Ottawa–Gatineau is welcoming international arts and cultural professionals for Communicating the Arts 2026, a conference running from October 13 to 16 that examines how museums and cultural institutions can connect with audiences and strengthen public trust.

The event brings together cultural leaders at the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum for discussions, presentations and workshops focused on the future of the arts sector.

This year’s theme, Building Trust, Bridging Worlds, highlights the role arts organizations can play in encouraging empathy, dialogue and stronger relationships across communities and generations.

The programme explores four key areas: institutional values and mission, measuring cultural impact, digital transformation, and crisis management. These topics reflect challenges facing museums, galleries and other cultural organizations as they respond to changing audience expectations and new technologies.

The conference also puts Canada’s capital region in the international spotlight as a meeting place for professionals working across museums, heritage, communications and cultural programming.

Why it matters: The discussions could help arts organizations identify new ways to engage audiences, communicate their public value and make cultural experiences more accessible to diverse communities.