The Art Engager
The Art Engager Podcast with Claire Bown is your go-to resource for creating engaging experiences in museums and cultural spaces. Explore practices that deepen connections with art, objects, people and ideas. Learn techniques to spark curiosity, foster dialogue, and transform how you engage with your audience. Each episode offers practical insights to enhance your skills and bring your museum experiences to life.
Episodes
The future of museums with Elizabeth Merritt
After five years and 166 episodes with listeners in 91 countries, this is the final episode of The Art Engager - for now, at least.For this last conversation, I wanted a guest who felt right not just for the occasion, but for the moment the whole sector is living through. Someone who has spent nearly two decades asking the questions most of us might find too uncomfortable or too speculative to sit
How can museums build meaningful social connection?
In March 2026, I travelled to Atlanta for the National Convening on Art and Social Connection, a two-day event hosted by the High Museum of Art. It brought together people from the arts, public health, research, aging, social services and policy to explore one big question: how can engagement with visual art help combat loneliness and build more connected communities?In this special episode, I tak
Reimagining Guided Experiences at Historic Sites
What does it take to guide visitors through histories that are genuinely contested and emotionally charged? In this episode, I'm joined by Brandon Dillard, Director of Historic Interpretation and Audience Engagement at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, and Kelsie Paul, Director of Learning and Visitor Experience at the Frick Pittsburgh, to explore how both institutions have reimagined their guided ex
Creative engagement with digital heritage with Dr. Beth Daley
In this episode Claire Bown is joined by Dr Beth Daley, novelist, creative writing tutor and editorial advisor at Europeana, to explore how digital cultural heritage collections can become starting points for storytelling, exploration and creative engagement.Europeana brings together millions of artworks, objects, photographs, films, texts and archival materials from museums, libraries and archive
Co-Designing a Pedagogical Approach at the National Gallery of Australia
In this episode Claire Bown is joined by Georgia Close and Harriet Body from the National Gallery of Australia, alongside Naomi Zouwer from the University of Canberra, to explore how the gallery co-designed its Creative Learning approach.The conversation traces an 18-month process of articulating a shared pedagogical framework shaped by national context, cultural responsibility, and First Nations-
Early encounters with art and museum habits of mind
In this episode Claire Bown is joined by Clare Murray to explore how early encounters with art and museums shape the way people learn to participate, belong, and engage over time.Our conversation focuses on how what Clare describes as museum habits of mind begin forming early in life, shaped by access, culture, and experience, and what can be at risk when early encounters with art and museums are
Designing person-centred museum experiences for people living with dementia
In this episode, Claire Bown is joined by Laurie Kilgour Walsh, Head of Programs and Learning at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, to explore what it takes to create meaningful, person-centred museum experiences with and for people living with dementia.Our conversation centres on Artful Moments, a gallery-based, small-group programme for people living with dementia and their care partners. Based at the
Reclaiming Our Attention with Menka Sanghvi
In this episode, host Claire Bown is joined by Menka Sanghvi, researcher, writer, guide and founder of Just Looking. Menka’s work explores attention through science, culture and creativity, and encourages us to slow down and notice more in our everyday lives.Together, we talk about why ordinary moments matter, how our attentional filters shape what we see and the social dimension of noticing. We a
The Art Engager x NEMO: Who Cares? Museums, Wellbeing and Resilience
In this special episode created in collaboration with NEMO – the Network of European Museum Organisations, I’m sharing voices and ideas from the 2025 NEMO European Museum Conference ‘Who Cares? Museums, Wellbeing and Resilience’ in Horsens, Denmark.Recorded during the conference itself in the unique setting of the FÆNGSLET Prison Museum, this episode features eight speakers from across Europe and
Slow looking, leadership and the neuroscience of perspective-taking
In this episode of The Art Engager, I’m talking with Dr Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson, Executive Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and a visual neuroscientist whose work explores the intersection of art, perception and leadership.Zab’s research asks one key question: how does what we see guide our decisions, actions and behaviours? Her work combines neuroscience, visual perception and muse
Ask Me Anything: Your Questions on Museum Engagement and Facilitation
In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown celebrates the one-year anniversary of The Art Engager book with our first-ever Ask Me Anything format. She answers 10 practical questions from listeners about facilitating guided experiences in museums.From how long to let people look at artworks to building psychological safety with established groups, Claire tackles the real challenges educators and gui
