The Art Engager

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 harnessing this superpower to enhance our programmes.But I’m also going to explore the flip-side - why some people feel uncomfortable around silence and how you can overcome this discomfort. Then I’m exploring 8 reasons why silence is beneficial for both you as a facilitator and for your participants. PS This is part 1 of a two-part series on silence. Next week I'll be exploring how you can add more silence into your programmes.LinksDownload my free Slow Art GuideDownload the Ultimate Thinking Routine ListSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookDownload the NEW resource - how to look at art (slowly)Curated newsletter by Claire BownEpisode 93 Slow Art and the Power of Slowing Down with Carl HonoréEpisode 94 Exploring Slow Art Day and Slow Looking with Phyl TerryEpisode 29 How to Develop a Reflective Practice

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 about Slow Art Day. Today, we resume our conversation 10 years later about the importance of slowing down and spending more time with art. Phyl talks about how Slow Art Day originated and the hour long experience he had with a painting that started it all. We explore about how Slow Art Day has evolved over the years and some of the unique and memorable events that have taken place over that time.Phyl also talks about how organisations can participate in hosting their own Slow Art Day events or how individuals can participate even when there are no events near them. Phyl discusses the concept of "radical inclusivity" in Slow Art Day, which promotes the idea that anyone can engage with art without the need for prior artistic knowledge, through the act of looking slowly and reflecting. Finally, Phyl shares their thoughts on the future of Slow Art Day and how it might evolve as a movement in the coming years. The conversation is filled with insights and reflections on the importance of slowing down and spending more time with art. Don't miss this one!LinksEpisode Web Page (with transcript)Support the ShowDownload my free Slow Art GuideSlow Looking ClubSlowArtDay.comhttps://www.instagram.com/slowartday/https://www.facebook.com/SlowArtDaySlow Art Day 2022 Annual Report Episode 46 What is Slow Art Day

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 values speed above everything else. We also discuss the slow art movement and how museums and other cultural institutions can be more welcoming for visitors who want to take a slower approach to art. Main talking points:Carl Honoré's book "In Praise of Slow" and the impact it had on society and the slow movementHow the slow movement is not just about slowing down for its own sake, but about reclaiming our humanity in a culture that treats us like machines.How the slow movement fits into the larger cultural conversation about resisting the pressures of a culture that values speed and productivity above all elseHow the pandemic has affected our relationship with time and speed, and whether it has led to a greater appreciation for slowness.How slow art can be an antidote to the fast-paced culture we live inHow museums are finding ways to create slow environments and programmes to invite people to engage deeply with art.How blockbuster exhibitions (such as the Vermeer exhibition in the Rijksmuseum)and wall labels can help or hinder us in the experience we might have in a museum.The importance of building the muscle to observe, contemplate, and look deeply at art, especially in childrenFour ways we can all incorporate the principles of slow more fully into our own livesLinksEpisode Web PageDownload my new Slow Art Guide Download the resource - how to look at art (slowly)Support the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookCarl Honoré's website: Useful links www.carlhonore.infoCarl Honoré on Social Media:YouTube ChannelInstagramTwitterLinkedInTED Talk 'In Praise of Slow'

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 Gallery's work in learning and engagement, which has always included helping people with mental health issues or those who are isolated.We also discuss what the Open Mind project is and how it provides a safe space for individuals to come and learn something new, chat with others and engage with art.We talk about how Open Mind tours prioritise connection over content and are wholly participant-led, open conversations that take their cues directly from the participants, not the facilitator. Finally, we talk about the positive outcomes of the programme and the Lightbox's plans for the future.LinksLightbox website: www.thelightbox.org.uk  Museums Journal (Museums Association UK) article: https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/analysis/2022/11/its-time-for-museums-to-address-mental-health/Baring report: https://baringfoundation.org.uk/resource/creatively-minded-at-the-museum/Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/Catalyst: https://www.catalystsupport.org.uk/If you are struggling, please contact Samaritans https://www.samaritans.org/Young Minds website for children and young people: https://www.youngminds.org.uk/

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 thinking routines. Experiment and try new thinking routines to stay curious and inspired. Three new thinking routines to try out: Imagine If, Take Note, and Creating Space for LearningImagine If: a thinking routine for looking closely, finding opportunity, and pursuing new ideas. Take Note: a thinking routine for distilling ideas in response to a piece of art or an object. Creating Space for Learning: a thinking routine that is essentially a grounding exercise that helps us to prepare for any programme, class or task.Three new thinking routines for you to try out. I hope you find them helpful in engaging your audience with art and objects in a new and exciting way. LinksEPISODE WEB PAGE Episode 6 - 6 Essential Thinking Routines You Need in your RepertoireEpisode 16 - How to use See Think Wonder in your Art DiscussionsEpisode 57 - How to End WellEpisode 59 - 9 Thinking Routines to Improve your Powers of ObservationDownload the Ultimate Thinking Routine ListSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookDownload the NEW resource - how to look at art (slowly)Curated newsletter by Claire Bown

