Museums and Chill

How can museums create connection in an increasingly divided world?
For this special International Museum Day episode of Museums and Chill – The ICOM Podcast, we visited Queer Britain in London to speak with Andrew Given, Director of Queer Britain, about the evolving role of museums today and the responsibilities cultural institutions hold within their communities.
Recorded as part of International Museum Day 2026 and during the celebrations of ICOM’s 80th anniversary, this episode engages directly with this year’s theme: “Museums Uniting a Divided World.”
In a time marked by social fragmentation, polarisation, and unequal access to culture and knowledge, museums are increasingly being asked to act as spaces of dialogue, inclusion, and belonging. This conversation explores how Queer Britain approaches these questions through programme-making, community engagement, and institutional leadership.
As the UK’s first national LGBTQ+ museum, Queer Britain offers an important perspective on the global conversations shaping museums today — from representation and participation to public purpose and institutional responsibility.
Welcome back and we hope you enjoy this conversation with Andrew Given!
This episode's guest
Andrew Given is the Chief Executive of Queer Britain, the national LGBTQ+ museum, based in Kings Cross, London. A self-described queer history nerd, Andrew is leading the museum into its next phase, from start-up organisation into becoming established as a leading cultural institution in the UK.
His previous roles include English National Opera, Hampstead Theatre, and the National Youth Music Theatre. He is Deputy Chair of Tara Theatre, a company championing South Asian voices and artists, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and a Global Arts Leadership Fellow with the DeVos Institute in Washington DC. Before working in the arts, Andrew taught KS3, GCSE and A-level music within secondary schools in Liverpool and London.
This episode's host
Anapaula García Soto is a Communications Coordinator at the International Council of Museums Secretariat in Paris, and producer and host of the ICOM podcast Museums and Chill. She works on editorial and storytelling initiatives highlighting diverse museum perspectives. She holds a B.A. in Communication and Digital Media and a Master’s degree in Creative Project Management, Culture and Design.
About Museums and Chill
Museums and Chill is the official ICOM podcast, offering a space for museum practitioners and thinkers from across the globe to reflect on the ideas, practices, and challenges shaping museums today. Each episode invites listeners into conversations on inspiration, innovation, ethics, and strategy, highlighting how museums navigate change while remaining relevant and inclusive cultural spaces. In recognition of its editorial approach and impact, the podcast was nominated for a European Excellence Award in 2024.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by our podcast’s guests are their own and do not reflect the opinions or views of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and its bodies and entities. The content provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. ICOM and its bodies and entities do not endorse or take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed by guests during the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to conduct their own research and seek professional advice when making decisions based on the information discussed in this podcast.

¿Qué historias siguen faltando en los museos?
En todo el mundo, los museos reflexionan cada vez más sobre las narrativas que presentan y aquellas que históricamente han quedado fuera. A medida que las instituciones replantean su papel en la sociedad, las cuestiones de representación, inclusión y responsabilidad social se vuelven centrales en la práctica museística.
Como parte de las reflexiones globales que tienen lugar a lo largo de marzo, tras la conmemoración del Día Internacional de la Mujer, este episodio de Museums and Chill – El pódcast del ICOM explora estas preguntas a través de una conversación con la historiadora mexicana Patricia Galeana, fundadora del Museo de la Mujer: un museo dedicado a hacer visibles a las mujeres.
Inaugurado en 2011 en la Ciudad de México, el Museo de la Mujer es el primer museo en el país dedicado a la historia de las mujeres. Concebido a mediados de la década de 1990, el proyecto surgió de una necesidad clara: atender la ausencia de las experiencias de las mujeres en las narrativas históricas dominantes.
Más allá de sus exposiciones, el museo funciona también como un espacio de diálogo, educación y reflexión, ofreciendo conferencias, talleres y programas públicos que abordan debates actuales sobre igualdad de género y derechos humanos.
SOBRE MUSEUMS AND CHILL
Museums and Chill es el podcast oficial de ICOM y ofrece un espacio para que profesionales y pensadores del ámbito museístico de todo el mundo reflexionen sobre las ideas, prácticas y desafíos que dan forma a los museos en la actualidad. Cada episodio invita a las y los oyentes a participar en conversaciones sobre inspiración, innovación, ética y estrategia, destacando cómo los museos navegan el cambio mientras se mantienen como espacios culturales relevantes e inclusivos. En reconocimiento a su enfoque editorial y su impacto, el podcast fue nominado a un European Excellence Award en 2024.
INVITADO DE ESTE EPISODIO
Patricia Galeana es una historiadora, académica y diplomática mexicana especializada en historia de México, derechos humanos y estudios de las mujeres. Es profesora en la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) y ha sido autora y coordinadora de numerosas publicaciones sobre historia política y la historia de las mujeres. Es la fundadora y directora del Museo de la Mujer.
LA ANFITRIONA DE ESTE EPISODIO
Anapaula García Soto es Coordinadora de Comunicación en la Secretaría del Consejo Internacional de Museos (ICOM) en París, y productora y conductora del podcast de ICOM Museums and Chill. Trabaja en iniciativas editoriales y de narrativa que destacan la diversidad de perspectivas museísticas. Es licenciada en Comunicación y Medios Digitales y cuenta con una Maestría en Gestión de Proyectos Creativos, Cultura y Diseño.
AVISO LEGAL
Las opiniones y puntos de vista expresados por las personas invitadas a este podcast son propias y no reflejan necesariamente las opiniones ni posturas del Consejo Internacional de Museos (ICOM) ni de sus órganos y entidades. El contenido presentado en este podcast tiene fines exclusivamente informativos y de entretenimiento. ICOM y sus órganos y entidades no respaldan ni asumen responsabilidad alguna por las declaraciones u opiniones expresadas por las personas invitadas durante el podcast. Se recomienda a las y los oyentes realizar su propia investigación y buscar asesoría profesional antes de tomar decisiones basadas en la información abordada en este podcast.

