The Art Engager Claire Bown

For the next few weeks I’m choosing my favourite episodes from the back catalogue of the podcast. With 100 episodes to now choose from, I’m taking this opportunity to revisit some of the episodes I’ve most enjoyed putting together. 
Today's choice is all about curiosity. This was a really popular episode back in February 2022 when it was first published and was the first of two episodes about the subject. In this episode I’m talking about how you can cultivate curiosity with your groups.
This episode talks about what curiosity is and why it matters. Then I'm sharing 3 key ways you can cultivate curiosity in your museum and gallery programmes. How can we really ensure that we are doing all we can to provoke curiosity and wonder amongst the participants on our tours and programmes?
Links
Episode Web Page
Support the Show 
Episode 39 - How to Stay Curious in your Practice
Ian Leslie's book Curious
My book is out in September - Slow Looking at Art: The Visible Thinking in the Museum Approach
Download my free Slow Art Guide
Download the Ultimate Thinking Routine List
Download the free guide - how to look at art (slowly)
Join the Slow Looking Club Community on Facebook
Curated newsletter by Claire Bown

In this special 100th episode of The Art Engager podcast, I'm chatting to educator, researcher, author, and speaker Dr Ron Ritchhart.
Ron Ritchhart is an award-winning educational researcher, retired Senior Research Associate at Harvard Project Zero and current Fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
His research is focused on developing intellectual character, making thinking visible, and enhancing school and classroom culture to promote deep learning. He is the author of the bestselling books Making Thinking Visible, The Power of Making Thinking Visible, and Creating Cultures of Thinking.
Ron's research and writings have informed the work of schools, teachers, museum and museum educators throughout the world. Making Thinking Visible, from 2011, with Karin Morrison and Mark Church popularised the use of thinking routines to facilitate deep learning and high engagement. 
The follow up book The Power of Making Thinking Visible, introduced a new set of routines and shared what has been learned so far about successfully integrating thinking routines as a powerful teaching tool. 
I’ve written and spoken about the first time I heard the words Visible Thinking and making thinking visible on the very first episode of this podcast so it seemed fitting to interview Ron for the 100th episode. I’ve also talked about how Ron’s article ‘Cultivating a Culture of Thinking in the Museum in the Journal of Museum Education had a huge impact on me and on my first educational programme to use thinking routines in 2011. So to speak to Ron today was a bit of a ‘pinch-me’ moment.
In this interview, we discuss:
what making thinking visible is and the difference between 'visible' and 'visual' thinking. what strategies we might use to make thinking visible and the transformative impact it has on learning and engagementhow we can cultivate a culture of thinking in museums through the eight cultural forces that shape group culture and how they can create an environment where thinking is valued, visible, and actively promoted in museum settings.The power of thinking routines as structures to support and guide thinking in museums, and how they work in synergy with other practicesthe importance of finding your "why" in teaching and facilitating
Thank you to Ron Ritchhart for being a guest on the podcast. Ron’s new book, "Cultures of Thinking in Action," is out in June 2023.
Links
EPISODE WEB PAGE (TRANSCRIPT)
Support the Show
My book is out in September - Slow Looking at Art: The Visible Thinking in the Museum Approach
Download my free Slow Art Guide
Download the Ultimate Thinking Routine List
Download the free guide - how to look at art (slowly)
Join the Slow Looking Club Community on Facebook
Curated newsletter by Claire Bown
Dr Ron Ritchhart links:
Ron's a...

Welcome to episode 99, where I'm diving into the concept of pacing in museum and gallery programmes, with a particular focus on the idea that "less is more."
Pacing directly influences the participant experience. A well-paced programme ensures that your participants stay engaged, attentive and receptive throughout their journey. 
By carefully managing the rhythm and flow of stops, activities and information, we can create a balance that keeps our participants engaged without overwhelming or exhausting them.
"Less is more" is a guiding principle that encourages us to intentionally selecting and presenting a smaller quantity of content, activities, or object, so that we can create more impactful and meaningful experiences for visitors. In this episode, I'll share how this can be achieved by:
Streamlining content with a carefully curated selection of objects or artworks.Being selective, intentional, and thoughtful in programme design Incorporating different pacesAllowing time for participants to engageCustomizing and adjusting pacing in the spur of the momentEmphasizing quality over quantity
Find out why pacing matters and how you can apply the principle of "less is more" in your own programmes to create a more focused and engaged experience for your participants.
Links
Support the Show
My book is out in September - Slow Looking at Art: The Visible Thinking in the Museum Approach
Download my free Slow Art Guide
Download the Ultimate Thinking Routine List
Download the free guide - how to look at art (slowly)
Join the Slow Looking Club Community on Facebook
Curated newsletter by Claire Bown
Episodes mentioned in today's episode:
Episode 98 Radio Bart: Exploring Art with Blind Mediators
Episode 42 How to Read a Group
Episode 69 How to use body language to create engagement
Episode 95 How silence is a superpower in museum and gallery programmes
Episode 96 7 Ways to Make Time and Space for Silence
Episode 29 How to Develop a Reflective Practice

