What is art-based learning? And how can art-based learning workshops be successful virtually?

In this episode of workshops work, I find out how we can facilitate deep insights through art and how to overcome the challenges of shifting this intimate workshop experience from a physical museum to a virtual one.

Here to answer all of my questions is Roumayne Schepers, an art-based learning facilitator at LerenVanKunst.nl. Roumayne speaks passionately about her role and reveals how she uses art-based learning to help people develop personally and build strong bonds with their teams.

Listening to her processes was fascinating, and I was especially interested to hear how she’s successfully managed to transition her workshops from in-person to a fully online experience. I hope you find this episode as eye-opening as I did and encourages you to approach art in a new and exciting way.

Find out about:

• What led Roumayne to art-based learning and why she’s considered a facilitator
• What art-based learning is and what it aims to achieve
• How participants grow, and often surprise themselves, through the learning process
• How to shift art-based learning from a museum to an online space
• How to facilitate the online transition from a personal to a group experience
• What art-based learning can bring to a team
• How to facilitate a safe space for sharing ideas
• What to bear in mind if you’re considering using art in your workshops

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Questions and Answers

[01:10] – When did you start calling yourself a facilitator?

[02:47] – How did you go from the pharmacy to the museum?

[05:44] – What does art-based learning mean?

[07:47] – What is art-based learning’s goal?

[12:26] – How do you choose the artwork?

[13:59] – How do you choose the question?

[16:25] – How does art-based learning work online?

[17:56] – How do you guide the group from a personal to a group experience?

[22:08] – Is it beneficial if learners know the artwork already? Or is it better to exclude them?

[23:18] – What is your experience transitioning from offline to online?

[27:59] – What is your strategy or your favourite exercise to create a safe space?
[30:19] – How can you find out what’s holding a participant back?

[33:00] – When you’re sharing stories, do you move as a group from artwork to artwork? 

[34:18] – How do you approach a breakout room without disrupting a potentially intimate conversation?

[35:21] – What is your role in smaller group discussions?

[36:39] – What makes a workshop fail?

[37:21] – How do you create a safe environment?

[39:29] – What would you recommend for someone who would like to use art in their workshops?

[43:35] – What is the one thing you would like listeners to take away from this episode?

[46:17] – Do you use any exercises to help the group be present before starting? 

Links

• Roumayne's website
• Free access to Roumayne's museum
• The founder of the art-based learning method

Any thoughts? Share them with us!

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