Episode 150

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.

SHOWNOTES

Every 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/buytheartengager

The Art Engager book website: https://www.theartengager.com/

Support the show with a simple monthly subscription on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngager

Make a one-off donation: https://buymeacoffee.com/clairebown

All of the mentioned episodes:

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

144 6 ways to create powerful connections in museum experiences

137 How to use The Universal Questioning Practice

136 What are Questioning Practices?

131 Stimulating the senses: using smell to engage visitors with Sofia Collette Ehrich

130 The power of inquiry, curiosity and questioning with Trevor MacKenzie

125 How to build rapport in museum and gallery programmes

99 Striking the right pace in museum programmes: less is more

96 7 Ways to Make Time and Space for Silence

95 How silence is a superpower in museum and gallery programmes

90 How to Create Intellectual Comfort

87 How to ask more open-ended questions

81 7 Ways to Refresh your Practice in 2023

72 Reacting to art with our bodies with Rachel Ropeik

61 How mindfulness and drawing can help us to connect with art with Karly Allen

57 Bitesize: How to End Well – Creating a Strong Conclusion for your Programmes

52 From Good to Great: Personal Growth & Development for Museum Educators

49 Inspiring Creative Writing Through Art with Mary Hall Surface

44 The 4 elements of a great introduction

29 How to develop a reflective practice

12 6 Best Practices for Sharing Information

Transcript
Claire Bown:

Hello and welcome to the Art Engager podcast with me, Claire Bown.

Claire Bown:

I'm here to share techniques and tools to help you engage with your audience

Claire Bown:

and bring art objects and ideas to life.

Claire Bown:

So let's dive into this week's show.

Claire Bown:

Hello, and welcome to a very special episode of The Art Engager.

Claire Bown:

I'm Claire Bown, and today we are celebrating a real

Claire Bown:

milestone, our 150th episode.

Claire Bown:

Now before that, in the last episode, I spoke with Geraldine Collinge, Chief

Claire Bown:

Executive at Compton Verney, a unique art space in a park located in the uk.

Claire Bown:

We explored how they're re-imagining art engagement by putting values,

Claire Bown:

like fun, inclusivity and boldness at the heart of everything they do, we

Claire Bown:

talked about their play first approach and their multisensory exhibition

Claire Bown:

that has doubled visitor numbers.

Claire Bown:

So if you missed it, do go back and listen to episode 1, 4, 9.

Claire Bown:

And speaking of reimagining, many of the ideas that we explore on this podcast are

Claire Bown:

also featured in my book, The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums.

Claire Bown:

Now, if you haven't got your copy yet, you can find it on your

Claire Bown:

favorite online retailers or order it through your local bookstore.

Claire Bown:

And if you've enjoyed it, please do leave a review as it really helps other museum

Claire Bown:

professionals discover these ideas.

Claire Bown:

So let's get on with today's show.

Claire Bown:

Now over the course of the last 150 episodes, we've explored so many

Claire Bown:

different aspects of creating meaningful engagement in museums and cultural

Claire Bown:

spaces, and today I'm sharing 10 insights about engagement that have emerged

Claire Bown:

organically over the last four years.

Claire Bown:

I've combed through the whole list of episodes and re-listened to lots of solo

Claire Bown:

episodes and guest conversations too.

Claire Bown:

So let's get started with engagement insight number one, engagement

Claire Bown:

begins with observation and noticing.

Claire Bown:

So in today's world, we've unfortunately become accustomed

Claire Bown:

to superficial observation.

Claire Bown:

Our attention is fragmented and disrupted by technology.

Claire Bown:

We scan, we skim and we scroll, and we are accustomed to observing in a passive way.

Claire Bown:

And in doing so, we are missing the subtleties and details that enrich

Claire Bown:

our understanding of our surroundings.

Claire Bown:

So in our guided experiences, we can offer opportunities for

Claire Bown:

participants to observe, notice, and deeply engage with art and objects.

Claire Bown:

We can encourage and cultivate a heightened awareness and attention

Claire Bown:

to detail using all of the senses to connect with what we are looking at,

Claire Bown:

and we can use these observations and insights as the basis for all discovery.

