Fondazione Querini Stampalia launches museum audience engagement course

The Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice is organizing a course titled "Museo: ripensare il coinvolgimento dei pubblici" to explore visitor studies and engagement strategies. The course, held in 2018, consists of two modules: the first on June 7-8 focuses on international perspectives on museum roles and social inclusion, while the second on October 11-12 examines mediation methodologies and professional impacts. It is organized in collaboration with ABCittà, We Exhibit, Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia (Dipartimento di Management and mac.lab), and ICOM Italia's regional coordination for Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino Alto-Adige, and Veneto. The initiative stems from a broader project emphasizing accessibility and audience involvement as strategic priorities. The foundation, which also houses a library and museum, will host the course as part of its ongoing reinterpretation of collections and spaces, coinciding with an exhibition on Bellini and Mantegna and the opening of new exhibition areas by end of 2018. The article, written by Maria Chiara Ciaccheri, Anna Chiara Cimoli, and Nicole Moolhuijsen, highlights challenges in Italian museology education and the need for more university courses integrated with museum practice.