Balkan Museum Access Group - Balkan Museum Network

The Balkan Museums Access Group (BMAG) is a permanent working group of the Balkan Museum Network committed to increasing accessibility of museums for everyone, and especially for Deaf and disabled people. BMAG is a peer-learning group of individuals, constantly learning and putting social model of disability into daily museum practices. BMAG has experience and accessibility knowledge to implementing accessibility features in museums and as of late 2017, BMAG started conducting accessibility surveys in museum, in order to identify, prioritize and remove barriers. BMAG has been recognized as an innovative practice by the The Zero Project, an initiative of the Essl Foundation that focuses on the rights of persons with disabilities globally.

Current members

Lejla Agić

Lejla Agić

Lejla Agić is a Museum Educator at the Zenica City Museum, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dedicated to increasing the accessibility of museums and culture to disabled people, Lejla designed and implemented many creative and educational workshops for children in this museum. She was involved in the simultaneous exhibition 1+1: Life & Love™ which implemented 11 museums from the Balkans with CHwB and BMN.

Email:altaaira@gmail.com

Željka Sušić

Željka Sušić

Željka Sušić works at the Typhlological Museum in Zagreb, Croatia as a Senior Curator and a Museum Pedagogue Advisor. During her career, Željka organised many exhibitions focused on socially vulnerable groups, and was awarded the Annual Museum Award for the museological concept of Touch of Antique exhibition. Considering the transfer of knowledge exceptionally important, Željka has been dedicated to sharing the valuable knowledge from this field among the professional community.

Email:Zsusic@tifloloskimuzej.hr

Irena Ružin

Irena Ružin

Irena Ružin PhD, is working in National Institution Institute and Museum -Bitola almost 30 years. She was Program Director for 15 years. Her professional work is mostly in management of international and national projects, marketing in museums, cultural heritage education and cultural tourism. Irena is a Steering Board member of BMN and a Macedonian representative in the Balkan Museum Access Group. The experience and knowledge gained through BMAG trainings and activities Irena implemented in many Balkan museums. At this moment, she is working on development and implementation of projects for accessibility inclusion and accessible tourism, in cooperation with museums, NGOs, associations and schools in several Balkan institutions.

Email:Irenaruzin@gmail.com

Milena Milošević Micić

Milena Milošević Micić

Milena Milošević Micić, M.A. art historian, museum advisor at the Homeland Museum of Knjaževac. For more than 20 years she’s been a dedicated activist, curator, educator, PR, project manager, and museum director in two mandates aiming to develop a new role of the museum in the local community. She believes that museums are public spaces open for everyone, forums for open dialogues or debates, and places of unique values of common heritage. Fields of expertise: art history, museum studies, collection management, access and inclusion, marketing in culture, cultural and educational tourism… She is a licensed heritage interpreter and was awarded by NC ICOM Serbia as the best museum professional in 2021. Membership: ICOM, SMА, BMN, BMAG, AAM, AAMC, IE.

Email:milenija2901@gmail.com

Former members

Artemis Stamatelou

Artemis Stamatelou

Artemis Stamatelou is an archaeologist and museologist based in Athens, Greece. Since 1997 she has been working in the Greek museum sector gaining rich experience in curating, audience research, fundraising and project management. She is a General Assembly member at the National Historical Museum, and a member of the Balkan Museum Access Group. She is also experienced in public and academic speaking acquired mainly by presenting parts of her work in articles, seminars and conferences.

Email:artemis.stamatelou@gmail.com

Etleva Demollari

Etleva Demollari

Etleva Demollari is the Head of the Educational Programmes Departmant at the National History Museum of Tirana, Albania. Etleva is PHD candidate in the Doctoral School for Cultural Heritage in the Faculty of History and Philology at Tirana University. As a member of the Steering Board of the Balkan Museum Network and its Access Group, Etleva was involved in developing several projects for disabled people.

Email:Etlevacani@yahoo.fr

Tatjana Mijatović

Tatjana Mijatović

Tatjana Mijatović is an architect by education but loves to say that is basically geek in the soul. She has been working in museums and cultural heritage sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tatjana is passionate mountain bike rider, enjoying in good humour and looking at life from the bright side. Tatjana is involved in applying new digital technologies in heritage and museum collections. As BMAG member, she has developed experteese in the production of tactile images, maps and models (images and maps produced by the fusing machine and swell paper).

Email:mijatovic.tatjana.73@gmail.com

Stefanos Keramidas

Stefanos Keramidas

Stefanos Keramidas works as a Museologist-archaeologist in the Directorate of Museums of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Greece. His research interests are focused on collections management, museum interpretation, exhibition making, and the creative interaction between visitors and the museum. Through the Balkan Museums Access Group he is interested in underlying and promoting the importance of intellectual accessibility within the exhibition space in museums and art galleries.

Email:Stefanosker@gmail.com

Mensura Mujkanović

Mensura Mujkanović

Mensura Mujkanović works at the Museum of Tešanj, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a Curator, Mensura implemented several projects in various fields, including three focused on access and inclusion. She is a member of the Balkan Museum Network's Access Group.

Email:mensura1985@gmail.com