Sep 12 2026 to Sep 12 2026 2 p.m.

Where

Museum of Art & Photography (MAP)

Kasturba Road, Bengaluru 560001

Event Description

What happens when we think about access in museums not simply as a question of entry, but as a question of how we experience, participate, navigate and belong?

Making Art, Making Access brings together artists, disabled practitioners, museum professionals, accessibility practitioners, researchers, designers and technologists for an afternoon of conversation, exchange and exploration.

Together, we will ask:

How do bodies, identities and lived experiences shape the ways we participate in cultural spaces?

How do design, technology, services, policy and research influence who can access and navigate museums?

What can museums do differently to create more meaningful and inclusive experiences?

The afternoon brings together artistic practice, disability scholarship, museum research and practical approaches to accessibility. Participants will also have an opportunity to engage with research emerging from MAP’s work on museum accessibility and technology, offering insights into audience needs, existing gaps and possibilities for action.

More than a series of talks, the mixer is an opportunity to meet like-minded people, exchange ideas and build connections across art, culture, accessibility, technology and design.

Making Art, Making Access is part of MAP’s ongoing work to learn, experiment and rethink what accessibility can look like in museums – and an invitation to imagine those possibilities together.

Please find the programme below:

2:00 – 2:10 PM: Welcome & Setting the Context
MAP 

An introduction to the afternoon and the central question: How can artists and museums adopt technology to create more accessible ways of experiencing art?

2:10 – 2:45 PM: Artist-led Keynote by Akhila Vimal C.

A practice-led exploration of technology, adaptation and artistic practice, and how these can challenge conventional ideas of how art is created, experienced and accessed.

2:45 – 3:00 PM: Pause & Reset

A short, participatory pause to refresh, reset and reconnect before the next session.

3:00 – 3:45 PM: Museum Accessibility Practices : A map for MAP by Gaurav Raheja

Exploring the intersection of museums, information and communication design, technology, services, and legal and policy frameworks. 

Drawing on examples from museums around the world, the session will examine how these different systems come together to shape who can access, navigate and participate in cultural spaces—and what institutions can learn from emerging approaches to inclusive design and accessibility.

3:45 – 4:00 PM: Coffee / Tea Break

A short break and an opportunity for informal conversations and connections.

4:00 – 4:45 PM: From Possibility to Practice by Mudito

Drawing on Mudito’s accessibility and technology research with MAP, this session explores audience needs, existing gaps and opportunities, and how museums can translate accessibility and technology into practical institutional action.

4:45 – 5:00 PM: Pause & Reset

A short, participatory pause to refresh and reset before the final session.

5:00 – 5:45 PM: One Platform, Many Museums by Bloomberg Connects

An exploration of how shared digital infrastructure can help museums adopt technology, expand access to collections and exhibitions, and create more accessible pathways to interpretation and engagement.

5:45 – 6:15 PM: Closing: What Do We Take Forward? 

A closing reflection bringing together the afternoon’s conversations and identifying key learnings, potential collaborations and directions for MAP’s future work on accessibility and technology.

Who is this for?

The programme is intended for artists, museum and cultural professionals, accessibility practitioners, disabled people and disability organisations, technology and digital experience professionals, researchers, designers, educators and students interested in rethinking access to art and culture.

Join us for an afternoon of conversations, demonstrations, shared learning and new possibilities for making art and museums more accessible.