M. Cristina Vannini (Italy)

I have been part of the big EMF/EMYA family since 2004, having held most of the roles: advisor, national correspondent, board member and now, once again, national correspondent (it is almost impossible to leave EMF/EMYA once you've gotten involved!) with a deeper understanding of the meaning of this organization than I had at the beginning of my involvement.

The vision of EMF has changed over all these years, shaping upon the ideas of different Presidents and Boards, but the stated mission of founder Kenneth Hudson is still here to remind us of the central significance of public quality and innovation in the museum field.

My own personal professional growth owes much to the teachings and values of EMF, which I have tried to apply to my work as a museum consultant and lecturer in museum studies in a country where, even recently, the main concerns and policies on museums are still oriented towards conservation and less towards experience. Italy has always been underrepresented in EMYA, but the museums that have accepted the challenge have reported an extraordinary experience that has taught them to open up their views, to confront the outside world, and to establish a true dialogue with their societies and wider stakeholders to meet their mutual ends. And it is this what makes me continue to believe that the role of EMF/EMYA has a bearing in the years to come.

Lora Sariaslan (Türkiye)

As an art historian and curator, I have been on the ‘other side’ of EMYA— managing the application process, being interviewed for the museum in which I worked, leading to a special commendation. Being a national correspondent since 2009 has enabled me to support and guide the remarkable effort of the candidate museums in compiling their applications, an experience that is simultaneously challenging and rewarding.

By focusing on the vital public role museums play, EMYA encourages museums to be socially relevant in diverse cultural, political, and historical landscapes, furthermore giving them a global platform for promotion, networking, and exchange of ideas. The multitude of collections, narratives, and experiences embodied by the participating museums present the immense breadth and depth of innovation advocated and practiced by museums in Europe. If history is defined by its attention to change over time, then this award is about history, and by being a national correspondent, you are involved in its making.