Clemency Cooper

Clemency Cooper is the Community Participation Coordinator for the University of Cambridge Museums, a consortium of eight Museum collections and a Botanic Garden.

Clem’s role is to build relationships with communities in and around Cambridge, working closely with the local authorities and community-based organisations, to raise awareness of our museums, build partnerships and break down barriers to participation.

Clem is an experienced community engagement practitioner and has led innovative, inclusive and impactful projects in the higher education, heritage and museum sectors for 15 years.

She joined the University of Cambridge Museums in 2024 and has managed the Adapt! pop-up museum and Our Planet community consultation, supported by Arts Council England and Cambridge City Council.

Clemency Cooper is speaking at the Green Museums Summit 2025:

Adapting to Changing Environments: Popping up in and listening to our local community

How do we engage communities on environmental issues outside our museums? In 2024, the University of Cambridge Museums popped up in community settings with a hopeful but thought-provoking exhibition inspired by our natural history collections. Collaborating with a creative design agency, we explored how nature is adapting to a changing world and invited people to reflect on how they might adapt to help nature thrive. Find out how we developed and delivered a roving participative exhibition, how we facilitated and captured conversations, and what we learned about local attitudes to the environment.