The Art Engager

• How to Create Meaningful Museum Engagement: 10 Best Practices from 150 Episodes

  After 150 episodes exploring engagement in museums and cultural organisations – including 101 solo episodes and 49 guest conversations – host Claire Bown shares 10 of the most powerful insights that have emerged over four years of thinking deeply about engagement principles and practices.For this milestone episode, Claire revisited the entire back catalogue, re-listening to past episodes and looking for patterns. What she found were 10 essential insights about engagement that can shift how we think, plan, and work in museums today.What comes through again and again is the power of simple, intentional adjustments. These are practical strategies you can try out straight away.Four years and 150 episodes of exploring what really works in museum engagement – distilled into 10 essential principles for anyone working in museum and heritage education.SHOWNOTESEvery single episode of The Art Engager podcast webpage: https://thinkingmuseum.com/every-single-episode-of-the-art-engager-podcast/‘The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums‘ is now available worldwide through your favourite online platforms and retailers. Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengagerThe Art Engager book website: https://www.theartengager.com/Support the show with a simple monthly subscription on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngagerMake a one-off donation: https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebownAll of the mentioned episodes:149 Art, Play and Joy at Compton Verney with Geraldine Collinge144 6 ways to create powerful connections in museum experiences137 How to use The Universal Questioning Practice136 What are Questioning Practices?131 Stimulating the senses: using smell to engage visitors with Sofia Collette Ehrich130 The power of inquiry, curiosity and questioning with Trevor MacKenzie125

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• Art, Play and Joy at Compton Verney with Geraldine Collinge

  In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Geraldine Collinge, Chief Executive at Compton Verney, about their bold approach to creating genuinely engaging cultural spaces through play, accessibility and joy.Geraldine shares how this unique 'art space in a park' in Warwickshire brings together a historic Robert Adam mansion, 120 acres of Capability Brown landscape, and six distinctive collections ranging from Chinese bronzes to British folk art. She explains how Compton Verney's core values - particularly their inclusion of 'fun' - guide everything from exhibition design to community engagement initiatives.Listen to discover their multisensory approach to gallery spaces that incorporates touch, smell and sound, doubling visitor numbers to their Naples collection. Learn about their 'play first' philosophy that encourages visitors of all ages to engage meaningfully with art through creative exploration, and hear about their 97% discounted community passes that are breaking down barriers to access. Geraldine also shares insights into how they're connecting art and nature through immersive experiences like 'Breathing with the Forest,' creating what she describes as a restorative experience that ultimately delivers on their promise: giving visitors 'a day full of joy.'The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown. Support the show on Patreon and find more resources at thinkingmuseum.comSHOWNOTES https://www.comptonverney.org.uk/Breathing with the Forest (now closed) - https://www.comptonverney.org.uk/whats-on/breathing-with-the-forest/What we do - https://www.comptonverney.org.uk/our-story/what-we-do/Geraldine Collinge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldinecollinge/ ‘The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums‘ is now available worldwide through your favourite online platforms and retailers. Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengagerThe Art Engager book website: https://www.theartengager.com/Support the show with a simple monthly subscription on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngager

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• How to create active engagement on guided experiences

  In this 4th birthday episode of The Art Engager, host Claire Bown explores what active engagement really means and why it matters so much for creating meaningful guided experiences. She addresses what many educators struggle with – we know visitors learn better when actively participating, but how do we consistently make this happen in our daily practice?How can we move beyond knowing that active participation matters to actually implementing it day after day? What practical techniques make the difference between visitors following along and truly engaging?In this episode, Claire explores:Why traditional approaches often lead to disengagement (despite focusing on collection highlights)The spectrum from passive to active The fundamental mindset change required to create active experiencesHow to make your introductions more activeHow to transform questioning from testing knowledge to sparking genuine connection, and meaning-makingWays to use movement and positioning as powerful tools for engagement rather than defaulting to "follow the leader"Simple strategies to move beyond the 'hub and spoke' model and foster direct participant-to-participant interactionHow to share information in a responsive and adaptable way that offers multiple pathways into the core ideas.How to create active closings to help visitors reflect, connect, and carry something forward.The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown. Support the show on Patreon.Show notes‘The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums‘ is now available worldwide through your favourite online platforms and retailers. Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengagerThe Art Engager book website: https://www.theartengager.com/Support the show with a simple monthly subscription on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngager

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• She Shapes History: Building Community Through Women's History Tours with Sita Sargeant

  In this episode of The Art Engager podcast, host Claire Bown talks with Sita Sargeant, founder and self-described 'Chief Troublemaker' at She Shapes History, a trailblazing Australian company on a mission. What began as weekly walks in Canberra has grown into a thriving social enterprise with nationwide expansion plans for their women-focused history tours.In today's conversation, Sita shares her people-centred approach to guide hiring and training, and how she builds community around a cause rather than just history. She offers valuable insights on designing experiences for specific audiences, creating consistent brand voice across all touchpoints, and using creative approaches such as post-tour feedback surveys to continuously improve quality and support guides.Useful for anyone leading museum tours, developing visitor experiences, or passionate about making history more engaging and accessible. Sita's practical wisdom and enthusiasm will change how you think about connecting audiences with stories that matter. Enjoy!The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown. Support the show on Patreon.SHOWNOTESSUPPORT THE SHOW with a simple monthly subscription on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngagerShe Shapes History website: https://sheshapeshistory.com.au/She Shapes History Book: https://sheshapeshistory.com.au/she-shapes-history-guided-walks-and-stories-about-great-australian-women/Instagram She Shapes History: https://www.instagram.com/sheshapeshistory/Sita Sargeant LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sita-sargeant/‘The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums‘ is now available worldwide through your favourite online platforms and retailers. Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengagerThe Art Engager book website: https://www.theartengager.com/

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• Slow looking in sacred spaces: Antwerp's church-based Slow Art Day movement

  In this episode, host Claire Bown talks with Tonia Dhaese and Armand Storck about the church-based Slow Art Day movement in Antwerp. We explore why churches provide ideal settings for slow looking and how the architecture, lighting, and atmosphere naturally encourage contemplation.For Slow Art Day 2025 (April 5), listeners will learn about events across four Antwerp churches, including St. Paul's exhibition featuring masterpieces by Rubens and Van Dyck displayed at eye level - a rare opportunity to get up close with artworks normally hung four metres high. Tonia and Armand share practical advice for churches interested in joining the movement, emphasising the importance of training guides to facilitate rather than lecture, maintaining flexibility in approaches, and creating inclusive experiences where no prior knowledge is required. Whether you're interested in slow looking techniques or considering how your own church might participate in Slow Art Day, this conversation offers lots of new insights into creating meaningful art experiences in sacred spaces.The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown. Support the show on Patreon and find more resources at thinkingmuseum.comSHOWNOTESSUPPORT THE SHOW with a simple monthly subscription on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngagerMKA website: https://mkantwerpen.be/St Paul's Church (Sint Paulus Kerk) Antwerp: https://www.sintpaulusantwerpen.be/en/Tonia Dhaese, Coordinator of Monumental Churches Antwerp (MKA), Tonia.Dhaese@antwerpen.beAntwerp’s Church-Based Slow Art Day Movement - https://www.slowartday.com/antwerps-church-based-slow-art-day-movement/‘The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums‘ is now available worldwide through your favourite online platforms and retailers. Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengagerThe Art Engager book website: https://www.theartengager.com/

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