The Art Engager

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 be used to increase aesthetic experience and well-beingListeners to this podcast will know that slow looking has gained in popularity in museums worldwide over the last decade or so. But there hasn’t been much research on its effectiveness, until now. In today's chat, we explore two studies -  the first study to look at the impact of slow looking in an online environment. This study explores how different audio contexts and types of art affect people's moods and engagement levels in online viewing. The second study is the first large-scale experiment to investigate how social interaction impacts the art museum experience. This study took place in Manchester Art Museum’s fabulous dedicated slow looking space known as Room to Breathe. We discuss the implications of both studies for educators..and so much more! This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in slow looking, aesthetic experiences in museums, and the benefits of group interactions for overall well-being in museum environments.Episode Links:Episode 24 Using art and objects to learn wellbeing skills and improve mental health with Louise ThompsonAleksandra (Sasha) Igdalova Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-sasha-igdalova-a66770106/Website: www.aleksandraigdalova.com Researchgate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aleksandra-Igdalova Articles on slow looking:First ever study examining how social interaction impacts art viewing: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/x9wrtFirst ever study looking at slow looking in an experimental manner (online study): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2023-59333-001 Free access to it here: https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/33048/9/Igdalova%20&%20Chamberlain%20(2023)%20Slow%20looking%20at%20still%20art.pdfCREA interdisciplinary workshop: www.crea-workshop.com The Art Engager Links:The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums - sign up for the waitlist to hear when my book will be published!Sign up for my Curated newsletter - a fortnightly dose of cultural inspirationJoin the Slow Looking Club CommunitySupport the show here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebownDownload my free resources: How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museumSlow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow lookingUltimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one placeIf you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show by emailing info@thinkingmuseum.com

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 Germany and a 'Scratch and Sniff' self-guided tour for the Amsterdam Museum.We also look at the Olfactory Storytelling Toolkit, 'smell walks,' and the idea of a 'sniffer in residence.' Sofia shares lots of practical tips for adding olfactory elements to your programmes.If you want to infuse the sense of smell into your practice or incorporate more multisensory approaches into your programmes, you'll learn a lot from this episode.Episode Links:Sofia Collette Ehrichhttps://sofiaehrich.wordpress.com/https://thesensesationalexplorer.substack.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-collette-ehrich/https://www.instagram.com/thesensesationalexplorer/Museum Ulm Links:https://odeuropa.eu/2022/04/now-open-follow-your-nose-at-museum-ulm/https://museumulm.de/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SELECTION-OF-WORKS-NEW-GUIDED-TOUR-CONCEPT-FOLLOW-YOUR-NOSE-MUSEUM-ULM-1.pdfhttps://odeuropa.eu/2023/01/update-follow-your-nose/City Sniffers Links:https://odeuropa.eu/2022/08/launch-of-city-sniffers-a-smell-tour-of-amsterdams-ecohistory/Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7utP_pAx_EOdeuropa Impact:This is an interesting report about the interviews Cecilia Bembibre conducted with museum professionals who have used smells in GLAMs: https://odeuropa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/D6_1_Guidelines_on_the_Use_of_Smells_in_GLAMs.pdfOlfactory Storytelling Toolkit:Download it here: https://zenodo.org/records/10254737Guidelines for conducting an olfactory guided tour here: https://zenodo.org/records/10102080Guidelines for conducting a smell walk here: https://zenodo.org/records/10101016A talk Sofia gave for the Swedish Heritage Commission which included many practical examples:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YByb-wbXw6EThe Art Engager Links:Sign up for my Curated newsletter - a fortnightly dose of cultural inspirationJoin the Slow Looking Club CommunitySupport the show here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebownDownload my free resources: How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museumSlow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow lookingUltimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one placeIf you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show by emailing info@thinkingmuseum.com

Trevor MacKenzie is an experienced teacher and inquiry consultant who champions inquiry-based learning. In this engaging discussion, he emphasizes the transformative power of inquiry and effective questioning in education. Trevor shares insights from his new book, revealing ten high-impact question routines that can boost student engagement. He also delves into the importance of self-awareness and patience for educators. Listeners gain practical strategies to foster curiosity and reflection in the classroom, enhancing the overall learning experience.

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 weekends and holidays. With a passion for literature and dialogical teaching in the arts, Cecilie focuses on easing classroom-related anxiety and uses her expertise to create memorable museum experiences for children and familiesToday we’re chatting about how the Carl Nielsen museum engages students in classical music. At the museum, they’ve been teaching from an Open Questioning Mindset (OQM) and using Philosophical Dialogue for a few years now. OQM is both a teaching method and a mindset developed by Peter Worley to engage students in different topics, concepts, and stories. The method offers different tools and techniques for asking open and engaging questions, and to quickly create an environment where children feel safe and comfortable speaking their minds. Slow listening is a natural extension to the philosophical questioning environment and allows children to deeply connect with Nielsen's music . In two new programmes developed for schools the Carl Nielsen Museum combines all three to engage students with classical music.Listen to discover more about the Carl Nielsen Museum, philosophical questioning techniques and slow listening. Episode Links:Episode web page + transcript: Cecilie Horup Skøtt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilie-horup-sk%C3%B8tt-b60a93ab/Carl Nielsen Museum website: https://museumodense.dk/carl-nielsen-museet/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlNielsenMuseetOpen Questioning Mindset and philosophy with children: https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/YouTube links for the music:Symphony no. 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPrhTFqD0oNielsen’s paraphrase on Nearer, My God, to Thee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5FUNK2wZmsTågen Letter, played during Music Dynamite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_-wkidKX54Maskerade, Keraus, played during Music Dynamite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TFfRwq-lrMThe Art Engager Links:Sign up for my Curated newsletter - a fortnightly dose of cultural inspirationJoin the Slow Looking Club CommunitySupport the show here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebownDownload my free resources: How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museumSlow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow lookingUltimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one placeIf you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show by emailing info@thinkingmuseum.com

