San Francisco

Future Museum Lab

A fellowship program connecting Swiss museum professionals with Bay Area innovation to strengthen visitor engagement and turn ideas into institutional practice.

Fellowship Program

Future Museum Lab is a fellowship program for museum professionals to refine the visitor journey, taking place in San Francisco from October 5–10, 2026.

The program includes a two day kick off in Switzerland, a lab week in San Francisco, and a year of community events and curated peer exchange designed to support knowledge transfer and implementation.

Co-organized by Swissnex in San Francisco and Max Kohler Stiftung, Future Museum Lab is a fellowship program for museum professionals working at Swiss museums who want to strengthen storytelling, visitor engagement, and interpretation by using emerging technologies. Applicants selected as Fellows receive a stipend from Max Kohler Stiftung to participate.

By the end of the Lab week, each Fellow or small team will have produced a working concept or prototype, plus a practical plan to test, adapt, and implement learnings within their institution. Throughout the year, Fellows share progress with peers through community events in Switzerland, strengthening connections and shared learning across participating museums.

Why the Bay Area

The Bay Area is known for experimentation across culture, design, and technology, with institutions that regularly pilot new forms of interpretation and visitor experience. Swissnex in San Francisco will connect Fellows with museum leaders, designers, educators, and creative technologists. In this ecosystem, we explore how museums can design participatory, accessible experiences that create meaning with audiences, while staying grounded in curatorial integrity and institutional mission.

Our Program Goal / Mission

The mission of Future Museum Lab is to provide an opportunity for museums to explore and experiment with practical approaches to storytelling, visitor engagement, and interpretation. We create a focused exchange between professionals in Switzerland and the US West Coast who act as pioneers to test, share, and scale projects inside institutions. The Lab aims to strengthen long term capacity in the field, and allow for institutional innovation by connecting people, methods, and real use cases.

Who Should Apply

We are looking for individuals or small teams, up to 2 people, with an ambitious and experiment-driven approach to museums. They should possess a strong interest in testing new methods and new emerging technologies. Swissnex is a home for bold ideas and practical testing, and we encourage applicants who are curious, collaborative, and ready to prototype and iterate toward a clear project goal.

Applicants should be working on a specific challenge or project they want to develop during the lab, such as an exhibition narrative, interpretive strategy, digital mediation concept, participatory program, or visitor journey redesign.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the program:

  • Applicants must be employed by a Swiss museum which has been nominated by Max Kohler Stiftung
  • Applicants must apply with a well defined and concrete project or challenge they want to develop during the lab. We welcome proposals with an interdisciplinary approach

Participation commitment:

  • Attend a two day kick off workshop in Switzerland to prepare for the Lab
  • Participate in the Lab week in San Francisco
  • Commit to knowledge transfer within the home institution
  • Share project progress with peers through community events during the year
  • Aim to implement a pilot within the first 12 months of the fellowship

Costs

Thanks to the generous support of the Max Kohler Stiftung, fellows are exempt from program tuition and accommodation. Fellows are responsible for costs associated with their travel, meals, and local transportation.

Program Benefits

  • Develop a concrete project relevant for your museum, from concept to a working prototype or pilot ready plan
  • Refine and test your idea with peers and get coaching from handpicked experts for your specific needs
  • Learn practical methods for audience research, interpretive design, and experience prototyping. Receive input from Bay Area museum leaders, designers, educators, and creative technologists.
  • Build a peer network across Swiss museums and the US West Coast, with quarterly community touchpoints during the cohort year
  • Share work, and leave with clear next steps for implementation at your home institution.

How to Apply

Submit your application in English via this link. The application form includes a short project description of 1-2 pages. You may also include optional supporting material to add context to your project and approach, for example a short writing sample, images, or a brief video. Please keep supporting material concise. If needed, we may request additional information.

Send any inquiries to:
Lucas Hagin, Creative Industries Program Manager at Swissnex in San Francisco

Key Dates

  • Application closes: March 15, 2026
  • Info-Sessions (Zoom): February 24, 2026 and March 2, 2026, 5pm CET
  • Selected applicants notified: mid-April 2026
  • 2-day Kick-off in Switzerland in May 2026 (dates tbd)
  • Future Museum Lab in San Francisco: October 5–10, 2026
  • End of cohort year: April 2027

About the Max Kohler Stiftung

The Max Kohler Stiftung is a charitable foundation based in Zurich committed to empower people in their personal development, and to support encounters with art.

Partners