If we imagine a truly regenerative museum in the future, what might it feel like to walk into that space?
We recorded a series of episodes for a special series of Museums and Chill – The ICOM Podcast from ICOM Dubai 2025, a moment where museum thinkers come together to reflect on the role of museums in a changing world.
This episode engages with two of the Conference’s key sub-themes: New Technologies and Intangible Heritage.
As museums navigate rapid technological transformation alongside shifting social, environmental, and demographic realities, questions around innovation, responsibility, and cultural continuity are becoming increasingly central. This conversation explores how museums can embrace new technologies to enhance creation, preservation, learning, and engagement, while safeguarding the integrity and authenticity of intangible heritage. It reflects on how institutions can integrate digital advancement thoughtfully, not only to improve operations and audience experiences, but to ensure that living traditions, knowledge systems, and cultural expressions remain meaningful and resilient within rapidly evolving communities.
Every three years, museum professionals gather at the ICOM General Conference to listen, to question, and to exchange ideas. Across these conversations, we explore how museums are evolving, how responsibilities are shifting, and how culture continues to connect communities around the world.
Join us while we discover how regenerative thinking goes beyond reducing impact, toward restoring ecosystems, strengthening communities, and reshaping institutional mindsets with Adib Dada.
This episode's guest
Adib Dada is an internationally recognized regenerative advisor, environmental architect, and founder of theOtherDada (tOD), an advisory and architecture practice, pioneering nature-based design rooted in biomimicry and systems thinking. His work bridges architecture, ecology, and art to regenerate cities and restore biodiversity, advancing a new paradigm where the built environment develops into a living system for all of Life to thrive.
This episode's host
Anapaula García Soto is a Communications Coordinator at the International Council of Museums Secretariat in Paris, and producer and host of the ICOM podcast Museums and Chill. She works on editorial and storytelling initiatives highlighting diverse museum perspectives. She holds a B.A. in Communication and Digital Media and a Master’s degree in Creative Project Management, Culture and Design.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed by our podcast’s guests are their own and do not reflect the opinions or views of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and its bodies and entities. The content provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. ICOM and its bodies and entities do not endorse or take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed by guests during the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to conduct their own research and seek professional advice when making decisions based on the information discussed in this podcast.

How do we create stronger dialogue between new professionals and more established generations in the field?
We recorded a series of episodes for a special series of Museums and Chill – The ICOM Podcast from ICOM Dubai 2025, a moment were museum thinkers come together to reflect on the role of museums in a changing world.
This episode engages with one of the Conference’s key sub-themes: Youth Power. As museums navigate rapid social, cultural, and technological change, questions around intergenerational dialogue, representation, and leadership are becoming increasingly central. This conversation explores how youth perspectives are not only shaping museum practice today, but also influencing how institutions imagine their futures — from governance and programming to community engagement and knowledge production.
Every three years, museum professionals gather to listen, to question, and to exchange ideas at the ICOM General Conference. Across these conversations, we explore how museums are evolving, how responsibilities are shifting, and how culture continues to connect communities globally.
Join us while we discover the different ways we can approach your museum, arts and culture professionals with Abhirami Suresh.
Welcome back and we hope you enjoy this conversation!
THIS EPISODE’S GUESTS
Abhirami Suresh is the curator of the Youth Assembly programme at Jameel Arts Centre, and works with the Learning, Exhibitions and Programming teams to shape learning projects that prioritise youth communities, engagement and research-collaborations. Her work focuses on creating space for emerging voices and experimental forms of knowledge through research, pedagogy and community engagement. Abhirami’s personal research and curatorial practice has been presented at international avenues including the Karama Arts Club (2025), Curatorial Fellowship with Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2022), Young Curator Residency for Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival (2022), the London Design Biennale (2021) and the Ford Foundation Grant (2020).
ABOUT MUSEUMS AND CHILL
Museums and Chill is the official ICOM podcast, offering a space for museum practitioners and thinkers from across the globe to reflect on the ideas, practices, and challenges shaping museums today. Each episode invites listeners into conversations on inspiration, innovation, ethics, and strategy, highlighting how museums navigate change while remaining relevant and inclusive cultural spaces. In recognition of its editorial approach and impact, the podcast was nominated for a European Excellence Award in 2024.
THIS EPISODE’S HOST
Anapaula García Soto is a Communications Coordinator at the International Council of Museums Secretariat in Paris, and producer and host of the ICOM podcast Museums and Chill. She works on editorial and storytelling initiatives highlighting diverse museum perspectives. She holds a B.A. in Communication and Digital Media and a Master’s degree in Creative Project Management, Culture and Design.
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed by our podcast’s guests are their own and do not reflect the opinions or views of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and its bodies and entities. The content provided in this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. ICOM and its bodies and entities do not endorse or take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed by guests during the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to conduct their own research and seek professional advice when making decisions based on the information discussed in this podcast.

How can museums leverage digital practices to make their spaces more accessible and inclusive?
In this episode of Museums and Chill, we talk with Emilia Sharples, member of the Museums & Audiences Team at Art Fund, about using technology to enhance accessibility, engage diverse audiences, and empower young professionals in the museum sector.
We also touch on the upcoming ICOM General Conference and its subthemes Youth Power and Technologies, exploring how digital tools are shaping the future of museum accessibility.
Join us for a conversation full of insights, practical ideas, and inspiration for making cultural institutions more welcoming for everyone.!