The Art Engager

Today I’m talking to Rachel Ropeik about her work. We’re talking about how we can use our bodies to react to art & the many ways in which we can incorporate movement into museum learning.Rachel Ropeik is an educator, facilitator, adventurer, experience builder and pirate who brings thoughtful, playful, and progressive approaches to catalysing change in arts and culture. She currently works independently, sharing her skills with various clients. Before going independent, Rachel’s arts education career spanned many a major art museum and travel company in New York, London, Paris, and the internet. I first heard of Rachel’s work more than 10 years ago as part of a small group of educators that I admired and followed for their innovation and experimentation in the art museum education space. In our chat today, we talk about Rachel's work past and present and the values and principles that guide her practice. We focus on why movement has been and still is such an important part of her work and how we can incorporate more movement into our programmes. Rachel shares many examples of the different ways in which she has used movement in different programmes, with different groups and artworks over the years. We talk about how we can create physical comfort and put people at ease so that we can use movement without any fear or feelings of uncomfortableness.Rachel shares tools and techniques that we use to incorporate a range of movement into the way we lead our museum programmes. And also how we can use movement ourselves as a way to become more present, aware and reflective.Finally, Rachel shares 3 amazing books that you all must read immediately. Do stay tuned for her recommendations!LINKS Support the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookRachel Ropeik on LinkedInRachel Ropeik on Instagramrachelropeik.comhttps://rachelropeik.com/connect#subscribeBooks recommended by Rachel:The Art of Gathering by Priya ParkerBe More Pirate by Sam ConniffWintering by Katherine MayBBC Radio 4 abridged version of Wintering by Katherine May: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00127f5

Today I’m talking about why I created my method Visible Thinking in the Museum (or VTM for short) and who I created it for.Why did I go and develop a new teaching method when there were plenty of methods already out there?So, today I’m sharing exactly what prompted this 11 year mission into creating a method for engaging discussions in museums around art and objects. Over the years, I have done a lot of research into other methods or strategies for discussing art and objects. So I know a lot about what other methods are out there for educators to use. From my research and experience, I've drawn key conclusions about what works well and what was lacking in existing approaches such as Visual Thinking Strategies and more.And these conclusions led me to designing my own method that contained all the elements I wanted in a teaching methodI'm sharing the two basic needs that the new method arose out of, followed by 10 reasons why I created a new approach. And some of the reasons may surprise you!LinksVTMO Beginners Course -starts 1 NovemberEpisode 62 - 7 ways to be creative with thinking routines Episode 1 - The moment when I first heard the words Visible Thinking...Episode 51 - What is Visible Thinking in the Museum? Support the Show My Friday newsletter The ™ WeeklySlow Looking Club

Today I’m so happy to be talking to Hanna Piksen about deconstructing the traditional guided tour and creating a completely new experience where guides are given free rein to design and lead the tour entirely from their own perspective. Hanna Piksen is the Head of Co-learning at Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam. This is the national museum for digital culture, design and architecture in the Netherlands. Hanna has a background in art history, art education and in collaborating with artists. She believes that the most valuable and unexpected things happen when museum education is content based, visitor focused and experiment driven. In today’s episode Hanna talks to me about the Detour Experiences that she has developed in Het Nieuwe Instituut. Detours are unlike any other guided tour you have been on. Detours are deconstructed museum tours that give their guides the flexibility to present information in a way of their choosing. Each one is specially designed from the Detour guide’s unique perspective as a musician, dancer, art teacher or designer. In this episode we talk about the innovative hiring process for their unique team, the qualities that they are looking for in a Detour guide & the unlearning that the department had to do in order to co-construct these new experiences.We explore how a Detour Experience works and the ways in which it differs from a traditional guided tour. We also chat about what benefits the guides and the audience get from these experiences and Hanna shares feedback on how they have been received. This one will open your eyes to new ways of looking at, thinking about and designing guided tours.LinksSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookHanna PiksenHet Nieuwe InstituutMore info about Detours and Detour Guides at Het Nieuwe InstituutMuseumNext article about Detour guides https://www.museumnext.com/article/overcoming-museum-fatigue-with-detour-guides/