Exploring Poetry Through Museums and Visual Art with Tina Demirdjian
In this episode of The Art Engager Claire Bown talks with Tina Demirdjian, a poet and educator who has spent over 30 years transforming how people connect with poetry and visual art.Tina is someone who in her own words 'changes people's minds' about poetry, about themselves and about their capacity for creative expression. Working primarily with second language learners and immigrant communities i
Belonging, Community and Co-curation at Manchester Museum with Ciaron Wilkinson
In this episode of The Art Engager, Claire Bown talks with Ciaron Wilkinson, Head of Partnerships and Engagement at Manchester Museum — one of the UK’s largest university museums and recent winner of European Museum of the Year.After a values-led redevelopment, Manchester Museum has reimagined how a museum can engage with its community. Its mission is to be the most caring, imaginative, and inclus
Taking the fear out of inquiry-based teaching in the museum
In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown shares practical strategies for overcoming the most common fears about inquiry-based teaching in museums. From handling uncertainty and awkward silences to managing participation and time, she guides you through simple, actionable ways to build confidence and make inquiry feel rewarding- for you and your participants.Inquiry-based teaching works. It create
8 ways to foster more wonder in museum experiences
In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown explores what wonder is, why museums are perfect spaces for fostering it, and shares eight practical ways to create wonder-filled moments in your guided experiences.How can we reawaken that natural sense of wonder that we had as children? What happens when we intentionally create space for amazement and discovery in our museum experiences?In this episode,
The Complete Guide to Slow Looking
Over the past four years, we've explored slow looking in 20 different episodes on The Art Engager, making it our most discussed topic. Today, I'm taking you on a curated journey through all of these episodes, creating a roadmap, if you will, that you can use to understand and implement slow looking in your personal practice and professional work. The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire
How to Create Meaningful Museum Engagement: 10 Best Practices from 150 Episodes
After 150 episodes exploring engagement in museums and cultural organisations – including 101 solo episodes and 49 guest conversations – host Claire Bown shares 10 of the most powerful insights that have emerged over four years of thinking deeply about engagement principles and practices.For this milestone episode, Claire revisited the entire back catalogue, re-listening to past episodes and looki
Art, Play and Joy at Compton Verney with Geraldine Collinge
In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Geraldine Collinge, Chief Executive at Compton Verney, about their bold approach to creating genuinely engaging cultural spaces through play, accessibility and joy.Geraldine shares how this unique 'art space in a park' in Warwickshire brings together a historic Robert Adam mansion, 120 acres of Capability Brown landscape, and six distinctive collections
How to create active engagement on guided experiences
In this 4th birthday episode of The Art Engager, host Claire Bown explores what active engagement really means and why it matters so much for creating meaningful guided experiences. She addresses what many educators struggle with – we know visitors learn better when actively participating, but how do we consistently make this happen in our daily practice?How can we move beyond knowing that active
She Shapes History: Building Community Through Women's History Tours with Sita Sargeant
In this episode of The Art Engager podcast, host Claire Bown talks with Sita Sargeant, founder and self-described 'Chief Troublemaker' at She Shapes History, a trailblazing Australian company on a mission. What began as weekly walks in Canberra has grown into a thriving social enterprise with nationwide expansion plans for their women-focused history tours.In today's conversation, Sita shares
Slow looking in sacred spaces: Antwerp's church-based Slow Art Day movement
In this episode, host Claire Bown talks with Tonia Dhaese and Armand Storck about the church-based Slow Art Day movement in Antwerp. We explore why churches provide ideal settings for slow looking and how the architecture, lighting, and atmosphere naturally encourage contemplation.For Slow Art Day 2025 (April 5), listeners will learn about events across four Antwerp churches, including St. Paul's
Engaging museum visitors through escape rooms and immersive storytelling with Francine Boon
In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Francine Boon, a self-described 'sociologist turned mystery maker' and co-director of Sherlocked, an award-winning experience design studio based in Amsterdam, about transforming how visitors engage with museums through immersive storytelling and game design.Francine shares two major museum projects in this episode: her Rijksmuseum escape room that attra
6 ways to create powerful connections in museum experiences
