Dear ICOM ICMAH Members, Museum Professionals, and Colleges,

As the world’s oldest continuously operating institution, the corporate museum embodies the evolution of a “corporate” entity into a national monument of intangible heritage and craftsmanship. Since the end of the twentieth century, corporate museums have experienced a significant revival and have proliferated internationally. Numerous small business museums are established across various national territories, focusing on food and agricultural expertise, as well as traditional crafts and industrial productions with which local populations can resonate. At the global level, certain sectors, such as luxury goods and automotive, have developed expansive facilities, often designed by prominent architects. Additionally, museums have emerged from the service industries, particularly those manufacturing computer components and video games, to educate the public on new applications of digital technology, artificial intelligence, and the internet. While many corporate museums began as private storehouses for brand identity, they are increasingly expected to act as “third places”—accessible venues for lifelong learning and community dialogue.

In this spirit, we invite researchers, museum professionals, and educators to submit proposals for a one-day workshop titled:

“The Shared Archive and Collection – Reimagining Corporate Museums as Civic Hubs”

Date: June 23, 2026 Venue: Hybrid (Musée de la Poste, Paris -France and Online)

This workshop seeks to investigate the strategies that transform industrial archives and collections into shared public assets, to explore the following themes:

• Transforming into Third Places: Strategies to transform private industrial archives and museums into community spaces that promote urban revitalization and social interaction.
• CSR and Empowerment: Utilizing corporate history to support marginalized communities, promote diversity, and build social impact initiatives.
• Beyond the “Brand Story”: encompassing the perspectives of workers, residents, and other marginalized stakeholders in the corporate museum’s exhibition.

The Full CALL FOR PAPERS is available HERE.

Receiving Abstracts and papers’ Proposals is open until 20th April, 2026, please submit through the link https://forms.office.com/e/jQVnVmuteY

For Attendances Registration (Onsite and Online), please register here: https://forms.office.com/e/SkFzCJmBRy

For information, queries, and Abstract Submission, please contact: secretary.icmah@icom.museum

Cordially,

ICOM ICMAH Board