Today I’m sharing 5 different thinking routines that you can use to compare, contrast and make connections. I’m exploring how you can use these thinking routines to create engaging discussions with art, objects and ideas. 

I'll look first at what comparing & contrasting is and why it’s important.  Then I'm sharing some ideas for things you might want to compare and contrast, before sharing different ways to look at similarities and differences.

Then I'm sharing 5 thinking routines help us to make thoughtful and purposeful comparisons. 

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Curated newsletter by Claire Bown

Episode 8 How to use ‘See Think Me We’ thinking routine to create personal and community connections with artworks

I’ve recently lost my voice so I’m taking some time to recover this week and sharing an episode from the back catalogue. 

Today I'm revisiting an episode about to survive tumbleweed moments. This episode first aired in Oct 2021.

It takes a deep dive into what a tumbleweed moment is and how to get over one when it happens.

I'm also exploring 7 ways to avoid one in the first place. 

A tumbleweed moment is a moment of silence or dead air. It can happen when you ask a question and you don’t get a response. 

Tumbleweed moments happen to all of us - whether we are seasoned pros or just starting out.

Everyone gets them. 

This is also something that comes up time and time again when I do trainings. I always get asked the question, ‘But what if no-one says anything?’

So this is the ultimate guide. First I'm sharing some handy steps to work though to help you get over any tumbleweed moments you face. And at the end as I’ll share 7 ways to avoid one in the first place. 

LINKS

Original Episode: Episode 23 How to Get Over a Tumbleweed Moment (And Avoid One in the Future)

Episode 44 The 4 Elements of a Great Introduction

Episode 10 10 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Asking Questions

Episode 36 Quick ways to improve your questioning technique

Episode 42 How to Read a Group

Episode 69 How to Use Body Language to Create Engagement

Today I’m talking about how we can get ourselves into our best state - our most resourceful state - for when we show up to facilitate art discussions, tours, programmes or lessons. And sharing 8 different ways for you to turn up at your best!

How you show up is important.

Whether you’re leading a tour, teaching an educational programme, teaching a lesson in a classroom or facilitating a training.

You want to make sure that when you arrive, you’re in the best state possible. 

This is something that we can all strive for in whatever people-facing commitments we may have - that we are calm, ready and clear to do our work in the best way we can.

In the coaching certification that I’ve been studying for over the past year we’ve been talking about how to show up in a resourceful state.

In today's episode, I'll explain what this means and suggest 8 different ways to get yourself into a resourceful state before every tour, programme or session that you lead.

Links

Support the Show

Join the Slow Looking Club Community on Facebook

Download the NEW resource - How to Look at Art (Slowly)

Curated newsletter by Claire Bown

Episode 69 How to Use Body Language to Create Engagement

Episode 52 From Good to Great: How to Develop and Grow Personally as an Educator

'Everyday NLP' written by Florence Madden & Eleni Sarantinou - a really good read if you'd like an accessible introduction to NLP https://florencemadden.co.uk/the-story-of-everyday-nlp/

Stephen Gilligan and Robert Dilts Generative Coaching: Coach vs Crash state

I’m really happy to be talking to Dr Alex Woodall about her wonderful work with objects. We’re talking about how the joys of working with objects creatively. We’re exploring how you can use objects to spark all sorts of connections, associations and fun in the museum and beyond…

Dr Alex Woodall is a museum professional and academic, inspired by the creative use of objects and rummaging in stores. 

She has 20 years’ experience working in learning, interpretation and exhibition management and leadership roles, including at Sheffield Museums, Manchester Art Gallery, the Royal Armouries in Leeds and the Sainsbury Centre at the University of East Anglia. 

She is currently Programme Director for the Postgraduate Creative and Cultural Industries Management degree at the University of Sheffield, where she teaches a large international cohort about museum management. 

In our chat today, we talk about the joys of working with objects creatively. Alex shares how her love for objects started when she was very small rummaging through her dad’s ‘museum’ full of amazing finds that he’d dug up in the garden - rocks and fossils and clay pipes and so on. And how that developed into a career-long fascination with all kinds of objects.

We talk about what objects do, ​​ how we can use them and what we can get out of working with objects.

Alex tells us what an object dialogue box is and how you can use objects to spark all sorts of connections, associations and fun in the museum. She takes us through a wonderful activity that I did with her at the ICOM CECA conference in Denmark recently that helps us to notice more details and find stuff in museums that we would normally overlook. 

We also talk about how we can use objects to inspire more creativity and imagination organisations in for example meetings, in teams, programming, brainstorming etc. And she shares two wonderful books to read if you’re as fascinated by objects as we both are. 

This is a delightful chat about creating joyful engaging experiences with objects -Enjoy!

HOW TO LOOK AT ART (SLOWLY) - a free guide for looking with 30+ activities!

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www.alexwoodall.co.uk

Alex Woodall on Twitter

https://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/

Karl and Kimberley Foster - Object Dialogue Boxes https://www.sorhed.com/

http://www.marymaryquitecontrary.org.uk/

Books mentioned:

Sandra Dudley (2010) Museum Materialities: https://www.routledge.com/Museum-Materialities-Objects-Engagements-Interpretations/Dudley/p/book/9780415492188

Pablo Neruda (1994) Odes to Common Things: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Common-Things-First-Pablo-Neruda/dp/B0058WGC84

Written by Alex Woodall: 

• Woodall A (2020) 'Storehouses of Unimagined Treasures': Delightful Rummaging and Artists' Responses to 'Unloved' Collections In Woodham A, Hess A & Smith R (Ed.), Emotion, Care, and Engagement in Museums: Interventions in Unloved Collections Arc Humanities Press View this article in WRRO
• Woodall A (2015) Rummaging as a Strategy for Creative Thinking and Imaginative Engagement in Higher Education In Chatterjee H & Hannan L (Ed.), Engaging the Senses: Object-Based Learning in Higher Education (pp. 133-155). Surrey: Ashgate. View this article in WRRO
• Woodall A (2015) Object Dialogue Boxes and Unknowing In Farnell G (Ed.), Interpreting the Art Museum (pp. 366-377). MuseumsEtc 

We’ve reached another milestone and in honour of 75 episodes, I’m releasing a new FREE resource today.