In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown explores why museums are as much about people as they are about objects, and shares six powerful ways to create meaningful connections in your guided experiences.How can museums provide spaces for genuine human interaction in our increasingly disconnected world? What might happen when we put 'connection before content' in our museum practice? In this epis
Uncertainty: Finding wonder in not knowing with Maggie Jackson
In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Maggie Jackson, an award-winning author, former Boston Globe columnist and independent scholar, about the power of uncertainty and how embracing not-knowing might transform our work in museums.Maggie Jackson's latest book "Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure" has been making waves - named on four top books of 2024 lists and recently awarded
Building trust and psychological safety on guided experiences in museums
In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown discusses the importance of trust and psychological safety in guided museum experiences.In this episode, we're looking at how to create the conditions that allow people to really engage with art and objects. We're going to explore why trust matters in museum facilitation, what psychological safety looks like in practice, and how to create environments wher
Art Crawl: Revolutionising infant engagement with art at the Clyfford Still Museum
In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Nicole Cromartie, Director of Learning and Engagement, and Paris Baker, Family, Early Childhood and Community Engagement Manager at the Clyfford Still Museum in Denver.Inspired by Nicole's experience with her baby niece 13 years ago, the Clyfford Still Museum has pioneered innovative ways to engage infants with art, including their groundbreaking 2022 ex
Making museums accessible for children with barriers to education with Nicky McIntosh
In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Nicky McIntosh, a museum consultant with over 25 years of experience in the UK museum sector.Inspired by her own family's experiences, Nicky specialises in making museums more accessible for children who struggle to attend school and is currently developing a toolkit to support museums and galleries in their work with home educators.Listen in as Nicky sh
Coaching in Gallery Spaces with Beth Clare McManus
In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Beth Clare McManus, a coaching psychologist, artist and researcher based in Manchester, UK. Beth's work as a coach and supervisor aims to support people to be happy and well in their professional practice. Listen in as Beth shares how museum and gallery spaces offer unique potential for coaching - creating softer, more reflective environments where the s
Transforming museum experiences through drawing with Jessica Hartshorn
In today's episode, host Claire Bown talks with illustrator and educator Jessica Hartshorn.Based in the UK, Jessi specialises in creating engaging artwork for the cultural and heritage sector, blending her background as a museum educator with her artistic skills. Her work includes family trails, maps, and educational resources designed to foster deeper connections with museum collections—even the
How to use The Universal Questioning Practice
In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown focusing on one of the key Questioning Practices from her book, The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums. In this episode, we’ll be exploring The Universal Questioning Practice in detail, how it came about and how you can use it with art and objects. The Universal is an all-purpose and versatile Questioning Practice that can be
What are Questioning Practices?
In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown explores one of the key practices from her new book, "The Art Engager, Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums" - Questioning Practices. Questioning Practices (QP) are structured sets of questions or prompts designed to guide inquiry, stimulate critical thinking, and facilitate learning in museum and gallery environments. These practices are powerful str
Building trust and making meaningful connections in museums with Anja Høegh
In today's episode, host Claire Bown talks with museum educator and project manager Anja Høegh. Anja shares her passion for creating engaging experiences in museums and cultural spaces, emphasising the importance of building trust and making meaningful connections with visitors.Anja reveals practical techniques to enhance visitor engagement, including the use of "chatterboxes" to spark conversatio
Applying Museum Education Skills to Organisational Culture with Rebecca Shulman
In today's episode host Claire Bown talks with museum consultant Rebecca Shulman.Rebecca has a wealth of experience in museum education and leadership, and is passionate about how we can make museums better places to work through improving organisational culture.Listen in to discover why museum educators are naturally suited for leadership roles through our skills in fostering inquiry, trust, and
Facilitating dialogue and handling conflicts with Linda Norris
In this episode, host Claire Bown talks with Linda Norris, a Senior Specialist in Methodology and Practice at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Linda is known for her work in museum capacity-building, leading training and workshops for major museums and historic sites like the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the War Childhood Museum.Listen in to uncover practical frameworks (su
