Posted 2 Dec
Lisa Bailey 
We’ve been running the Future Themes Forum at MOD. since 2019 as a way to find exhibition themes that are relevant and resonate with our audience. Earlier this year we published a paper, to share this method of participatory exhibition development with the museum community (which you can read online here).
Over the last few months we’ve had Maeve McNeilage join us as an intern from the Museums and Curatorial degree at The University of Adelaide. She has looked back over our last three Future Theme Forums to see what trends have been emerging, and shares her findings with us below.
Maeve McNeilage
MOD.’s Future Themes Forum (FTF) serves as a unique platform that shifts exhibition planning into a collaborative endeavour between MOD. and their audience. The forum is designed to engage participants in imaginative and forward-thinking discussions, the results of which go on to inform MOD.’s future exhibitions. As part of my internship, I had the privilege of participating in the 2024 FTF, analysing its outcomes, and contributing to the development of MOD.’s 2026 exhibition.
While analysing the 2024 FTF data, I found Trust, Change, and Connection to be the three overarching themes which linked all the conversations together. I presented these findings and MOD.’s staff noticed that these themes mirrored those identified in previous forums. To understand this better, I conducted a comparative analysis of the 2019, 2022, and 2024 FTF data. The results revealed that the three forums generated similar conversations on topics such as climate change, technological advancements, human connection, and failing systems. This consistency wasn’t surprising, given that these pressing issues remain unresolved, leaving participants with little reason to shift their attention to other topics.
The few variations between the forums were reflective of the socio-political and cultural context of each year. In 2019, aged care was a more recurring topic than in other years, which aligned with the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety’s interim report being released that year and receiving substantial media attention due to its concerning findings. For 2022 the post-pandemic world took centre stage, with many conversations about community resilience, mental health, and adapting to a “new normal.” The focus on rethinking work and community dynamics reflected the collective experience of emerging from two years of COVID-19 lockdowns and the public discourse around returning to the office and hybrid work arrangements. For the 2024 forum, AI was more topical than in previous years as it has recently made major advancements and ChatGPT has garnered major public attention.
Despite these differences, overarching themes persisted across all three forums: the intersection of humans and technology, a desire for inclusivity and equity, the need for systemic change, and many more. This consistency underscores a continued vision amongst participants for a more just, connected, and sustainable future.
The recurring themes can be attributed to the forum’s demographic focus (attendees aged 15-25) who naturally share similar priorities, fears, and worldviews. Additionally, some participants returned across multiple years, and their perspectives, while nuanced, may not have shifted significantly over a short span of time.
The Future Themes Forum remains a powerful tool for participatory exhibition design, connecting MOD. to its audience in a meaningful way. However, as MOD. evolves, so too should the FTF. By refining its approach to the FTF, MOD. can continue to harness the collective imagination of its community and create exhibits that resonate deeply with their target audience.