Museum as a Space for Dialogue: New Formats of Cultural Work during the War Discussed in Odesa

Odesa hosted an advocacy meeting "Museums and Audiences: Communication, Partnerships, Expectations" that brought together representatives of cultural institutions, media, education, the public sector, and the government. Participants discussed how museums can adapt to new wartime challenges and effectively interact with their audiences.

The event was attended by Valeriy Bolgan, editor-in-chief of Intent .

The event was aimed at strengthening the dialogue between museums and their partners, as well as at finding new formats of cooperation. The main emphasis was placed on sharing practical experience, harmonizing the expectations of different parties, and forming a common vision of the role of cultural institutions in modern society.

PHOTO: Odesa Archaeological Museum

The advocacy meeting began with registration of participants and informal communication during a welcome coffee. Ihor Pistruil, director of the Odesa Archaeological Museum, and Kateryna Chueva, representative of the Network for the Protection of National Interests "ANTS", delivered welcoming remarks. They emphasized the importance of open communication between museums and their audiences, especially in times of war, when cultural institutions play the role of not only custodians of heritage but also active participants in social processes.

PHOTO: Odesa Archaeological Museum

During the block of speeches, the speakers outlined the key areas of interaction between museums and various sectors. Yaroslava Riznykova, a representative of the Regional Department of Culture, focused on the cooperation of museums with the authorities and the need for systematic support for the cultural sector. Natalia Petrova, associate professor at the I. I. Mechnikov Odesa National University, discussed the role of museums in modern education, emphasizing their potential as platforms for generating new knowledge and engaging different audiences.

Valeriy Bolgan, editor-in-chief of the Odesa-based media outlet Media Intent, shared practical advice on effective communication with the media and explained how cultural institutions can convey their messages to a wider audience. Volodymyr Chyhrynets, curator and employee of the Odesa Art Museum, drew attention to the possibilities of interdisciplinary cooperation, in particular, the combination of archaeology and contemporary art. Yaroslav Chentsov, a representative of the Archaica Research Laboratory NGO, spoke about successful examples of cooperation between museums and NGOs.

A separate stage of the event was the panel discussion "The Space of Dialogue: How Museums and Partners Hear Each Other," during which participants discussed barriers to cooperation and ways to overcome them. Much attention was paid to the issues of trust, effective communication, and shared responsibility for the development of the cultural environment.

There was also a methodological tour of the museum conducted by the institution's specialists. Participants had the opportunity to learn about approaches to exhibiting archaeological sites, the specifics of working with funds, and the principles of cultural heritage preservation.

PHOTO: Odesa Archaeological Museum

The event ended with informal communication during an evening tea party, which was an additional opportunity to establish professional contacts and discuss potential joint projects.

The organizers emphasized that such meetings contribute to the formation of a new model of the museum - open, communicative, and integrated into social processes, able to meet the challenges of the times and work in close cooperation with different audiences.

Also in April, Odesa hosted a chamber performance of Snow in Florence based on a dramatic poem by Lina Kostenko, which gathered the audience in the cozy space of the Bookstore-Café. The production touched upon the deep themes of artist's freedom, responsibility for talent, and the difficult choice between creativity and compromise.

Анна Бальчінос