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 psychologically safe, but also intellectually safe. Museums can be intimidating spaces. And this is particularly prevalent in art museums and around art in general. So many people feel that museums are not places for them, that there is a prerequisite amount of information required before you can enjoy being in a museum. Your job as a facilitator is to ensure that everyone feels confident and able to participate fully in your programme, whatever their motivation or knowledge level upon arriving. This is what it means to create intellectual comfort on a museum or gallery programme. In today's episode, I'm exploring what intellectual comfort is, why it's important and 8 ways you can foster it in your programmes. LinksEPISODE WEB PAGE Episode 74 - How to Enjoy Art (without knowing anything about it) Episode 44 - The 4 elements of a great introductionEpisode 48 - 10 types of questions you should never askDownload the Ultimate Thinking Routine ListSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookDownload the NEW resource - how to look at art (slowly)Curated newsletter by Claire BownArticles quoted on Intellectual Safety:Critical Communities: Intellectual Safety and the Power of Disagreement - Ashby Butnorhttps://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1005647.pdfThe Importance of Intellectually Safe Classrooms for Our Keiki - Trevor Baba https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1237572.pdf

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 creative practice grant from Arts Council England in 2021, Hannah has been looking at ways to directly connect her museum practice with her art practice. This has led to the development of the Memory Bank Project, a collection of stories and memories connected to everyday objects. In our chat today, Hannah and I discuss how inclusivity, curiosity, and the opportunity to collaborate with people and to create meaningful connections with objects and between people are really important values in her practice.Museum labels tell us one story but what if the objects themselves could talk? How do we encourage people to include their own stories and experiences when we talk about objects? As this project develops Hannah is exploring how she can adapt her skills as a facilitator to her role as a story collector.We talk about what the Memory Bank Project is, how it works and how Hannah encourages participants to share their personal connections, stories, experiences and memories around an object. And we tell you how you can take part too!So here it is, enjoy!LinksEpisode Web Pagehttps://www.hannahcushion.com/the-memory-bankInstagram: @hannahcushionartist @thememorybankprojectDownload the NEW resource - how to look at art (slowly)Download the Ultimate Thinking Routine ListSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookCurated newsletter by Claire Bown

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 for depictions of play and playful approaches in art, but also how we can adopt a playful attitude to slow looking when we’re out and about. This led me to thinking about how we can be more playful in our programmes when we are with visitors (of all ages, not just children) and incorporate more meaningful opportunities for play? Today I'm sharing 9 ways that you can incorporate play into your guided tours and programmes.LinksEpisode Web PageDownload the NEW resource - how to look at art (slowly)Episode 56 Learning to Love ‘Boring’ Objects through slow looking Episode 45 - What we can learn from improv with Samantha BoffinEpisode 59 - 9 Thinking Routines to Improve your Powers of ObservationEpisode 72 - Reacting to art with our bodies with Rachel RopeikEpisode 25 - 3 Thinking Routines for Slow Looking and DrawingEpisode 61 - How mindfulness and drawing can help us to connect with art with Karly AllenDownload the Ultimate Thinking Routine ListSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookCurated newsletter by Claire Bown

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 recall questions? I'm sharing 4 ideas that will help you to ask more open-ended questions & keep the conversation flowing in an open and engaging way.LinksEPISODE WEB PAGE The Art of Questioning Class with Claire BownDownload the 2023 Ultimate Thinking Routine ListSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookDownload my free guide - how to look at art (slowly)Curated newsletter by Claire Bown

I often get asked about neutrality as a 'stance' for museum facilitators of discussions around art and objects. So today I'm addressing the question: How neutral do we need to be as a facilitator in the museum?  Facilitation is a key part of creating engaging and interactive discussions around art and museum objects.As a facilitator, you are guiding the process, creating participation and activating the learning and engagement. But do you have to be neutral too? If you look at the general definition of a generic facilitator you will often see the word ‘neutral’ or ‘impartial’ used. What do these words actually mean? And what should we be neutral about? Is it even possible to be neutral as a museum facilitator?Neutrality is a tricky concept and this subject is always quite a thorny one in my classes and trainings. Listen to today's new episode to find out what I recommend. LinksEPISODE WEB PAGE Download the Ultimate Thinking Routine ListSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookCurated newsletter by Claire BownEpisode 5 - The Art of FacilitationEpisode 44 - The 4 Elements of a Great IntroductionEpisode 84 - Why Inclusive Language Matters with Margaret Middleton