Claire Bown:

And so observation and noticing have played such a key role in

Claire Bown:

the most engaging discussions I've facilitated over the years.

Claire Bown:

Without noticing details, there is no shared discovery.

Claire Bown:

So by encouraging participants to observe and describe the details

Claire Bown:

of an artwork or an object, you are laying the foundation for deeper

Claire Bown:

interpretation and critical thinking.

Claire Bown:

Objects don't share all their secrets at first glance.

Claire Bown:

And different layers of meaning and nuance are revealed during

Claire Bown:

sustained observation and noticing.

Claire Bown:

So if I was only allowed to give you one piece of advice, this would be the one

Claire Bown:

that I would choose over and over again.

Claire Bown:

This is the easiest, most straightforward and most useful

Claire Bown:

piece of engagement advice ever.

Claire Bown:

Engagement begins with observation and noticing.

Claire Bown:

So let's go to insight number two.

Claire Bown:

Not all questions are created equal.

Claire Bown:

So if you ask any museum educator about engagement, they'll mention

Claire Bown:

questions, they'll say that asking good questions is the cornerstone

Claire Bown:

of any engaging museum program.

Claire Bown:

But there's more to it than you might think.

Claire Bown:

So if you have a good questioning technique and you ask well

Claire Bown:

worded, thoughtful questions, you can instantly engage people.

Claire Bown:

You can provoke their curiosity.

Claire Bown:

You can find out what they already know, and you can make

Claire Bown:

your programs more interactive.

Claire Bown:

That's all good.

Claire Bown:

But on the other hand, questions can also work against you.

Claire Bown:

So I've been fascinated by questions for years and have devoted many

Claire Bown:

episodes to the subject here.

Claire Bown:

It's actually about 8% of the 150 episodes on this subject of questioning.

Claire Bown:

And I keep returning to this topic because I know that questions, alongside the

Claire Bown:

other seven practices that I talk about, can transform an entire experience.

Claire Bown:

So when we're intentional about our questions, we create better

Claire Bown:

conditions for meaningful experiences.

Claire Bown:

But in reality, few of us are actually trained or receive training in

Claire Bown:

creating and sequencing questions.

Claire Bown:

Using questions in an organized way, gradually building each question

Claire Bown:

on the previous one is essential in a balanced discussion, but

Claire Bown:

it's a difficult skill to master.

Claire Bown:

Which is why I spent a long time developing a repertoire of

Claire Bown:

Questioning Practices designed specifically for museum educators.

Claire Bown:

So questioning practices are structures to actively and

Claire Bown:

intentionally support question use.

Claire Bown:

They also foster, participate participation and engagement

Claire Bown:

on your guided experiences.

Claire Bown:

You can find out more about QP's in episode 1 3 6.

Claire Bown:

And if you want to dive deeper into questioning techniques, check out episode

Claire Bown:

87 on asking more open-ended questions, or episode 1 3 0 on the power of inquiry

Claire Bown:

and curiosity with guest Trevor Mackenzie.

Claire Bown:

So the third insight: connection before content.

Claire Bown:

So connection before content is a phrase that you'll hear me saying

Claire Bown:

time and time again on this podcast.

Claire Bown:

It often comes up as the one key takeaway for participants on my workshops too.

Claire Bown:

And I first encountered this idea, it's not my idea, it's from organizational

Claire Bown:

designer Peter Block, and it's become central to everything I do in museum

Claire Bown:

settings and what it means in practice, it means making a conscious effort to:

Claire Bown:

first, connect people to each other, so help the group feel like a community.

Claire Bown:

Second, build genuine rapport between yourself as the

Claire Bown:

facilitator and participants.

Claire Bown:

Third, help visitors connect to the museum space and its collection.

Claire Bown:

Fourth, clarify the purpose of our time together, so connect

Claire Bown:

people to why they're here.

Claire Bown:

And fifth, create a warm, welcoming atmosphere where

Claire Bown:

everyone feels like they belong.

Claire Bown:

So putting connection before content might require a mindset shift, and it might

Claire Bown:

also feel a little bit counterintuitive when we have limited time with our groups.

