Training Course Title: Curating Future: Museum for Sustainable Southeast Asia
Theme: Interpretation for Tomorrow: Fostering Innovation and Enhancing Tomorrow’s Interpretation in Southeast Asia Museums
Venue and Dates:
- Online, 4th – 7th June 2025
- Ayutthaya, Thailand, 17th – 20th June 2025
Working language: English
The International Council on Museums (ICOM) defines a museum as a not-for-profit, permanent institution dedicated to serving society by researching, collecting, conserving, interpreting, and exhibiting tangible and intangible heritage. Museums operate and communicate ethically and professionally, engaging communities and offering diverse experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection, and knowledge sharing (ICOM, 2022). As museums strive to fulfil this mission, they must navigate a rapidly evolving landscape shaped by technological innovation, changing visitor expectations, and the growing imperative to preserve and present diverse cultural narratives.
Museum interpretation, the practice of engaging audiences with collections and heritage, has become a cornerstone of a museum’s mission to educate and foster cultural understanding. However, many museum professionals face significant skill gaps in interpretation-related areas, hindering their ability to meet contemporary demands.
In response to these changes, SEAMEO SPAFA, under its 8th Five-Year Development Plan, has launched the training course on Curating Future: Museum for Sustainable Southeast Asia, Interpretation for Tomorrow. This forward-focused initiative aims to empower Southeast Asia’s museum professionals with innovative tools and strategies in museum interpretation. Through a hybrid format of online lectures and an onsite workshop scheduled for June 2025, the project seeks to address critical gaps in areas such as storytelling, digital engagement, and inclusive design. The online lecture series will be conducted via Zoom, while the onsite workshop will take place at the Chao Sam Phraya National Museum in Ayutthaya. A key feature of this initiative is the introduction of original interpretation tools developed by Dr Nattamon Kutalad, which will be presented in Asia for the first time through this project.
By equipping museum professionals with cutting-edge strategies and tools, Interpretation for Tomorrow underscores SPAFA’s commitment to fostering excellence in museum practices across Southeast Asia. This initiative not only addresses immediate skill gaps but also lays the groundwork for the region’s museums to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and technologically driven world.
SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA), in collaboration with:
- The Fine Arts Department, Thailand (TBC)
- Bmuse Bangkok
- Empower participants with forward-thinking skills and innovative interpretive approaches and strategies.
- Strengthening regional museum interpretation standards and aligning them with global museum trends.
Interpretation for Tomorrow will be delivered through a combination of an online lecture series and an onsite workshop. The online lecture series, conducted through Zoom, will take place over four consecutive days. The maximum number of participants for the online lecture series will be limited to 80 people.
The onsite workshop, held at Chao Sam Phraya National Museum and the office of Ayutthaya Historical Park Office, aims to provide hands-on, immersive learning experiences, allowing participants to apply the theoretical knowledge gained from the lectures. The maximum number of participants for the onsite workshop will be limited to 30 people.