Slow looking and social interaction in museums with Sasha Igdalova
Today, I'm talking to Sasha Igdalova about the exciting research she’s been conducting over the past few years around aesthetic experience, slow looking and social interaction in museums.Aleksandra (Sasha) Igdalova is an interdisciplinary researcher in the final year of her Psychology PhD at Goldsmiths, University of London conducting large-scale, experimental studies on slow looking within exhibi
Stimulating the senses: using smell to engage visitors
How can we use our sense of smell to engage visitors? My guest today, Sofia Collette Ehrich is an art historian and curator of multisensory experiences. She was a key researcher on Odeuropa - a European funded Horizon 2020 project that advocated for smell as an important part of Europe’s cultural heritage. We discuss when she first realised her passion for working with scents and how smell can mak
The power of inquiry, curiosity and questioning with Trevor MacKenzie
My guest today, Trevor MacKenzie is an experienced teacher, author, keynote speaker and inquiry consultant who has worked in schools throughout North America, Asia, Australia, South Africa and Europe. Trevor’s day job is as a high school English teacher in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, He teaches from an inquiry stance, guided by specific values and beliefs. In addition, Trevor is also
Slow listening and philosophical questioning in the museum
How can we engage children with classical music in the museum environment? Today, I'm talking to Cecilie Skøtt about how to engage students with the music of Carl Nielsen through a blend of philosophical questioning and the art of slow listening. Cecilie Skøtt is a mediation designer at Hans Christian Andersen’s House and the Carl Nielsen Museum in Denmark. Cecilie plays a key role in c
Fostering curiosity and critical thinking on self-guided field trips
Today, I'm excited to chat with Kylie Neagle about fostering curiosity and critical thinking on self-guided field trips for teachers and students.Kylie Neagle is the Education Coordinator at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) in Adelaide . With a small team and limited resources, catering to diverse student needs can be challenging. Volunteer Gallery Guides, though invaluable, cannot a
Creating informal engagement with museum visitor teams
In this episode, we take a closer look at museum visitor teams with Dickon Moore, Visitor Experience Manager at Wellcome Collection in London. Discover how these teams master the art of informal engagement, creating meaningful interactions that enhance visitors' museum experiences.Key Points:Understanding the importance of informal engagement in fostering meaningful interactions.How the role of vi
Slow looking at the Van Gogh Museum
Today, in a special BONUS episode for Slow Art Day, I’m talking to Harma van Uffelen. Harma works as a curator of education for the Van Gogh Museum where they have just created a brand new slow looking programme and a slow looking experience for the Matthew Wong exhibition. Listen in to hear:How the programme started and why they chose the Matthew Wong exhibitionTechniques for engaging partic
How to build rapport in museum and gallery programmes
In today's episode: what is rapport, why is it important and how can we build it in our museum and gallery programmes? I recently wrote an article for the Journal of Museum Education inspired by the coaching training I did in 2022. In ' Fostering a coaching mindset: applying coaching competencies to enhance museum educator practice and visitor experience' I explored how museum educators can b
Get the Picture: How to engage with art with Bianca Bosker
Today, Bianca Boska, an award-winning journalist and author of 'Get The Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See' discusses her new book and her journey into the art world with Claire Bown, host of The Art Engager podcast. Bianca immersed herself for 5 years into the New York art scene as a gallery assistant, artist assistant, cur
The Art Bridge: Boosting Confidence through Visual Literacy
Host Claire Bown chats with Sofie Vermeiren, about The Art Bridge, a long-term collaboration between Museum Leuven and a local school, exploring how art can boost children's self-confidence and visual literacy. Episode linksEpisode webpage + transcriptSofie Vermeiren on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofie-v-172093167/More info about the Art Bridge:https://www.mleuven.be/en/about-m/m-communi
Arts on prescription and museums: a conversation with Dr Tasha Golden
In this episode of the Art Engager podcast, host Claire Bown talks with Dr. Tasha Golden about the role arts and culture can play in public health, discussing Tasha's journey from singer-songwriter to public health scientist and the impact of social prescribing on healthcare. They delve into the ways museums are becoming active participants in community health, sharing examples and practical tips
See Listen Talk: Slow Looking Approaches for Vulnerable Audiences
Today I’m talking to Cecilie Monrad, Art Health Manager at Frederiksberg Museums in Copenhagen. We’re talking about See Listen Talk, a unique slow looking programme that helps young psychiatric service users in their recovery.See Listen Talk is a 15-week long programme with weekly meetings taking place outside of the museum's visiting hours. Participants were young psychiatric users aged 18 to 29.