Claire Bown:

I think many of us worry that spending time on connection means

Claire Bown:

sacrificing content that will run out of time for sharing background

Claire Bown:

knowledge and contextual information.

Claire Bown:

But what I've discovered though is exactly the opposite.

Claire Bown:

So when people feel connected, they actually listen more attentively,

Claire Bown:

they participate more actively and they remember information better.

Claire Bown:

So the time 'lost', in speech marks, to building connection is more than

Claire Bown:

made up for by the improved quality of engagement with the content you do share.

Claire Bown:

In episode 144, I explored connection making in detail.

Claire Bown:

It's really worth revisiting this because this principle has such profound

Claire Bown:

implications for how we approach our guided experiences in museums.

Claire Bown:

So number four, silence creates space for thinking.

Claire Bown:

So in our museum programs, we often fill pressure to fill every moment with words.

Claire Bown:

We may rush to answer our own questions.

Claire Bown:

We might fill every gap and move quickly from one point to the next.

Claire Bown:

But over the years I've come to see silence as one of the most powerful

Claire Bown:

tools in our engagement toolkit.

Claire Bown:

So when we ask a thoughtful question and then allow that silence to stretch a

Claire Bown:

bit, something we might call a productive silence, we're creating space, space

Claire Bown:

for participants to look, to think, and to formulate their own responses.

Claire Bown:

And these quiet moments allow for deeper observation, personal connections,

Claire Bown:

and more thoughtful comments than if we were to rush to fill the void.

Claire Bown:

Many of us find silence uncomfortable.

Claire Bown:

We worry that our participants are bored, confused, or expecting us to keep talking.

Claire Bown:

But I've found that participants actually appreciate small moments to process

Claire Bown:

what they're seeing and thinking.

Claire Bown:

And I think becoming comfortable with silence takes practice, but it transforms

Claire Bown:

the quality of discussions and shows respect for people's thinking processes.

Claire Bown:

In episodes 95 and 96, I explored how silence is actually a superpower

Claire Bown:

in our guided experiences.

Claire Bown:

I shared strategies for overcoming discomfort with silence and

Claire Bown:

offered lots of practical ways to incorporate more of these valuable

Claire Bown:

thinking pauses in our programs.

Claire Bown:

So insight number five, psychological safety unlocks deeper participation.

Claire Bown:

So, have you ever felt intimidated in a museum?

Claire Bown:

I know I have.

Claire Bown:

Even as a professional, as a museum educator, I think

Claire Bown:

museums can be imposing spaces.

Claire Bown:

They've got that impressive architecture, sometimes a hushed atmosphere, the layout

Claire Bown:

is complex and there's a whole new code of behavior that you need to work out.

Claire Bown:

Now imagine being a participant in a guided experience where you are

Claire Bown:

not only processing these feelings, but you are also being asked to

Claire Bown:

speak up in front of strangers.

Claire Bown:

Now, it's no wonder that many visitors might default to silence

Claire Bown:

or perhaps to safe, superficial responses, and this is precisely where

Claire Bown:

psychological safety becomes important.

Claire Bown:

So psychological safety means creating an environment where people feel it's

Claire Bown:

okay to ask questions, take risks, and to share their perspectives without

Claire Bown:

fear of judgment or embarrassment.

Claire Bown:

So without it, even the most brilliant questions or amazing

Claire Bown:

artworks may be met with surface level engagement or even silence.

Claire Bown:

So in episodes 90, 125 and 142.

Claire Bown:

I explored how to create intellectual comfort, build rapport, and

Claire Bown:

build trust and psychological safety on guided experiences.

Claire Bown:

I've found that small actions can make an enormous difference.

Claire Bown:

So that might be welcoming people individually, validating early

Claire Bown:

contributions, explicitly stating.

Claire Bown:

That there are no wrong answers, modeling curiosity rather than

Claire Bown:

certainty, and responding to all comments with genuine interest.

Claire Bown:

So insight number six, every challenge is an opportunity.

