The Art Engager

Would you love to learn how to design and lead engaging discussions around art and objects in just 4 days? On Monday through to Thursday next week, I’ll be sharing 4 principles that are key 🔑 for creating engagement and connection when you're designing and leading art discussions. ⁠In this BONUS podcast episode (a first for The Art Engager!) you’ll learn everything you need to know about what happens when you join the challenge, who it's for and how it will work. Join in the 4 day Art of Engagement Challenge next week to make concrete progress on your journey to designing and leading engaging discussions around art and objects. So, what are you waiting for? Take some steps today and join me for the challenge on Monday - sign up today via the link below!LINKJoin The Art of Engagement Challenge - SIGN UP HERE https://mailchi.mp/4fc80dab0b8a/artofengagement

Today I’m sharing some thoughts about how you can successfully design and lead engaging discussion-based programmes around art and objects. I’ll be talking briefly about the difference between different types of 'talking' in museum education - conversations, discussions and dialogue - before moving into 11 tips for success in creating conversations around art and objects.LinksSupport the Show - https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownSign up for The Art of Engagement Challenge - https://mailchi.mp/4fc80dab0b8a/artofengagementEpisode 18 Common Fears Around Leading Discussion-Based Programmes ( and How to Deal with Them)https://thinkingmuseum.com/2021/09/01/common-fears-around-leading-discussion-based-programmes-and-how-to-deal-with-them/Episode 9 - Creating a Great Group Dynamic in the 'New Now' https://thinkingmuseum.com/2021/06/16/creating-a-great-group-dynamic-in-the-new-now/'Teaching in the Art Museum: Interpretation as Experience' - Rika Burnham and Elliot Kai-Kee

Leading tours and educational programmes that are based on discussion, inquiry and interaction can be a scary business. Both for you and for your participants.And if you’re about to take your first steps, it might seem really daunting. However, do remember that any concerns you have are perfectly normal and you’re not alone (we’ve all been there and had to start somewhere). Take it one step at a time and with time, practice and guidance, it will get easier (I promise!).In this podcast episode, I’m going to summarise the most common fears and concerns about leading discussion-based programmes that I’ve heard over the last 20 years, along with suggestions for ways to overcome them.LINKSSupport the Show - https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownVisible Thinking in the Museum Online (VTMO) - www.thinkingmuseum.com/vtmoThe Art Engager, Episode 12: Best Practices for Sharing Information - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/edd22a39-daa0-46f4-9444-5d6eb656164bThe Art Engager, Episode 4: The 5 Golden Rules for Asking Questions - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/8de302e0-94ce-4c79-8486-b0b92f83210d

Over the past year, I’ve attended some fantastic interactive online sessions and I’ve led hundreds of my own.⁠I’ve also attended some pretty dull one-way presentations and long lectures.No matter what type of session you are leading - be it a virtual tour, an online art discussion, an online class or course - you need to keep your session interactive to stop participants from tuning out. You need to find a variety of ways to engage people throughout the session. Online experiences that emphasise personalisation, active learning, interaction and engagement will be here to stay. If you haven't levelled up your skills yet, it's time you took some actionWhen it’s done right, online sessions are JUST as (and in some cases MORE) rewarding and engaging online. ⁠But how do you make it interactive and keep everyone fully engaged? Here are my 13 ways to get you started...LINKSSupport the Show! https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownRecorded Masterclass: Zoom Confidence for Educators - https://thinkingmuseum.com/product/zoom-confidence-for-educators/Episodes 4 - The 5 Golden Rules for Asking Brilliant Questions - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/8de302e0-94ce-4c79-8486-b0b92f83210dEpisode 10 - 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Asking Questions https://player.captivate.fm/episode/be7953c3-9b54-4de4-9ed2-e793caef6851Episode 15 How to Use Artworks to Improve your Questioning Skills - https://player.captivate.fm/episode/8868cace-a070-4eef-806b-c12324b15246

Today I’m doing a deep dive on the most famous and well-known thinking routine of them all - See Think Wonder. I’m going to share with you how you can use this thinking routine in your art discussions and why it’s one of the best routines for getting started with Visible Thinking in the Museum - my method for engaging and connecting with audiences, art and ideas. It’s actually the first thinking routine that I teach when I do a training with teams of educators or guides in a museum and the first routine that I teach on my popular VTMO course. STW is a GREAT thinking routine to use when you are new to Visible Thinking and a really good one to use at the beginning of a guided tour or museum programme. But what is it, how can you use it and, importantly, what's so special about it? All will be revealed today in episode 16!LinksSupport the show The Ultimate Thinking Routine List Visible Thinking in the Museum Online (VTMO) Course