Body language is defined as ‘the conscious and unconscious movements and postures by which attitudes and feelings are communicated’.When we talk about body language we’re talking about a wide range of human expression - such as posture, eye contact, use of space, voice, gesture, and so on.And these are signals that communicate with us nonverbally, they are ‘wordless signals’ that can be indicators of engagement.These signals are quite often done instinctively, rather than consciously too.Being both aware of and able to read these signals helps us to create connections and build rapport with our groups and thus to create engaged groups.So during this episode think about what signals you are sending to your group through your body language. Are you putting people at ease, building trust and connecting people to you by your body language? Or does your body language undermine what you’re saying or doing in the museum?And also, how can you use what I’m talking about here to better read your group and build more engagement?LinksSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookListen Like You Mean It by Ximena VengoecheaAmy Cuddy's Ted Talk

Today I'm delighted to be talking to Marina Gross Hoy about how to look, and in particular, how to look at your daily life as if you were looking at a work of art.Marina Gross Hoy is a museum studies PhD candidate and a writer. Her doctoral research at the University of Quebec in Montreal focusing on how museums develop digital projects to create engaging experiences for visitors.She has a Master's in Museology from the École du Louvre, and she has previously worked on the education team at Agence France-Museums, the French agency that supported the creation of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.Marina's writing, which is wonderful, explores how looking at daily life with the same gaze we use with art in a museum can open us up to wonder, wholehearted living, and empowerment.In today's episode, Marina shares how one evening in 2020, she realised that she would look more closely into a painting of a sunset than looking at the one right in front of her.And this led her to experimenting with what it would mean to look at her life like a work of art, using what she started calling 'the museum gaze'.In today's episode, Marina shares the main characteristics of 'the museum gaze' and how it works in practice. We discuss how observing life with the same gaze we use with art in a museum works in practice and the numerous benefits we can glean from a regular practice of looking at life in this way.LinksSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookEpisode 7 How to Develop a Daily Slow Looking PracticeMarina Gross-Hoy's websiteMarina's newsletter The Museum Gaze Marina's Instagram

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 sometimes having that knowledge can be a burden. It can weigh heavy on us. Knowing what information to share, when to share it and how to share it is tricky. How much is too much?And how can you share it in way that engages the group, energises the discussion and inspires new thinking?In today’s episode I want to shift your mindset about information. I want you to encourage you to think carefully about how you view information and how and when you share it in your programmes. I'm exploring the 6 main problems with sharing contextual information in museum programmes and providing you with a series of coaching questions to help you work out how you really feel about sharing your knowledge. I'm introducing you to my What? How? When? framework which allows you focus on knowing what information to share, and how and when to share it. I'll end by sharing my thoughts about how I genuinely feel about information. Does it help to deepen and enrich experiences in the museum or does it hinder personal discoveries? Find out in today's episode.LinksEpisode 12 Best Practices for Sharing InformationSupport the Show https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngagerJoin our free community for the podcast The Slow Looking Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/slowlookingclub/

Most of us think we’re good listeners. But are we really? What does it mean to be an active listener in an art discussion, guided tour or educational programme in the museum? Listening is one of the most important skills in our toolbox. But few of us know how to really listen. It's just not something we're taught. It requires both time and practise to develop effective listening skills. And it’s a challenge - when we’re listening our minds naturally tend to wander and our concentration can come and go..Listening is an essential skill for us - without active listening, discussions remain on the surface level without truly engaging all the participants.Today's episode will help you to work on your listening skills. First I'm exploring the 4 different levels of listening.Then I'm sharing 7 tips with you to improve your active listening skills and help you to choose the right level of listening for when you’re communicating with others.Share this one widely - listening is one of the keys to a better society!LinksSupport the ShowFind out more about my bookJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on Facebook

