Change is here: how we can meet this moment—together

We all feel it. Seismic shifts are happening in the museum, archives, and cultural heritage landscape—ones that are likely to impact every facet of our work over the next few years. With this rapid onset of change, we’ll need to completely rethink the way we engage with our communities and navigate an increasingly complex political and cultural terrain.

“Unprecedented” is indeed the new normal.

At Relicura, our focus for 2025 is to support you—our colleagues—and the field as a whole, by responding quickly and thoughtfully to impactful events and decisions that challenge or disrupt our profession. This change has inspired us to evolve our approach this year, moving away from the "tried and true" topics we’ve traditionally covered. Instead, we’ll dedicate our energy to offering relevant, timely content to walk you through this unpredictable chapter in our country. 

And in the spirit of this evolution, we’re introducing: The Moment—a newsletter created to be nimble and reactive. With that in mind, there's no prescriptive cadence nor content calendar, and rest assured our popular webinars will still be featured through out the year. It's our hope that this new format will enable us to be of most service to you, our colleagues, who are out on the front lines of history. While the landscape is ever-changing, we can adapt and meet this moment together.

HOW WE CAN THRIVE IN 2025

FIND THE COMMON GROUND: Think unity over uniformity

As we look ahead to 2025, one strategy stands out as a viable option to move forward: pluralism. 

This approach is your best chance to reconcile diverse perspectives to discover areas where a unifying narrative exists. We'll need to build stamina for polarizing conversations, striking a balance between inclusion and diametrically-opposed viewpoints, all while maintaining our own professional wellness. Shifting the discourse to a more benign “common language” will be critical, as our community grapples with how to present history in ways that resonate with a wide range of stakeholders.

To be completely candid, this is not my favorite strategy. And yet, given the roadmap ahead, it seems we'll need to navigate the risk of harm that a pluralistic approach can bring in order to ward off larger and more destructive harm. Former President Obama perhaps says it best in this clip:

Learn more about pluralism

2025 WATCHLIST: 3 things to keep in mind this year

Choose your words carefully: Museums will face intense scrutiny over the language they use and content they share. We must be intentional in our choices and use non-partisan “bridge” words that land well across political divides. Especially when the consequences can be loss of funding and municipal partnerships.

DEI programs must evolve or face closure: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs are already shuttering across institutions, with significant consequences for museums and archives that had previously relied on federal and state funding. Organizations will need to adapt or reframe these initiatives in the face of a radically different mandate.

Anticipatory censorship may increase: As museums & organizations strive to protect their reputations and secure funding, you may see more cases of preemptive censorship to avoid potential backlash. This trend could raise serious questions about historical accuracy and the role museums play in encouraging honest public discourse.

[Read the full 2025 forecast here]

This blog post content was originally included in our community newsletter: The Moment -- where we respond quickly and thoughtfully to impactful events and decisions that challenge or disrupt our profession.