When you get started with thinking routines, it’s worth getting to know a small handful of routines and using them repeatedly until you feel comfortable and confident using them. But once you have that confidence, something magical starts to happen. And this is where we can be more creative with thinking routines. Thinking routines are not rigid, inflexible structures. Unlike some protocols, you don’t always have to use them exactly as they are written, without any room for creativity. Think of ...
Jul 21, 2022•13 min•Ep. 62
Today I’m so happy to be talking to Karly Allen about her work. We’re talking about how mindfulness can help us to connect with and engage with art, how we can bring mindfulness practices to the experience of drawing. Karly Allen is a UK-based gallery educator, drawing tutor and mindfulness teacher. She has worked for the National Gallery, London, over the past 20 years and has taught widely for UK art collections including the National Portrait Gallery, Wallace Collection and Royal Collection. ...
Jul 14, 2022•26 min•Ep. 61
There is a famous quote by Alvin Toffler that goes: ‘“ The illiterate of the future are not those who can’t read or write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ” As educators, you’re probably already quite enthusiastic about the learning part. Being a lifelong learner is something that is a part of us. We’re constantly learning new things and updating our knowledge. But learning is not just about acquiring new things to learn, it’s important to learn, unlearn and relearn. In today's ...
Jul 07, 2022•11 min•Ep. 60
In today’s solo episode, I’m talking about observation skills - why they are important and I’m sharing 9 thinking routines that you can use to boost your observation and description skills. As you’ll know from previous episodes, I’m really fascinated by observation and really interested in developing my skills in this area (I have LOADS of books on this subject!) Most of the time we are observing passively - missing out on a wide range of life that we simply don’t notice. The act of looking requ...
Jun 30, 2022•20 min•Ep. 59
Today I’m so happy to be talking to Mitch Bach about what makes a great guided experience and how you can create wow moments in your programmes. Mitch is one of those people you meet and instantly get on with. He’s warm, witty and whip-smart. We met in New York a few years ago and have been friends ever since. We share the same passions about making guided experiences interactive, participative, memorable and even, transformative. Mitch is the co-founder of TripSchool, a community of 6,000+ tour...
Jun 23, 2022•43 min•Ep. 58
It’s time for another bitesize episode - a short and snappy episode that will give you a quick win or something to think about in less than 10 mins. Today I’m talking about why endings are important and sharing with you a 3 part framework for planning your strong conclusion. If the introduction is setting the scene for what’s to come, then the conclusion is most definitely when you wrap everything up, tie up any loose ends and leave your participants wanting more. The way you end your programme ...
Jun 16, 2022•11 min•Ep. 57
In today’s solo episode, I’m talking about how we can use slow looking to learn to love objects that you might find 'boring' or uninspiring. We can’t possibly love everything in a museum’s collection. There are always going to be some objects or artworks that we are drawn to for some reason. Equally there will also be objects or artworks that leave us cold. Equally, every museum or art gallery has its superstar or highlight objects. These are the objects or artworks that get far more attention t...
Jun 09, 2022•18 min•Ep. 56
Today I’m delighted to be talking to educator, facilitator and newly published author Jess Vance about her work. We’re talking about how questions are her superpower and how we can cultivate the conditions for inquiry to thrive. Jess and I met on Instagram a while back when we were discussing the importance of the question ‘what makes you say that’. Since then we’ve chatted regularly and I’ve watched her journey to becoming a published author with interest. I was honoured to be involved with rea...
Jun 02, 2022•29 min•Ep. 55
Today I’m sharing a 'picture of practice' from art facilitator and English teacher Elisa Mosele. We’re talking all how she uses thinking routines to overcome the fear of speaking a language and encourage all her students to participate. We also explore how she combines slow looking, church art and spirituality in her work as an art facilitator. Elisa Mosele is a English language teacher and an art facilitator. She currently collaborates with the Verona Minor Hierusalem Foundation . She introduce...
May 26, 2022•32 min•Ep. 54
Today I’m starting something new. I know we are all busy and sometimes it can be hard to find the time to listen to a full length podcast episode. So once a month I’ll be sharing a 'bite-sized' episode that will give you a quick win or something to think about in less than 10 mins. Today I’m going to share a quick episode that will help you to start defining your personal facilitator style. We'll look at what we mean by personal facilitator style and why it's super-important and then I'll take y...