Today I’m so happy to be talking to Richa Mehta about her work. We’re talking about what a mindful museum is, museum-based art therapy and how art can support the development and exploration of identity and connectionRicha Mehta is a certified art therapist and educator working as a museum education and wellness professional at the Louvre Abu Dhabi.Richa believes that the museum space can be more accessible to marginalised community members, through implementing museum-based wellness and art therapy programming and resources,.In today’s episode we talk about her journey from the classroom to the museum and her recent studies in art therapy.We discuss the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s journey to being a Mindful Museum and what this means for the staff and for the visitors, the collection and the museum space itself.We explore what museum-based art therapy is and how it might work in practice. Richa shares a model of how she views museum-based art-therapy and an adaptation of See Think Wonder that could be used for these sessions. We also chat about how an art therapist would work with any strong emotions that came up in the museum environment.And finally we talk about how being a third culture kid, and her cultural identity and background has influenced her practice and work today.So here is our chat - enjoy!LinksSupport the ShowJoin the Slow Looking Club Community on FacebookRicha MehtaArticle for the Canadian Art Therapy Association https://www.canadianarttherapy.org/envisage/envisage-spring-2022-mehtaLouvre Abu DhabiLouvre Abu Dhabi’s A Mindful Museum - https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/about-us/a-mindful-museumMindful Art Moments - https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/en/Whats-Online/mindful-art-momentsReflect & Express - https://www.louvreabudhabi.ae/learning-resources/the-arts-for-health-and-wellbeing/en/reflect-and-express.html 

I don’t really like big lists of ‘good’ or ‘great’ questions - for example, 50 questions to ask about art. These lists are OK for a quick source of inspiration or for a boost now and again, but it’s the list part that I don’t like - you’re not going to be carrying around a list with you in the museum. Instead it’s much better to work on your questioning technique⁠ with exercises and experimentation rather than trying to memorise or use big lists of questions. Working on your technique yourself will help you to phrase questions better in the moment, instinctively and naturally. And this will always work better than parrot-phrasing a question you read on a list. But there are some questions that I think are worth remembering. And these are the types of questions that have a really powerful effect when they are asked. So today I’m sharing 4 simple questions that will supercharge your art experiences.These are questions that can be used at any moment during your experience or guided tour to great effect. I’ve chosen questions that work for me time after time with all sorts of different groups, different artworks or objects, different types of museums and different situations. These are universally powerful questions - listen to episode 64 to find out what questions I've chosen!LinksSupport the ShowSlow Looking ClubThe 5 Golden Rules for Asking Brilliant Questions⁠ (Episode 4)10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Asking Questions (Episode 10)How to use artworks to improve your questioning skills (Episode 15)Quick ways to improve your questioning technique (Episode 36) ‘Bad’ questions - questions to avoid in your art experiences (Episode 48) Autumn Effect at Argenteuil (1873), Claude Monet, Courtauld Gallery, London, UK, Public Domain https://courtauld.ac.uk/highlights/autumn-effect-at-argenteuil/Reyhan Hassanzadeh (2004) from the series: Terrorist, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, NLhttps://khosrow-hassanzadeh.com/project/terrorist-paintings-03/

 In an age where the average person checks their phone at least 85 times a day, our inundated brains are slowing down. ⁠ ⁠We need to retrain ourselves to get better at sustained attention. And to learn to appreciate the benefits of it too.⁠ ⁠Spending time slow looking offers refuge from the rush and time to slow down and see the details. It’s the opposite of scanning and scrolling.“Always-on” behaviour is about being in a constant state of alertness without giving our full focus to anything. Slow looking is a wonderful alternative to life in the fast lane.The 4 activities I'll be sharing here 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. You can do these activities with art, objects or with nature. You don’t have to be in a museum to do slow looking. They are designed to work in a range of environments, outside and inside.I hope they will contribute to a wonderful summer. Let’s get started! And don’t forget to share what you get up to on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #summerslowlookingLinksSupport the ShowOur Facebook Group - The Slow Looking ClubOther recommended episodes on slow looking: Episode 2 - What is Slow Looking (and how do I get started?)Episode 7 - How to Develop a Daily Slow Looking PracticeEpisode 25 - 3 Thinking Routines for Slow Looking and DrawingEpisode 41 - 12 Reasons to Get Started with Slow LookingEpisode 56 - Learning to Love 'Boring' Objects through Slow Looking