Kylie Neagle, the Education Coordinator at the Art Gallery of South Australia, discusses innovative approaches to self-guided field trips in art education. She emphasizes empowering teachers to foster curiosity and critical thinking instead of relying on traditional booklets. A standout tool mentioned is the Curiosity Cards, which enhance student engagement and encourage 'long looking' at artworks. Kylie also highlights the importance of community partnerships and the impact of interactive resources on enriching the gallery experience for underserved students.

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 facilitators of engagement.Insights into the strategies and techniques employed by museum visitor teams, for informal, spontaneous interactions and structured engagements.Why visitor teams are uniquely placed to engage with museum visitorsHow museum visitor teams expertly navigate interactions with strangers, based on curiosity and open questioning.Learn about the three areas of impact: how visitors might think differently, feel differently, or act differently after engaging with museum content or staff.Discover how museum visitor teams are supported during challenging interactions, including skills development, duty manager support, de-escalation techniques, and reflective practice sessions.Episode 127 LinksWellcome Collection https://wellcomecollection.org/Dickon Moore on LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/dickonmooreTranscript available here: The Art Engager Links:Sign up for my Curated newsletter - a fortnightly dose of cultural inspirationJoin the Slow Looking Club CommunitySupport the show here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebownDownload my free resources: How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museumSlow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow lookingUltimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one place If you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show!

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 participants, including a deep dive into one of Wong's artworksConsiderations in programme design: ensuring comfort, choosing artworks, and managing durationDesigning a slow looking programme in a busy museum (hint: it can be done!)"In Silence with Matthew Wong": silent slow looking experience with one artworkReflections on the pilot programme and future plansIf you’ve ever thought about designing and facilitating slow looking programmes in your museum, you will learn a lot from this episode!Episode Links:Matthew Wong, The Realm of Appearances, 2018, https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/about/news-and-press/press-image-bank/images-matthew-wong/the-realm-of-appearancesMatthew Wong exhibition at the Van Gogh Museumhttps://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/visit/whats-on/exhibitions/matthew-wong-vincent-van-goghSlow Looking Programme at the Van Gogh Museum https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/nl/bezoek/agenda-en-activiteiten/rondleidingen/matthew-wong-vincent-van-goghOpen up with Vincent https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/about/organisation/inclusion-and-accessibility-policy/open-up-with-vincent#collaborationsHarma van Uffelen on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/harma-van-uffelen-4b50b721/H.vanUffelen@vangoghmuseum.nlThe Art Engager Links:Sign up for my Curated newsletter - a fortnightly dose of cultural inspirationJoin the Slow Looking Club CommunitySupport the show here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebownDownload my free resources: How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museumSlow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow lookingUltimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one place If you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show!

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 the competencies I talked about in this article is building rapport. Rapport is quite a subtle or nuanced concept. It’s also not something that comes up  in everyday conversation. So what is rapport, why is it important for us as educators? I'll also be sharing 5 ways to build rapport in your museum and gallery programmes. LinksJournal of Museum Education article: 'Fostering a coaching mindset: applying coaching competencies to enhance museum educator practice and visitor experience' https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10598650.2023.2283400Episode 44 The 4 Elements of a Great IntroductionThe Art Engager Links:Sign up for my Curated newsletter - a fortnightly dose of cultural inspirationJoin the Slow Looking Club CommunitySupport the show here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/clairebownDownload my free resources: How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museumSlow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow lookingUltimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one place If you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show!

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 can engage with it more deeply. In this chat, Bianca shares what she discovered about the art world, how her relationship with art has evolved, and how her experiences with various artworks have changed the way she sees the world. Links for Bianca Bosker and Get the Picture:Bianca Bosker Instagram, Twitter, FacebookAmazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Get-Picture-Mind-Bending-Inspired-Obsessive/dp/1911630466Bookshop: https://www.waterstones.com/book/get-the-picture/bianca-bosker/9781911630463 The Art Engager Links:Sign up for my Curated newsletter - a fortnightly dose of cultural inspirationJoin the Slow Looking Club CommunitySupport the show hereDownload my free resources: How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museum.Slow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow lookingUltimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one placeOther resourcesIf you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show!

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-community/art-bridgehttps://www.mleuven.be/sites/default/files/2023-04/Publication_MaterDei_TheArtBridge.pdfBlog (in Dutch):https://kunstzone.nl/author/sofie-vermeiren/The Art Engager Links:Sign up for my Curated newsletter - a fortnightly dose of cultural inspirationJoin the Slow Looking Club CommunitySupport the show hereDownload my free resources: How to look at art (slowly)- 30+ different ways to look at art or objects in the museum.Slow Art Guide - six simple steps to guide you through the process of slow lookingUltimate Thinking Routine List - 120 thinking routines in one placeOther resourcesIf you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show!