Museum directors, curators, and cultural leaders discuss how museums can better serve as platforms for lifelong learning. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]

At the third UNESCO High-Level Forum for Museums on April 24 in Hangzhou, over 100 museum directors, curators, and cultural leaders gathered to explore how museums can better serve as platforms for lifelong learning.

Themed around museums as educational hubs, the forum spotlighted efforts to move from simply approaching to truly engaging diverse audiences through inclusivity, accessibility, and co-creation.

Institutions like the Brownlee Riverside Museum in the United Kingdom have made all 300,000 of their items accessible online, breaking physical boundaries. Others, such as the Barbados National Museum and the National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology and History of Peru, are bringing cultural experiences into public spaces through mobile exhibits and online activities.

The Seychelles National Museum is engaging hard-to-reach groups with initiatives like museum-in-a-box programs and exhibitions in hotels and scenic spots. Meanwhile, Argentina's Southern Biennale is expanding its reach to 30 countries, blending global and local participation.

A growing trend is participatory curation. Museums are increasingly collaborating with schools, communities, and artists to make exhibitions more interactive and audience-driven. From co-designed school visits in Africa to the digital upgrades at Mexico's Interactive Museum of Economics, institutions are adapting to younger, tech-savvy generations.

Museum leaders agreed that the future of lifelong learning lies in respect, innovation, and creating space for all voices — bringing culture closer to everyday life.

Attendees share their ideas and inspirations. [Photo/tidenews.com.cn]