Join us to explore how to design and sustain participatory practice that is ethical, inclusive, and transformative for communities.

Across the UK, museums are re-evaluating what participation truly means. Many have experimented with co-production, yet few have found ways to embed it structurally — balancing community ownership with institutional accountability. This hands-on study day explores how to design and sustain participatory practice that is ethical, inclusive, and transformative for communities. Drawing on 16 years of experience across leading institutions, Afia Yeboah Owoyale shares tested methods from award-nominated and sector-shaping projects, including decentring the museum to co-author interpretation with residents and young people, embedding young voices in decision-making, and place-based cultural development tackling low cultural engagement and widening access.

Each case study opens up a different facet of participation – from youth leadership and alternative governance to evaluation and place-making – and considers how we respond when collaboration becomes complex or unexpected. By the end of the day, participants will be able to:

• Apply trauma-informed, trust-based approaches to working with communities and young people.
• Design participatory programmes that are inclusive from the outset and measurable in both reach and impact.
• Develop practical strategies for sustaining relationships and momentum beyond project cycles.
• Use creative and participatory evaluation tools to evidence social value, learning and institutional change.
• Leave with an actionable ideas and a plan to develop your own participatory programmes.

Reimagining Participation in Museums: Building Power With, Not For, Communities
Study Day, Tuesday 21 July 2026, Central London
Led by Afia Yeboah Owoyale

About the Workshop Leader

Afia Yeboah Owoyale is a Creative Producer and Community Engagement Consultant who has worked in various cultural organisations over the past 20 years, including the Southbank Centre, Chisenhale Dance Space, Waymakers Kids and the V&A. She joined the V&A in 2015 as a specialist in performance for families and young people. Afia currently works at V&A East as Senior Producer for Community Partnerships and Participatory Practice, leading on community consultation and the activity plan for the new V&A East. She is the chair of Three Rivers Board – an alliance of local organisations using art to build community in the London Borough of Bexley.

Book Tickets

Click ‘Select options’ below to book your place on the study day. Tickets are available on a sliding scale from £137 – £177. Book with colleagues for multiple delegate discounts. Book your ticket online below or email info@museum-id.com if you prefer to be invoiced.

20% of tickets are available at a reduced rate for museum workers who may often be excluded from training and professional development opportunities, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ members of staff, students, freelancers, and those working at small independent museums. Reduced rate tickets are £97 – email info@museum-id.com to check availability and to book a ticket at the reduced rate.

Tickets are non-refundable but may be swapped between colleagues at the same organisation and between different study days (if places are available). If the workshop is postponed, your ticket remains valid for the rescheduled date.