St Andrews leads Costa Rica Youth Workshop on Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Jamie Allan Brown, Research Fellow at the School of Art History, facilitated the latest youth workshop in the global series “Young People Shaping the Future of Museology through the Lens of the SDGs.” The workshop was co-hosted by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) National Committee for Costa Rica and held at TEOR/éTica: Art + Thought in San José on 14 October 2025. Funded by ICOM, its International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM), and the University of St Andrews, the event formed part of a continuing global initiative to empower young people as agents of change in contemporary museology and sustainable development across sixteen countries since 2023.

Bringing together artists, museum professionals, students, and cultural practitioners, the workshop explored how museums can act as catalysts for climate action and the United Nations’ Agenda 2030. Through interactive dialogue and group activities, participants examined the role of cultural heritage and museums in addressing the climate emergency, particularly in underrepresented regions.

The workshop welcomed speakers including Professor Karen Brown from the School of Art History, Eunice Báez Sánchez, President of ICOM Costa Rica, Melissa Aguilar Rojas, independent researcher in museology and visual communication design, and local artists Mariela Richmond and Carlos Fernández.

The collaboration with TEOR/éTica, an independent, non-profit cultural organisation internationally recognised for its leadership in fostering artistic and critical thought across Central America, was central to the workshop’s success. Its focus on theory, aesthetics, and ethics provided an ideal environment for exploring new perspectives on art and heritage within the wider field of museology.

This workshop contributes to the School of Art History-led, European Research Council (ERC) selected, and UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) funded Shared Island Stories project, coordinated by Professor Karen Brown, further strengthening international partnerships between museums, communities, and young people around the world.