Internationally Recognised Cultural Heritage Expert Linda Norris to Join the Latvian Academy of Culture as a Fulbright Scholar
This semester, students at the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) will have the opportunity to learn from internationally experienced museum and cultural heritage expert Linda Norris, whose work spans museums, libraries, archives, cultural institutions and communities around the world. At LAC, Linda will teach the course Intangible Heritage and Community Engagement: A Global Perspective to Master’s students in the Cultural Heritage Governance and Communication programme, while also taking part in other academic and professional activities in Latvia.
Linda Norris’s work focuses on how museums and other cultural heritage institutions can tell stories in ways that are more inclusive, relevant and impactful. She currently leads Creative Futures LLC, an informal collective that helps cultural organisations develop dynamic approaches to heritage interpretation, build internal capacity and foster creative, community-centred practices. Sharing knowledge and experience with the museum sector is also an important part of Linda’s professional work. She is co-author of Creativity in Museum Practice and was the long-time author of the professional blog The Uncataloged Museum. She has also written about the evolving role of museums in civic and social life.
From 2017 to 2025, Linda worked at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience (ICSC), where she led initiatives focused on memory, justice and cultural resilience. Her professional experience also includes working with museums and heritage sites of very different scales – from the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine to small local historical organisations in the United States. Linda has advised organisations, facilitated strategic planning processes, developed exhibition projects and trained professionals in the cultural and tourism sectors.
During her stay at the Latvian Academy of Culture, Linda Norris will also join the research team led by LAC researcher Elīna Vikmane, which is implementing the project “The Role of Master’s-Level Cultural Heritage Education in Career Development: Vertical and Horizontal Trajectories”. The project examines the relationship between cultural heritage education and graduates’ professional career development, with a particular focus on different career trajectories. The LAC-funded research project is being implemented from 1 June 2026 to 31 May 2027.
Also Linda will work not only with LAC students and academic staff. In collaboration with ICOM Latvia, she plans to lead several workshops on the new museum code of ethics and looks forward to meeting and exchanging experience with museum and cultural heritage professionals across Latvia.
Linda has also marked her time at LAC with a significant donation to the LAC, enriching the collection of professional literature on museology and cultural heritage available to students, academic staff and researchers.
Photo: Aija Lūse
Prepared by Aija Lūse