How to Look at Art (Slowly) shares 30+ different ways that you can look at art or objects in museums.

In today’s special episode I’m talking you through some of these different ways of looking slowly. 

I'll share why it's important to slow down and look carefully, before explaining the 4 sections of the guide: Static Looking, Movement, Observation by Drawing, Observation by Writing and Viewfinders.

How to Look at Art (Slowly) is a resource that can be used by anyone.

Whether you’re going to a museum alone and would like some strategies for looking, or if you’re visiting with a friend and are on the lookout for some new ways to engage with what you’re seeing.

Likewise, if you’re an educator or guide, you can use these activities with your groups. All of the activities are coded as either solo or group activities.

These simple activities offer a framework and tools for looking at art and objects for longer.

Choose a variety of different ways to look as you move around the museum. You may want to choose activities that appeal to you or you might want to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. All of the activities will help you to see more. 

Download this free guide via the link below and then listen to the episode!

LINKS

HOW TO LOOK AT ART (SLOWLY) - a free guide for looking with 30+ activities!

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Today I’m chatting to Ben Street about his new book 'How to Enjoy Art: A Guide for Everyone'. We’re talking about how we can enjoy art without needing to know anything about it.

Ben Street is an author, educator and art historian. He’s also been a school teacher and museum educator. He’s a writer of interpretation for museums and exhibitions and a writer of art criticism. He’s an academic and he writes books - “How to Enjoy Art: A Guide for Everyone” (Yale) and “How to be an Art Rebel” (Thames and Hudson) are out now.

In our chat today, we talk about the values that guide Ben’s work and how he’s passionate about us all being able to enjoy art without needing any specialist knowledge. 

We talk about slow looking and open questioning and how we can approach art with the tools we already have within us. 

We focus on why looking is so important to the art experience, we explore ways in which we can look for longer and we talk about how scale and space affects how we relate to art. 

We discuss why we rarely feel we need to read about a piece of music before we listen to it, but with art, we feel we need to know something about it to look at it. And that artworks come ‘wrapped in text’ before we can even get to them. Why is this? How has this come about?

This chat is jam-packed with ideas and inspiration for you. Here’s my chat with Ben. Enjoy!

LINKS

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Ben Street -

Website

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Books - How to Enjoy Art; How to be an Art Rebel

Today’s episode follows on from a popular post I wrote on social media recently about how to talk about the recent climate activist protests in art museums with your participants.  I wanted to take the opportunity to explore the subject in a bit more detail here. 

Art has been hitting the headlines recently with numerous climate activist protests targeting famous paintings in museums - from Van Gogh’s 'Sunflowers' in the National Gallery in London, to Monet’s 'Grainstacks' in Potsdam and Vermeer's 'Girl with a Pearl Earring' in the Mauritshuis in The Hague.

Now, whatever your views about these attacks - and I’m acknowledging here that there are very passionate views on all sides - as educators, how we respond is equally important. 

Whether you’re working with groups in the museum or with students in a classroom, people will mention recent events and will want to talk about it. They may even ask you for your opinions

So, in today's episode we'll explore how these events are an opportunity to engage in perspective-taking and discussion with visitors, rather than voicing our own opinions.

It means listening to a range of perspectives and keeping an open mind, creating discussion with visitors and inviting them to explore and even understand the different perspectives involved. 

But, importantly, you have to feel comfortable creating conversations about contentious issues such as these and know that you will be able to facilitate objectively. 

So, first I’ll talk about the kinds of discussions you could facilitate around this subject and will share a range of thinking routines and questions that you can use to create conversations.

And secondly, I’ll take you through a super-useful exercise that will help you to get to know yourself and your feelings better - this is an exercise that will ultimately help you to facilitate subjects around all kinds of sensitive and contentious topics.

There are lots of resources associated with today's episode too, including a free PDF summary sheet - and I've shared all the helpful links below.

LINKS

Download the summary sheet of today's episode - Resources for talking about contentious issues (free PDF)

6 thinking routines for perspective-taking (free PDF)

Episode 11 Step Inside: Thinking Routines to Foster Perspective-Taking

Episode 43 Tips for facilitating meaningful discussions around sensitive subjects

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My Friday newsletter

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!

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Rachel Ropeik on LinkedIn

Rachel Ropeik on Instagram

rachelropeik.com

https://rachelropeik.com/connect#subscribe

Books recommended by Rachel:

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

Be More Pirate by Sam Conniff

Wintering by Katherine May

BBC 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 method

I'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!

Links

VTMO Beginners Course -starts 1 November

Episode 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?

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My Friday newsletter The ™ Weekly

Slow 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.

Links

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Hanna Piksen

Het Nieuwe Instituut

More info about Detours and Detour Guides at Het Nieuwe Instituut

MuseumNext article about Detour guides https://www.museumnext.com/article/overcoming-museum-fatigue-with-detour-guides/