Welcome to a new episode of The Art Engager podcast, hosted by Claire Bown. In this week's edition, we dive into the extraordinary world of Radio Bart, a unique audience engagement programme at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp.
Joining me are two guests from the museum's Audience Engagement team: An van Hertum and Bart van Peer.
What is Radio Bart?
Radio Bart is a groundbreaking programme where visitors engage in conversations about art with blind mediators. A mobile studio moves through the museum, inviting anyone to join the hosts for a chat in front of selected paintings. Through these dialogues, participants observe, describe, and reflect on the artwork, uncovering deeper meaning and fostering a unique experience.
An and Bart share how Radio Bart started, how it works, and the profound effects it has on participants. They also discuss the training and skills provided to the mediators, ensuring meaningful interactions.
Don't miss this episode as we delve into the transformative power of Radio Bart. Tune in and discover a whole new way to experience and connect with art. Enjoy!
Links
Download the Ultimate Thinking Routine List
Support the Show
Join the Slow Looking Club Community on Facebook
Curated newsletter by Claire Bown
VTMO Course - VTMO Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Courses start in September, October and November 2023 respectively.
Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp (KMSKA) https://kmska.be/en
Radio Bart https://kmska.be/en/event/radio-bart
Radio Bart email radiobart@kmska.be

In this week's episode we're exploring an innovative project at the National Civil War Centre in Newark developing creative writing skills through art and using thinking routines in really innovative ways.
The visual literacy Collect Connect Create project was developed to raise self-esteem, self-efficacy and motivation for year 10 pupils (14-15 year olds)  who had struggled with disrupted learning during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The longer-term aim was that young people would develop the skills, knowledge and experience to raise their attainment in their English exams, having the confidence to write a “convincing and compelling” piece of fiction, using extensive and ambitious vocabulary and demonstrating the use of different language techniques.
Denise explores the key features of the programme, how it worked for students and the collaboration they had with writer-in-residence, Ioney Smallhorne.. 
Then we focus on the thinking routines that they used in the programme and specifically the thinking routines that they created for it, such as Look List Lose and Shapescape. They also creatively adapted thinking routines that they had learned with me on my VTMO course.
We talk about how the thinking routines offered tools to the students to assist them with their writing, how they helped them learn how to look as well as write, how they gave them a framework for organising their thinking and were a launchpad to writing. 
If you’re interested or curious about incorporating thinking routines into an educational programme at your museum or using art as a prompt for creative writing, then this episode is for you. If you’re interested in creating your own thinking routines, listen in too!
Links
Download the Ultimate Thinking Routine List
Support the Show
Join the Slow Looking Club Community on Facebook
Curated newsletter by Claire Bown
VTMO Course - VTMO Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced Courses start in September, October and November 2023 respectively.
Collect Connect Create Project Resources https://www.maxliteracy.org/case-studies/newark-museum/ Pocket Prompts PDF can be found in the Lesson 1 folder.
Denise Greany on LinkedIn
Sarah Clarke on LinkedIn
Ioney Smallhorne website

So following on from last week's episode, talking about the benefits of some silence in your museum and gallery programmes. This week I'm sharing how to do it.
A little bit of silence in your programmes can benefit both you as the facilitator and the audience by promoting reflection, active listening, observation, engagement, and flexibility.
It contributes to a more meaningful and effective experience for all involved. So how can we create more opportunities for silence in our museum and gallery programmes?
Here are 7 easy ways to make time and space for silence.
Links
30+ ways to look at art slowly
Download my free Slow Art Guide
Download the Ultimate Thinking Routine List
Support the Show
Join the Slow Looking Club Community on Facebook
Curated newsletter by Claire Bown
Episodes mentioned in today's show:
Episode 25 3 Thinking Routines for Slow Looking and Drawing
Episode 29 How to Develop a Reflective Practice
Episode 42 How to Read A Group
Episode 44 The 4 Elements of a Great Introduction
Episode 49 Inspiring Creative Writing Through Art with Mary Hall Surface
Episode 61 How mindfulness and drawing can help us to connect with art
Episode 66 7 Ways to Improve your Active Listening Skills