May 19, 2022•10 min•Ep. 53
A willingness to continue growing and developing is at the heart of our practice as museum educators, teachers and guides. We are never ‘done’ with learning. There is always a strong desire to keep honing our craft. Personal development keeps us motivated and pushes us out of our comfort zone. It helps us to keep innovating, experimenting and being creative. But, what are the best ways that we can grow and develop personally? Today I'm sharing 8 different ways to go from good to great…and can re...
May 12, 2022•17 min•Ep. 52
Way back in 2011, I discovered the magic of thinking routines and Visible Thinking whilst working at a museum in Amsterdam. It was at this point that I started developing a new approach for educators, what became Visible Thinking in the Museum or VTM for short. Visible Thinking in the Museum is an easy-to-follow method that allows educators like you to confidently design and lead engaging inquiry-led sessions with art, objects and ideas for any audience. But what’s it all about? And why should y...
May 05, 2022•20 min•Ep. 51
Today on our 50th episode, I'm launching a new series of episodes all about 'pictures of practice'. I'm really interested is in finding out how other museum educators around the world engage their audiences with art and objects. What are some of the practices that are really important to them? How might they use thinking routines, or slow looking, questioning or facilitation? For our very first Pictures of Practic e, I'm talking today to Gabrielle Grime is a Heritage Education Officer at Wannero...
Apr 28, 2022•37 min•Ep. 50
Today I’m delighted to be talking to playwright, theatre director, teaching artist and museum educator Mary Hall Surface about her work. We’re talking all things creative and reflective writing through art. As a museum educator, she uses both theatre and creative writing to expand perspective, uncover complexity, and deepen understanding. She is the founding instructor of National Gallery of Art’s Writing Salon in Washington DC, and a six-summer faculty member of Harvard’s Project Zero Classroom...
Apr 21, 2022•32 min•Ep. 49
I’m back with a new episode today all about my favourite subject . I'm talking about 'bad' questions , and specifically, 10 types of questions you should never ask (or at least try to avoid!). Good questions can be many things: clear, simple and purposeful, but also relevant, concise and perhaps, even powerful. But is there such a thing as a 'bad' question? And if so, what types of questions are 'bad'? Why types of questions should we be avoiding on our museum tours and programmes? To find out t...
Apr 14, 2022•23 min•Ep. 48
As you may or may not know, I’ve recently had Covid (and you can probably hear it in my voice) I’m taking some time to recover. So as we’re approaching 50 episodes, I thought I would take the time today to revisit an episode from the back catalogue. Today we’re revisiting an episode all about thinking routines that you can use for perspective-taking. This episode first aired in July 2021. It takes a deep dive into what perspective-taking is, and why it matters. Then I look at 4 essential perspec...
Apr 07, 2022•22 min•Ep. 47
Slow Art Day is an international event celebrating looking at art in a different way. This year Slow Art Day is taking place on Saturday 2 April 2022 in over 160 venues around the world (and counting…). So, what is Slow Art Day all about? Here’s what you need to know. LINKS Episode Web Page The Slow Looking Club Support the Show Slow Art Day Annual Report 2021...
Mar 31, 2022•19 min•Ep. 46
You may remember Samantha Boffin as she was my first guest on the show ( Episode 21 ) and now she is the first guest to come back for a second episode. Besides being a voiceover artist, Sam is also an actor. Sam also does an improv class every week and believes that we are all expert improvisers - we just don’t realise we are. In this episode, Sam is sharing what improv is and how it can help us as educators in our own practice and when we’re with our groups leading programmes about art. We also...
Mar 24, 2022•33 min•Ep. 45
A good introduction is essential to foster a great group dynamic. An introduction is crucial on any type of programme - whether you’re leading a guided tour, an educational programme, a 15 minute in-gallery conversation or an online session. At this stage, group participants are learning what to do, how the tour or programme is going to operate, what is expected and what is acceptable. It’s your role to give them the orientation they need. And more than that, a good introduction is about about p...
Mar 17, 2022•15 min•Ep. 44
In the light of recent world events and the troubled times we live in, in today’s episode I’m going to share some thoughts about facilitating meaningful discussions with artworks and objects around sensitive subjects in difficult times. Some programmes, tours or sessions specifically involve sharing difficult narratives and directly addressing challenging subjects. Other types of programmes might touch on subjects that can be contentious and/or sensitive. Or you may visit artworks or objects tha...
