Shyllon Museum joins Global Museums Network, to host international residency programme

The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art has been selected as a partner institution in the 2026 edition of TheMuseumsLab, an Afro-European initiative focused on collaboration, professional development and exchange among museums across Africa and Europe.

The museum, popularly known as YSMA, announced on Wednesday that it would also host its first international residency programme in September 2026 as part of the partnership.

TheMuseumsLab 2026 is themed “Building Futures from Memory: Museums and Memorial Sites as Agents” and is designed to strengthen the role of museums as spaces for dialogue, reconciliation and social transformation.

The programme is jointly organised by the German Academic Exchange Service and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, with support from the German Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the country’s Federal Foreign Office.

YSMA said its inclusion among 66 partner museums marks a major milestone for both the institution and Nigeria’s cultural sector, noting that it is the first Nigerian university art museum to join the network.

As part of the initiative, the Lagos-based museum will host two museum professionals from Uganda and the United Kingdom for a residency programme aimed at promoting knowledge sharing, capacity building and cross-cultural engagement.

Museum Director, Jess Castellote, described the development as a significant step in strengthening the institution’s role as a centre for learning and international collaboration.

“Joining TheMuseumsLab network is a great moment for us. It affirms our commitment to positioning YSMA not just as a repository of art, but as a living institution dedicated to learning, dialogue, and exchange,” Castellote said.

According to him, the residency programme would help deepen the museum’s educational impact while introducing global perspectives into the local cultural environment.

Also reacting to the partnership, Head of TheMuseumsLab, Solveig Rietschel, said YSMA’s approach to education, public engagement and innovative programming made it a valuable addition to the network.

“We are delighted to welcome YSMA to our growing network of partner institutions,” she said, adding that the upcoming residency would create important opportunities for collaboration between African and European museum professionals.

YSMA noted that the partnership further strengthens its growing influence within Africa’s cultural and educational landscape through exhibitions, public programmes and academic engagement.

The museum added that participation in the network would contribute to shaping broader conversations around African art, heritage and museum practice while increasing its global visibility.