Claire Bown:

So in museum work challenges inevitably arise from perhaps the

Claire Bown:

dreaded tumbleweed moment when a question falls flat, to a group that

Claire Bown:

might seem reluctant to participate.

Claire Bown:

Museum spaces are also full of unpredictable moments.

Claire Bown:

A visitor might ask a challenging question, a planned activity

Claire Bown:

doesn't resonate, or the space itself presents limitations.

Claire Bown:

So while we can't always control what happens during our guided experiences,

Claire Bown:

we can choose to view those moments through a lens of possibility.

Claire Bown:

So there are lots of useful episodes in the back catalog telling you how

Claire Bown:

to respond to certain challenges we might encounter, but I think

Claire Bown:

adopting an experimental mindset might be the most useful advice of all.

Claire Bown:

So when we adopt an experimental mindset, we change 'problems',

Claire Bown:

in speech marks, into questions.

Claire Bown:

So what might this silence be telling me about my pacing?

Claire Bown:

How might this resistance reveal what the group actually needs?

Claire Bown:

So the most skilled facilitators, they don't just solve problems.

Claire Bown:

They approach challenges with genuine curiosity, asking, what can I learn here?

Claire Bown:

And challenges can actually become the drivers of positive change

Claire Bown:

and improvement in how we work.

Claire Bown:

They're the moments that push us to try new approaches, develop new

Claire Bown:

skills, and ultimately advance our practice in ways that might not happen

Claire Bown:

when everything is running smoothly.

Claire Bown:

So I encourage you to view every challenge as an opportunity.

Claire Bown:

Okay.

Claire Bown:

Number seven, engagement happens through multiple channels.

Claire Bown:

So how many ways can we connect with art and objects?

Claire Bown:

Far more than you might think.

Claire Bown:

Far more than just through discussion and observation.

Claire Bown:

I think we often think of engagement in museums as primarily, verbal; the

Claire Bown:

questions we ask, the discussions we facilitate, but there's

Claire Bown:

so much more to it than that.

Claire Bown:

Engagement flows through our senses, our bodies, our emotions, and our creativity.

Claire Bown:

And this is precisely why Multimodality is one of the eight practices in the

Claire Bown:

Thinking Museum® Approach because people engage, learn, and express their

Claire Bown:

understanding in so many different ways.

Claire Bown:

So multimodality is less about pleasing all of the people all of the

Claire Bown:

time, and more about offering a wide variety of options for participants to

Claire Bown:

help them engage with your programs.

Claire Bown:

So this might be a wide variety of aids, activities and modes of working

Claire Bown:

in any one session to help appeal to as many participants as possible.

Claire Bown:

So perhaps incorporating drawing to reveal details our eyes might otherwise miss.

Claire Bown:

You might want to use creative writing to forge personal connections with artworks

Claire Bown:

or include slow listening experiences with music to develop deeper attention.

Claire Bown:

You might want to bring in the sense of smell to evoke memories and emotions,

Claire Bown:

or even experiment with movement to help participants understand form

Claire Bown:

and composition through their bodies.

Claire Bown:

These multimodal approaches enrich everyone's experience.

Claire Bown:

Now, I was referring there to a lot of episodes in the back catalog that

Claire Bown:

explore drawing, writing, listening, a sense of smell and movement, and

Claire Bown:

I'll link to them in the show notes.

Claire Bown:

Okay, insight number eight.

Claire Bown:

Less information leads to more understanding.

Claire Bown:

So many of us feel a responsibility to share our knowledge, to provide

Claire Bown:

visitors and participants with historical context, technical

Claire Bown:

details, and background information.

Claire Bown:

And this impulse comes from a good place.

Claire Bown:

We want visitors, participants to appreciate the significance

Claire Bown:

of what they're seeing.

Claire Bown:

But information overload is the enemy of genuine understanding.

Claire Bown:

When we shower visitors with facts, dates, and details before they've had a chance to

Claire Bown:

look, think, and wonder, we often achieve exactly the opposite of what we intend.

Claire Bown:

Most people forget information when they haven't been challenged to

Claire Bown:

think about it first or to connect it to what they already know.

Claire Bown:

Less information strategically shared actually leads to deeper understanding.