Values-Engaged Gallery Teaching with Andrew Westover
Today I’m talking to Andrew Westover, Eleanor McDonald Storza Director of Education at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, about how values-engaged teaching can transform gallery experiences and foster deep connections. Andrew Westover leads the learning team at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, focusing on connecting people with art and ideas to inspire civic life. In this role, Andrew develops i
Bringing art to life in classrooms with Magic Lantern
Today I'm talking to Briony Brickell, the director of Magic Lantern, an educational charity delivering interactive art history workshops in schools across the UK. We chat about the organisation's work, its values, and the interactive art history sessions they conduct in primary schools for children aged 4 to 11.We explore Magic Lantern's unique cross-curricular approach, incorporating art history
How to engage participants in historic spaces through inquiry and facilitation
In today's episode, Dr. Stephanie Smith, Learning Manager at the Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) in Canberra, shares insights into MoAD's innovative approach to engaging visitors in historical spaces. Steph talks about MoAD's educational programmes, focusing on their inquiry-based approach and how they encourage an 'inquiry mindset' through active student participation. We also explore the
Engaging and connecting with young people in museums
In today's new episode I'm talking to researcher and practice assistant, Leonie Delaey, discussing how museums engage with young people through youth boards and organisations.Leonie come from a rich background in socio-cultural studies and Cultural Management. She currently serves as a Practice Assistant for the Master in Cultural Management program at the University of Antwerp. This year, Leonie
Radical Rest: Beating Burnout in Museum Education with Kate Oliver
In today's episode , we explore the urgent need for rest in the cultural sector, specifically in museum education. My guest, educator and leader, Kate Oliver, a freelancer with extensive experience in museums and learning, recently co-founded the "Radical Rest Network" to address this critical issue. In today's conversation, Kate shares insights into the Radical Rest Network's research, which reve
Exploring The Art of Noticing with Rob Walker
Today I’m talking to Rob Walker, author of The Art of Noticing and its spinoff newsletter. He’s a columnist for Fast Company, a longtime contributor to The New York Times and many other publications. His latest book, co-edited with Joshua Glenn, is “Lost Objects: 50 Stories About The Things We Miss and Why They Matter.” In today’s conversation Rob shares how he got into this work around notic
Help! My group doesn't want to participate...
Today, I'm responding to a question I get asked a lot: How do you approach groups that are more used to a traditional approach and say they don't want to participate?How can we work with these expectations while delivering an engaging and educational museum experience?In this episode, I'm exploring some of the reasons behind resistance to participation and offering some solutions. From setting cle
Activating the Art Museum for Healthcare Professionals:
In today's episode, Claire Bown engages in conversation with the authors of a groundbreaking new book, "Activating the Art Museum: Designing Experiences for the Health Professions." Ruth Slavin, Corinne Zimmermann, and Ray Williams share their insights into the powerful intersection of art and healthcare. This book is the first-ever guide to creating art museum experiences tailored specifically f
Engagement for All: SEND in museums with Sam Bowen
This week we're exploring engagement for all with Sam Bowen, a passionate advocate for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) inclusion in museums. Sam shares her extensive experience in the museum sector and explains how her role as a mother to a child with SEND has fuelled her advocacy work.Highlights:Personal Journey: Sam discusses her background in museums and how her personal exper
Getting Started with Inquiry-Based Learning in the Museum
Museum education is evolving, and so are the ways we engage our audiences. The days of traditional lecture-style tours are numbered, as more and more museums offer more dynamic, participant-driven, discussion-based experiences. Whether you're just starting out with inquiry-based learning in the museum or looking to enhance your existing approach, this episode is for you. It’s packed with
Disrupting the art museum experience
Today, I'm joined by Rachel Nicholson (Director, Visitor Engagement & Research at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art) and Christine Murray (Head of Content at Art Processors) to discuss an art experience that revolutionises the way visitors interact with Impressionist art. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art has collaborated with Art Processors to bring to life "A Beautiful Disruption: Experiencing t
Trauma-informed practice in museums with Jackie Armstrong
Today I’m talking to Jackie Armstrong, Associate Educator Visitor Research and Experience at MoMA in New York, about trauma-informed practice in museums. We’re exploring trauma-informed practice in museums, what it is, what it looks like and how museums can implement it into their culture and into their programming. We discuss MoMA's Artful Practices for Well-Being initiative, which offers tr
How to prepare for the unexpected
In today's episode I'll be exploring a topic that every museum educator can relate to: being prepared for the unexpected.When was the last time you were facilitating a programme and something unexpected came up? Maybe it was a spontaneous discussion sparked by an unexpected object or a group with unique accessibility needs. These moments remind us of the value of being ready for anything.As museum
Heart for Art: Engaging minds, transforming lives with Gundy van Dijk
Today I'm exploring Heart for Art with Gundy van Dijk, Head of Education and Interpretation at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Discover how this impactful outreach programme use Vincent van Gogh's life and art to engage children, foster their personal development, and ignite their passion for art.With over 20 years of experience in museum, art, and cultural education, Gundy is well-known for her
What can museum educators learn from immersive art experiences?
