Representatives from the National Museum of Bermuda spoke and led workshops during a conference in Panama this month.

A spokeswoman said Elena Strong, NMB executive director, was the opening speaker at the Museum Association of the Caribbean’s annual conference.

Established in 1987, MAC works to strengthen ties among Caribbean museums and promote common heritage between countries in the region.

More than 200 representatives from 25 countries attended the conference in Panama City from November 12 to 16 under the theme “The future of Caribbean museums: communities, co-creation and connections”.

Ms Strong, who is also co-president of the MAC, introduced the conference’s keynote speaker, Ana Elizabeth Gonzalez, director of the Museo del Canal in Panama.

NMB trustee and education committee chair Janet Ferguson, museum curator Deborah Atwood, curatorial assistant Chynna Trott and curatorial intern and interim MAC secretariat Amani Simons joined Ms Strong.

Museum leaders discussed regional collaboration during a workshop organised by Ms Strong and facilitated by Dr Ferguson, who highlighted the NMB’s adult ambassador programme during another presentation.

Dr Atwood and Ms Trott addressed the NMB’s transformation from a repository for artefacts into a hub for community engagement.

Ms Strong said: “The conversations, ideas and collaborations developed during this event highlight the importance of these regions in shaping the future of museums worldwide.”

She said that by building connections across the Caribbean and beyond, museums in the region and the “circum-Caribbean” surrounding it could “lead the way in co-creating sustainable, inclusive cultural spaces that amplify diverse voices and reflect the dynamic histories of their communities”.

“While Bermuda is not geographically located in the Caribbean, we have so much in common with our southern museum colleagues.”

She added: “Insights gained and relationships established will help guide NMB’s ongoing efforts to be a dynamic and inclusive space that serves our community and preserves Bermuda's cultural heritage for future generations.”

Ms Simons said the conference exposed her “to a new side of heritage and culture”.

She added: “Working with like-minded individuals from the Caribbean, Latin America, the US and Canada has enhanced my understanding of not just my own history but the Atlantic World as a whole.

“My biggest takeaway from the conference was a quote that I heard during a presentation: ‘Be the subject of history, not the object of it’.

“I identified with this because highlighting the everyday stories in history is just as important as the ones already being told.”