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 structures for crafting deeper, more engaging experiences. This episode explains what Questioning Pract...
Oct 10, 2024•18 min•Ep. 136
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 conversations, sensory experiences to deepen artwork connections, and slow looking practices to encourage thou...
Oct 03, 2024•36 min•Ep. 135
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 psychological safety. Rebecca also discusses the current challenges museums face, such as generati...
Sep 19, 2024•32 min•Ep. 134
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 (such as the 4 Truths and the Arc of Dialogue) for facilitating productive dialogues and handling conf...
Sep 05, 2024•36 min•Ep. 133
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 exhibition spaces at Manchester Art Gallery. Her work investigates how popular engagement strategies may ...
Jun 27, 2024•49 min•Ep. 132
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 make museum experiences more engaging. We cover her creation of a scent-based tour for Museum Ulm in Ge...
Jun 13, 2024•43 min•Ep. 131
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 an author , speaker and consultant, travelling worldwide to help schools implement inquiry-based teachin...
May 30, 2024•37 min•Ep. 130
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 crafting and delivering school programmes for both museums, as well as interacting with visitors of all ages on ...
May 16, 2024•40 min•Ep. 129
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 always provide guided tours. At the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide (AGSA), this prompted a sh...
May 02, 2024•35 min•Ep. 128
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 visitor teams has changed over time from a more security-focused role to their current role as faci...
Apr 18, 2024•31 min•Ep. 127
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 exhibition Techniques for engaging participants, including a deep dive into one of Wong's artworks Considerations in programme design: ensuring ...
Apr 11, 2024•35 min•Ep. 126
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 benefit from using coaching skills to enhance their teaching and improve the visitor experience . One of ...
Apr 04, 2024•19 min•Ep. 125
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, curator, museum security guard and more as part of a journey to understand why art matters and how we...
Mar 21, 2024•45 min•Ep. 124
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 links Episode webpage + transcript Sofie 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-community/art-bridge https://www.mleuven.be/sites/default/files/2023-04/Publication_MaterDei_TheArtB...
Mar 07, 2024•30 min•Ep. 123
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 for cultural institutions. The conversation also covers the practical application of the Arts on Pre...
Feb 22, 2024•39 min•Ep. 122
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. Some were still hospitalised during the course but were able to attend the museum sessions. The p...
Feb 08, 2024•28 min•Ep. 121
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 initiatives, partnerships, and diverse programming to engage Atlanta's communities. Andrew previously...
Jan 25, 2024•43 min•Ep. 120
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 into various subjects like science, geography, history, English, maths, and more. We discuss a vari...
Jan 11, 2024•31 min•Ep. 119
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 team's teaching methods and how they use intentional and scaffolded open-ended questions to spark stu...
Dec 14, 2023•40 min•Ep. 118
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 completed her master's thesis, centring around the theme of youth engagement in museums. In today’s...
Nov 23, 2023•23 min•Ep. 117
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 revealed widespread exhaustion and burnout within the sector. She discusses how the passion and commitme...
Nov 09, 2023•32 min•Ep. 116
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 noticing and paying attention to things. We discuss what’s wrong with our attention these days and debate whet...
Oct 26, 2023•38 min•Ep. 115
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 clear expectations and creating an inclusive atmosphere to gradual introductions, building trust, and...
Oct 12, 2023•22 min•Ep. 114
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 for healthcare professionals' development and well-being. In this conversation Ruth, Corinne, and Ra...
Sep 28, 2023•50 min•Ep. 113
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 experience as a parent of a child with SEND shaped her into an inclusion advocate. Inclusive Spaces: th...
Sep 14, 2023•50 min•Ep. 112
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 actionable tips and strategies to guide you. I'm going to share practical insights that will help you overcom...
Aug 31, 2023•25 min•Ep. 111
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 the Bloch Galleries," a sensorial digital journey that forges personal connections with Impressionist...
Aug 24, 2023•53 min•Ep. 110
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 trauma-informed programming and experiences. Jackie also shares insights on MoMA's slow looking programme a...
Jul 27, 2023•50 min•Ep. 109
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 educators, we operate in a dynamic and ever-changing environment, interacting with diverse audien...
Jul 20, 2023•26 min•Ep. 108
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 expertise in connecting people and organisations. Gundy is dedicated to inspiring individuals, bri...
Jul 13, 2023•24 min•Ep. 107