Immersive art experiences have become quite the sensation in recent years. You've probably heard of them or even had the chance to attend one yourself. Immersive art experiences are driven by technology, engage multiple senses and transport you into a living artwork or a different world.Imagine stepping into a space surrounded by larger-than-life visuals, captivating sounds, and interactive elemen
Claire's Favourites: Getting started with thinking routines in the museum
Over the past few weeks, I've been picking my favourite episodes from the podcast's archive. Today, I want to share some helpful advice about starting to use thinking routines in your art or object discussions.In September I’m going to start teaching my Visible Thinking in the Museum Online Beginners course or VTMO Beginners as it’s affectionately known. Around the same time, I'll also be publishi
Claire's Favourites: How to Read the Room
For the next few weeks I’m choosing my favourite episodes from the back catalogue of the podcast. With over 100 episodes to now choose from, I’m taking this opportunity to revisit some of the episodes I’ve most enjoyed putting together. This week we're exploring the art of how to read the room.When it comes to working with groups in a museum or any other setting, being able to "read the room"
Claire's Favourites: 12 Benefits of Slow Looking
For the next few weeks I’m choosing my favourite episodes from the back catalogue of the podcast. With over 100 episodes to now choose from, I’m taking this opportunity to revisit some of the episodes I’ve most enjoyed putting together. This is a classic episode exploring the benefits of slow looking. Slow looking is simply the art of learning through observation. I’ve been immersed in slow l
Claire's Favourites: 4 Powerful Questions to Supercharge your Museum Programmes
For the next few weeks I’m choosing my favourite episodes from the back catalogue of the podcast. With over 100 episodes to now choose from, I’m taking this opportunity to revisit some of the episodes I’ve most enjoyed putting together. This week I’m sharing one of my absolute favourite episodes. I’m sharing 4 game changing questions that will really transform your museum and gallery programm
Claire's Favourites: How to Cultivate Curiosity on your Museum and Gallery Programmes
For the next few weeks I’m choosing my favourite episodes from the back catalogue of the podcast. With 100 episodes to now choose from, I’m taking this opportunity to revisit some of the episodes I’ve most enjoyed putting together. Today's choice is all about curiosity. This was a really popular episode back in February 2022 when it was first published and was the first of two episodes about
Creating Cultures of Thinking in Museums with Ron Ritchhart
In this special 100th episode of The Art Engager podcast, I'm chatting to educator, researcher, author, and speaker Dr Ron Ritchhart. Ron Ritchhart is an award-winning educational researcher, retired Senior Research Associate at Harvard's Project Zero and current Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia. His research is focused on developing intellectual character, making thinking vis
Striking the right pace in museum programmes: less is more
Welcome to episode 99, where I'm diving into the concept of pacing in museum and gallery programmes, with a particular focus on the idea that "less is more."Pacing directly influences the participant experience. A well-paced programme ensures that your participants stay engaged, attentive and receptive throughout their journey. By carefully managing the rhythm and flow of stops, activities an
Radio Bart: Exploring Art with Blind Mediators
Welcome to a new episode of The Art Engager podcast, hosted by Claire Bown. In this week's edition, we dive into the extraordinary world of Radio Bart, a unique audience engagement programme at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. Joining me are two guests from the museum's Audience Engagement team: An van Hertum and Bart van Peer.What is Radio Bart? Radio Bart is a groundbreaking programme w
Collect Connect Create with Denise Greany and Sarah Clarke
In this week's episode we're exploring an innovative project at the National Civil War Centre in Newark developing creative writing skills through art and using thinking routines in really innovative ways.The visual literacy Collect Connect Create project was developed to raise self-esteem, self-efficacy and motivation for year 10 pupils (14-15 year olds) who had struggled with disrupted lea
