With museums at the intersection of the future and the past, they play an important role in enshrining the stories and experiences of the past for future generations. This theme echoed throughout the 2025 Rhodes Forum session on the future of museums, which framed cultural institutions as places not only of preservation but of abundance—abundant stories, abundant participation, and abundant access. To discuss how museums are incorporating technology into their exhibits, Kathryn Brown (Australia and Balliol 1988), Reader in Art Histories, Markets, and Digital Heritage at Loughborough University, gathered an expert panel of museum leaders including Kati Price, Brendan McGetrick, and Bruce “Canda” Niyonkuru.
Kati Price, Head of Experience and Design at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A Museum), kicked off the panel by defining what abundance means for her work with the V&A Museum, saying, “We have over six million objects and archival objects in our collections. The role of technology is to build an abundance of knowledge and get these stories out to global audiences.” This idea of abundance aligned closely with the Forum’s emphasis on how “storytelling and immersive experiences can foster a mindset of abundance,” a central theme in the session’s summary.
Brendan McGetrick, Creative Director of the Museum of the Future, emphasized that “technology has to be used to digitize collections in a meaningful way for it to be helpful to expand the experience.” The Forum echoed this approach, highlighting the importance of meaningful integration of technology rather than its use as mere novelty. Immersive and narrative-driven technologies should help visitors explore interpretations and co-create meaning, rather than simply presenting information.
Canda Niyonkuru, Creative Director of the Milele Museum, discussed their creation of Africa’s first fully virtual museum dedicated to highlighting the restitution and repatriation of stolen artifacts. His work illustrated a major theme of the Forum: expanding cultural access through digital platforms. The session summary emphasized the “transformative potential of technology in reimagining cultural heritage and artistic expression, with a focus on accessibility and inclusion,” directly aligning with Niyonkuru’s mission to open contested histories to global audiences.
The panelists then turned to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in museum exhibitions. They expressed optimism for the potential of AI while acknowledging practical challenges. Price emphasized the need for greater digital literacy among museum staff before implementing AI. This insight reflects the Forum’s broader point that technological transformation must include institutional readiness and investment in people—not just new tools.
Furthermore, Price, McGetrick, and Niyonkuru discussed the role of technology in expanding museum access for people with disabilities. They highlighted how virtual exhibits and interactive texts allow more neurodivergent individuals and people with disabilities to access museum content. They also emphasized combining technological and non-technological elements for accessibility, such as different formats of text placed at eye level and plain-language labels. The Forum’s emphasis on “accessibility and inclusion” reinforces this insight, positioning technology as a mechanism for equity and broader participation.
Beyond digital access, the Forum materials described how museums are evolving into more flexible and community-oriented institutions. This connected naturally to the panel’s reflections on the future of museum design: more porous galleries, more hybrid digital-physical spaces, and more civic-oriented cultural hubs.
With a background in history and healthcare, this panel inspired me to reflect on how technology can impact the way we tell and disseminate stories through different forms. Hearing from the speakers—and seeing how their insights aligned with the Forum’s emphasis on abundance, storytelling, and inclusion—inspired me to continue creating accessible media through technology. It has also given me a growing list of museums to add to my bucket list!
Thank you to Kathryn Brown (Australia and Balliol 1988) for hosting this panel and to Kati Price, Brendan McGetrick, and Canda Niyonkuru for sharing their insights.