How can you improve your questioning skills without resorting to reading long lists of tips and techniques and do's and don'ts? What can you use to help you create, sort and evaluate better questions? The simple answer is: ART. I’ve been using artworks for years to help me to brainstorm, sort, re-word and improve my questions.Artworks (and objects) provide an engaging and focused way to work on your questioning skills. I’m not an ‘expert questioner’ by any means and have found that this is a skill that I have had to consistently work at to improve. But by using artworks, I really enjoy the process too. In today’s episode I’m going to share with you some practical ways you can use art as a tool to become a better questioner! NOTESSupport the Show: https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownWikiart.org - https://www.wikiart.org/ How to Ask Brilliant Questions Masterclass https://thinkingmuseum.com/product/how-to-ask-brilliant-questions-that-get-results/

Today I’m sharing 5 simple slow looking ideas for the summer. In our fast-paced society, we scan, we skim and we scroll. We have forgotten what it’s like to really look at something.Slow looking is a wonderful alternative to life in the fast lane. The 5 activities I'll be sharing in this episode are simple, effective ways to slow down, improve your observational skills and focus and notice more details around you. You can use these slow looking activities throughout the summer - either on your own or with friends and family and children. All of the activities are designed to help you develop your ability to see - and in doing so, spark creativity, curiosity and improve focus.By the end of this episode you’ll have a range of great ideas to keep yourself and others engaged in slow looking in a range of different environments (outside and inside), some involve art and some do not. All are designed to help improve your observation skills and help you to slow down and relax.Which activity are you going to try? I’d love to hear how you get on with any of this activities, Please share your thoughts, photos, sketches and or notes via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter using the hashtag #summerslowlookingLINKSSupport the show https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebownThinking Museum website https://thinkingmuseum.com

Today I’m talking all about how to use the ‘Unveiling Stories’ thinking routine to investigate multiple layers of meaning with a photograph. This is part of a new series of episodes on the podcast where I share a thinking routine with you and all the insights for how you might be able to use it with an artwork or object with groups - either in-person or online.Unveiling Stories was our ‘thinking routine of the month’ for June in my Membership Programme. Every month we have a specialist thinking routine online class that gives us the opportunity to discover a new thinking routine or to dig a bit deeper into one we already know. Discover in this episode:What is ‘Unveiling Stories’ thinking routine?5 Steps of Unveiling Stories About ‘Unveiling Stories’How we structured the discussion using 'Cross-Border Love' - a photograph by Roland SchmidMy key takeaways and tips for using this thinking routineLINKSSupport the showRoland Schmid, ‘Cross-Border Love’ (25 April, 2020 )Courtesy of World Press Photo https://www.worldpressphoto.org/collection/photo/2021/41420/1/Roland-SchmidThe Thinking Museum MembershipULTIMATE THINKING ROUTINES LIST

Many of us are experts in our field - possibly art historians, historians or archaeologists - and want to share that incredible knowledge with the groups we lead in our programmes.But knowing what information to share, how to share it and when to share it is often tricky – especially on interactive, discussion-based programmes. And what happens when you add too much information? And how much is too much?Sharing information that is engaging and memorable (without overloading your participants) is a great skill to master.In this week's episode I'm sharing some thoughts on information delivery and 6 best practices for how to share your knowledge AND keep your audience engaged and curious (as opposed to bored and frustrated).Make your knowledge work for you. Learn how to use information as a tool to create curiosity and engagement in episode 12!LINKSSupport the showMini-Course From Monologue to dialogue: How to Share Information to Engage and delight your Audience available in my membership programme Patterson Williams, Object‐Oriented Learning in Art Museums Nina Simon, Museum 2.0, 2010, Making Museum Tours Participatory

Perspective-taking is about seeing a situation or understanding a concept from an alternative view point, such as that of someone else. It is a skill that needs to be encouraged - particularly in children. Your brain has to work quite hard to get good at perspective-taking. And in the opposite direction of what it is hard-wired to do - which is to place YOU at the centre of everything. Engaging in perspective-taking means moving away from this starting point in order to understand others. THE GOOD NEWS is that like most things, it gets easier with practice and our perspective-taking skills do improve.  In today's episode I'm going to introduce you to 4 thinking routines that are specifically designed to foster this disposition. You can  use these thinking routines with artworks to create discussions that consider multiple solutions to a problem and look at situations or people from multiple perspectives. LinksSupport the show https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebown Ellen Galinsky ‘Mind in the Making’