporary cities.

By positioning city museums as sites of urban knowledge production, this convening aims to challenge conventional understandings of museum research. How do city museums act as generators of and platforms for urban inquiry, cultivating research practices responsive to complex urban challenges while maintaining rigorous scholarly and professional standards?

We seek to explore how city museums can:

  • Develop innovative and context-sensitive research methodologies
  • Engage with complex urban realities and multiple knowledge systems
  • Collaborate with researchers, communities, and policy-makers to reflect rapidly changing urban environments
  • Actively contribute to civic and intellectual life

After a welcome drinks reception at the University of Westminster, Regent Street building on 27 January, the main conference will take place 28-29 January at London Museum Docklands. The programme will include keynotes, submitted paper presentations, and collaborative discussions. There will also be opportunities to visit the new London Museum Smithfields site.

Call for Papers deadline 1 September 2026

Full conference programme announcement and registration opening mid-October

For questions about the conference, please contact  researchcitymuseumsconf2027 [at] gmail.com.

Call for Papers

Deadline for abstracts is 1 September 2026. Selected speakers will be notified early October.

Themes

We welcome contributions addressing one or more of these key themes:

  1. The role of City Museums in research ecologies
    • Museums as research leaders and producers
    • Museums as research communicators
    • Museums as research connectors
    • The relationship between museums and other research active organisations, eg universities, communities, policy makers etc
  2. Expanding the definition of research in City Museums
    • Museums as alternative centres of expertise
    • Different forms of research practice
    • The relationship between practice and theory
    • Authority and trust in research practice
  3. Research in City Museums as drivers of social change
    • Research that has brought different communities together or provided a forum for social issues in the city
    • Museum research that helps us think about sustainability and climate change
    • Museums as changemakers in the urban environment
    • Research and exhibitions

Who Should Apply

We encourage submissions from:

  • Museum professionals of any specialism and at all stages of their career
  • Scholars and academics whose work intersects with museum practice and urban studies
  • Heritage and cultural policy-makers
  • Community engagement practitioners working across cultural and urban contexts

Submission Guidelines

  • Abstracts of 250–300 words
  • Names and institutions of all presenters
  • Short bio (100 words)
  • Indicate whether this is a paper, panel or roundtable

Click here to submit your proposal via Microsoft Forms

Image courtesy London Museum: General Market – Past Time (c) Secchi Smith