Peter Aerts (1964) joined S.M.A.K., in 2013 as head of communication and audience development. Peter's background is not in the field of museums but in communication and education. Before starting as head of communication & audiences Peter had a long career in advertising. After his master's in arts at St Lucas University College of Arts, Antwerp, and The School of Communication Arts, London, he created media campaigns as a media-arts creative and directed campaigns as a creative director.

In 2012 he was a film jury member at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, before switching to S.M.A.K.. Since 2005 Peter has lectured on creative problem-solving at Studio Communication Design, St-Lucas School of Arts Antwerp. Empathy and understanding audiences to connect with them have always been his main focus.

The use of insights, strategy, and creativity is imperative in developing audience engagement programs for people with different attitudes toward art and museums. Above all, it is about taking a humble and supportive position, understanding people, and collaborating. His focus on audience needs serves him well in developing relevant and impactful audience programs and visitor engagement. One of his main topics of interest concerns the lengths museums should go, to reach audiences.

In 2015 his audience and education team initiated an extensive outreach program S.M.A.K.MOVES that has developed into a pillar of the museum education and audience engagement practice. Outside the museum walls, Peter initiated the 'Art United' research project that brought art to youths at pop festivals. The experience in teaching and communication helps to introduce ways of working and thinking in S.M.A.K.'s approaches to communication and public programs, like the S.M.A.K.MOVES program.

Peter has contributed articles and written chapters in the publications 'The Museum of the Senses' and the recently published book Dimensions of Curation. He addressed related topics on 'Communicating The Arts', 'The Inclusive Museum', 'Palazzo Grassi Conference', 'European Glammers', and The Nemo Conference. In 2023 S.M.A.K. won The European Art Museum Award for S. M.A.K. MOVES and 'The Exhibition' project