Mar 10, 2022•15 min•Ep. 43
What does it mean to 'read a group'? It's the ability to understand the mood in the room and how receptive people are. When you’re working with groups in the museum or online, it’s extremely helpful to be able to know how to ‘read the room’. Paying attention to others and listening for clues can pay dividends. Being able to read a group and see how engaged they are, whether they are enjoying the programme, following along or even whether they are listening is extremely important. It's important ...
Mar 03, 2022•16 min•Ep. 42
Slow looking is simply the art of learning through observation. I’ve been working in this way for the last 10+ years and can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone - both as an individual practice and as a way of working with and connecting your participants to art and objects. But don’t just take my word for it. But, why would you want to slow down and spend time with just one artwork or object? Why is it important to practise paying attention and noticing more details? Looking at something slow...
Feb 24, 2022•23 min•Ep. 41
Have you been using the same thinking routines for a while now? Maybe you’ve got a few core routines that you’re comfortable with and now you’re looking for some new routines to add to your repertoire? I’m always looking for new ways to engage with our audiences and love trying out new routines in my membership monthly thinking routine classes. I really enjoy seeing all the possibilities of how this thinking routine might pair with different artworks, themes and situations. I’ve tried and tested...
Feb 17, 2022•20 min•Ep. 40
As we get older, we ask fewer questions. We wonder less. We are less curious. We don’t lose the ability to be curious, we just don’t use or ‘exercise’ it as much. Further on in life people tend to expect answers rather than questions. Staying curious and wondering keeps your mind active and strong, makes you more receptive to new ideas, opens up new worlds and possibilities and brings excitement into your life. Likewise in our work as educators, guides, teachers and creatives, we need to keep cu...
Feb 10, 2022•19 min•Ep. 39
So in today’s episode is the first of 2 episodes devoted to a subject close to my heart: curiosity. This week I'll be exploring what curiosity is and sharing 3 key ways you can provoke curiosity and wonder with your audiences on your tours and programmes. Next week, I'll be discussing how we can stay curious ourselves as educators, guides and teachers. Curiosity is notoriously difficult to define and it’s even harder to work out how to harness and foster it. It could be defined as an eagerness t...
Feb 03, 2022•20 min•Ep. 38
This week on the podcast: I’m delighted to be talking to Yaël van Loosbroek - Speck about art and mental health Yaël believes, like me, that everyone can engage with art, and that it all starts with looking - hence the name of her company, ArtSee. About ten years ago Yaël herself suffered from depression and severe anxiety disorder. The only place she could find peace of mind was in front of an artwork. This experience motivated her to create Art as Perspective for people going through the same ...
Jan 27, 2022•33 min•Ep. 37
The ability to ask powerful, relevant and incisive questions is one of the most useful skills you can have. With a good questioning technique you can instantly engage people, provoke their curiosity, find out what they already know and make your programmes more interactive. Questioning is not an innate talent for most of us - we have to work hard at developing a good questioning technique. It’s a skill and, like all skills, we need to actively work on it to improve it. So, how exactly can you ge...
Jan 20, 2022•21 min•Ep. 36
Today we’re exploring 9 different ways that looking at art can make you a better writer. Throughout the ages, looking at art has been a unique way of finding inspiration and creativity. If you go as far back as the Greeks, you can find examples of writing inspired by art, called ekphrasis , which means “a literary description of or commentary on a visual work of art” Art is a frequent source of inspiration for many writers and poets over the centuries. John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” is a fam...
Jan 13, 2022•17 min•Ep. 35
For our last episode of the year, I'm sharing 3 slow looking activities for over the holidays. It’s a busy time of year and we’re all rushed off our feet. There’s also still a huge amount of uncertainty around right now just to add to the levels of stress and anxiety. Slow looking is a wonderful antidote to life in the fast line. Looking at something slowly and carefully is in itself a rewarding process. More than that, slow looking improves your observational skills, helps us to become less dis...
Dec 23, 2021•18 min•Ep. 34
This week I’m delighted to be talking to Claire Bradshaw. Claire is an experienced coach, trainer and facilitator who brings a lot of positive energy and curiosity to her work. In today’s chat we talk about the values that drive her work, listening with full attention, the power of questions, and her passion for outdoor coaching. We talk about the similarities between her work and the work we do facilitating discussions around artworks with participants. We discuss the importance of listening sk...
Dec 16, 2021•38 min•Ep. 33