7 Ways to Make Time and Space for Silence
So following on from last week's episode, talking about the benefits of some silence in your museum and gallery programmes. This week I'm sharing how to do it. A little bit of silence in your programmes can benefit both you as the facilitator and the audience by promoting reflection, active listening, observation, engagement, and flexibility.It contributes to a more meaningful and effective experi
How silence is a superpower in museum and gallery programmes
You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘silence is golden’ before. This proverb suggests that staying quiet or not speaking can be beneficial in certain situations. How is silence a superpower that we can leverage to our advantage in the design and facilitation of our museum and gallery programmes?Today I’m talking about why silence matters and I'm going to share some insights into why we should be harn
Exploring Slow Art Day and Slow Looking with Phyl Terry
Episode 94 of the Art Engager features another special guest, Phyl Terry, Founder of Slow Art Day. Slow Art Day is an annual event that encourages participants worldwide to look at and discuss art slowly. To date, over 1,500 museums and galleries on every continent, including Antarctica's McMurdo Station, have participated in Slow Art Day.I first got in touch with Phyl back in 2013 when I heard ab
Slow Art and the Power of Slowing Down with Carl Honoré
Today on the podcast, I'm delighted to be talking to bestselling author, broadcaster, two-time TED speaker and voice of the Slow Movement, Carl Honoré.In this episode, Carl Honoré, author of "In Praise of Slow," shares his insights on the benefits of slowing down in every aspect of life. Our conversation centres around the slow movement, and how slowness can 'rehumanise' us in a culture that value
Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Art with Heather Thomas
In Episode 92, I'm chatting to Heather Thomas, the Head of Learning and Engagement at the Lightbox Museum and Gallery in Woking, UK. Heather talks about how their Art and Wellbeing programme of creative and therapeutic workshops provides opportunities for those that would otherwise not be able to access arts and heritage services.We discuss the guiding principles behind the Lightbox Museum and Gal
3 New Thinking Routines to Try in Your Museum and Gallery Programmes
Are you tired of using the same old thinking routines in your museum and gallery programmes? Maybe it's time to try something new? In this week’s episode, I'm sharing three exciting thinking routines that you can add to your repertoire.These routines will help you engage your audience and encourage them to think creatively about art and objects. Start with the basics: building a repertoire of thin
How to Create Intellectual Comfort
Today I’m exploring the concept of creating intellectual comfort in your museum and gallery programmes. In my (forthcoming) book Slow Looking at Art: The Visible Thinking in the Museum Approach I have a chapter dedicated to creating a collaborative culture in your museum and gallery programmes. As part of this chapter, I talk about how important it is to make participants feel not only psycho
What if objects could talk with Hannah Cushion
I have a guest for you today on the show. I’m really happy to be talking to Hannah Cushion about her work as an artist and educator. Hannah is an artist and museum educator working in London and Oxfordshire in the UK. Her work is interested in themes around archiving and preservation. She’s interested in why we keep the things we keep and who we're keeping them for. Since receiving a cre
How to lead playful museum programmes
Today I’m exploring play in museum education practice. How can we create and lead playful museum programmes? How can we bring more opportunities for play into our guided tours and educational programmes?I was inspired for today's post by our new theme in the Slow Looking Club. Every two weeks we have a new theme and right now we’re exploring play as the focus for our slow looking. We’re looking fo
How to ask more open-ended questions
Today I’m returning to one of my favourite subjects - questions. I’m going to explore open-ended questions in detail - not just what they are, but why they are important and when you can use them for the best engagement. Plus, how can you get better at asking open ended questions and ask more of them in your programmes? How can you make sure that you don’t default to closed questions or rec
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