| Date/ Time | Activities |
| 4th June 2025 (6 – 9 PM, GMT +7) |
Online Lecture 1: Foundations of Museum Interpretation
The lecture introduces fundamental concepts of museum interpretation, and analyses the interpretation, historical perspectives and contemporary roles. The lecture will also explore classic and contemporary museum theories as well as their implications for interpretation. |
| 5th June 2025 (6 – 9 PM, GMT +7) |
Online Lecture 2: New Interpretation Tools & Approaches
This lecture focuses on interpretation models and tools that enhance visitor engagement. Participants will be introduced to Dr. Russell Staiff’s Reimagine Heritage Interpretation and Dr. Nattamon Kutalad’s Transformative Museum Exhibition Design Management Framework, and explore the implementation of these frameworks. |
| 6th June 2025 (6 – 9 PM, GMT +7) |
Online Lecture 3: Global Trends in Museum Interpretation
This lecture explores emerging global trends in museum interpretation. Participants will examine how museum narratives can address pressing topics such as climate change, and well-being. This lecture also covers the use of digital technologies and the importance of community engagement in museum interpretation. |
| 7th June 2025 (6 – 9 PM, GMT +7) |
Online Lecture 4: Human-Centred Design for Interpretation
The lecture will look into human-centred approaches to museum interpretation. Participants will explore the principles of audience advocacy in museum interpretation and will be introduced to design tools to develop visitor-centred interpretive experiences. |
| 17th – 19th June 2025 | Onsite Workshop @ Ayutthaya
The onsite workshop is designed to provide hands-on, immersive learning experiences for participants. Over three days, the participants will engage in practical activities, site visits, and collaborative exercises to develop new interpretative tools. |
| 20th June 2025 | Site Visit at the Historic City of Ayutthaya, the World Heritage Property of Thailand |
Participants should:
1. preferably have three years of demonstrable experience in museum interpretation, encompassing one or more of the following areas:
i. Curation
ii. Exhibition Design
iii. Museum Education
iv. Museum/Heritage Professionals
2. have English proficiency to allow discussion, exchanges and presentations;
3. be in good health and be able to attend the full duration of the training programme;
4. submit all required documents by stated deadlines; and
5. be able to maintain engagement with the organiser after completing the programme (e.g. through alumni networks, sharing best practices, and the like).
REMARKS:
1) The online lecture series is open to museum professionals, museum enthusiasts, students, and anyone with a strong interest in museum interpretation.
2) Participants from beyond Southeast Asia will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Online Lecture Series: US $15 (THB 550) will be collected as registration fee.
Onsite Workshop: US $650 (THB 24,000)
The course fee covers local transportation (as applicable), accommodation (5 nights, twin sharing), lunch and refreshments (4 days), and site visit. Participants will be responsible for their round-trip travel costs to and from Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Participants are strongly encouraged to seek financial support from sources such as governmental institutions, employers, and funding agencies. They should also notify the organisers of any funding already secured or currently being applied for.
Please note that SEAMEO SPAFA will offer a scholarship to one participant from each SEAMEO member country (see https://www.seameo.org/Main_about/415), covering the course fee and travel costs.
Please fill out the application form from the following link: https://www.seameo-spafa.org/mu_ift2025/. To finalise your application, ensure all required documents are attached. Please note that all documentation must be in English.
1. Portrait photo (Formats: GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIF, TIFF. File size limit: 3 MB)
2. Professional curriculum vitae (Formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX. File size limit: 5 MB)
3. Statement of Purpose (no more than 300 words)
– The statement of purpose is a mandatory and essential part of the application. Applicants should consider the following questions when writing their statements:
Why are you applying for the course, what you hope to achieve from the course, and how will it benefit your professional development and your institution or organisation.
4. Official Endorsement is preferred for applicants from governmental organisations. (Formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, JPG, JPEG, PNG, TIF, TIFF. File size limit: 5 MB)
For further information regarding the course, please contact: Dr Hatthaya Siriphatthanakun, Senior Specialist in Cultural Heritage Management and/or Ms Melody Tan, Researcher via mu_ift2025@seameo-spafa.org.
Application Deadline
Applications should reach SEAMEO SPAFA by 16 April 2025. Only successful applicants will be notified by 30 April 2025.
Payment Method
Successful applicants will be notified to complete their payment at a later date.
For further information regarding the course, please contact: Dr Hatthaya Siriphatthanakun, Senior Specialist in Cultural Heritage Management and/or Ms Melody Tan, Researcher via mu_ift2025@seameo-spafa.org.
Application Deadline
Applications should reach SEAMEO SPAFA by 16 April 2025. Only successful applicants will be notified by 30 April 2025.
The post Curating Future: Museum for Sustainable Southeast Asia first appeared on Seameo Spafa.
The post Curating Future: Museum for Sustainable Southeast Asia appeared first on Seameo Spafa.