Claire Bown:

Less is always more.

Claire Bown:

Episode 12 is an oldie, but still so useful and shares best

Claire Bown:

practices for sharing information.

Claire Bown:

For a deeper dive on how, when, and if to share information, read the chapter

Claire Bown:

on intentional information in my book.

Claire Bown:

You'll also find there the CHOOSE framework, which is a practical tool

Claire Bown:

for deciding exactly what information to share and what to leave out.

Claire Bown:

Okay, insight number nine, deliberate practice is how we grow.

Claire Bown:

So being good at engaging people with art and objects isn't something

Claire Bown:

that just happens overnight, like any skill worth mastering.

Claire Bown:

It develops through practice, reflection, and continuous refinement.

Claire Bown:

We develop our facilitation skills through doing the work, reflecting on how it went

Claire Bown:

and making adjustments for next time.

Claire Bown:

And deliberate practice doesn't mean simply repeating what we already do.

Claire Bown:

It means watching others at work and noticing specific details, how they

Claire Bown:

phrase questions, how participants respond, how they use silence.

Claire Bown:

It means creating opportunities to practice in low stake settings,

Claire Bown:

perhaps in a community of practice with your colleagues,

Claire Bown:

and you can all offer feedback.

Claire Bown:

It's about recording our reflections systematically, looking for

Claire Bown:

patterns over time and setting specific goals for growth.

Claire Bown:

And I think one huge thing that really transforms our practice is

Claire Bown:

the commitment to regular reflection, as we explored in episode 29.

Claire Bown:

So ask yourself three questions.

Claire Bown:

What went well today?

Claire Bown:

What could I have done differently?

Claire Bown:

What might I try next time?

Claire Bown:

These questions, when we ask them consistently after our programs,

Claire Bown:

help us learn from experiences and continuously improve.

Claire Bown:

And I think what sets exceptional facilitators apart isn't

Claire Bown:

necessarily what they know.

Claire Bown:

It's their commitment to this ongoing cycle of practice,

Claire Bown:

reflection and adjustment.

Claire Bown:

And they see each program not as a performance to perfect, but as another

Claire Bown:

opportunity to learn, grow, and develop.

Claire Bown:

And this deliberate approach to practice transforms potential

Claire Bown:

into excellence over time.

Claire Bown:

So if you need more inspiration on this subject, do take a

Claire Bown:

listen to episode 28 or 81.

Claire Bown:

And the 10th and final insight: engagement happens by design, not by chance.

Claire Bown:

So creating meaningful engagement in museums doesn't happen by accident.

Claire Bown:

It requires thoughtful design, careful planning, and purposeful execution.

Claire Bown:

So the most engaging experiences are crafted with intention at every stage

Claire Bown:

from the initial Welcome to the final moments, and thoughtful design means

Claire Bown:

considering the entire visitor journey from the physical route through the museum

Claire Bown:

to the pacing of activities, from the balance of listening and participating,

Claire Bown:

to the transitions between stops.

Claire Bown:

So when you plan a guided experience with intention, each element of your

Claire Bown:

experience works together harmoniously.

Claire Bown:

The route tells a story, questions build upon one another, activities

Claire Bown:

deepen engagement progressively, and the conclusion helps participants integrate

Claire Bown:

what they've discovered and extend their thinking beyond the museum walls.

Claire Bown:

So this is about creating the conditions for engagement deliberately,

Claire Bown:

rather than leaving it to chance.

Claire Bown:

Now for more on designing, engaging experiences across all

Claire Bown:

three phases, the entry phase, the exploration, and the exit phase.

Claire Bown:

Explore episodes 44, which is about the four elements of a great introduction,

Claire Bown:

episode 57, how to end well, and Episode 99, 1 of my favorites, striking

Claire Bown:

the right pace in museum programs.

Claire Bown:

So there you have it, 10 essential insights distilled from 150 episodes

Claire Bown:

of exploring engagement in museums.

Claire Bown:

I could easily have shared 15 or 20 insights.

Claire Bown:

But as insight number eight reminds us, less is more.

Claire Bown:

So looking back at the list, what strikes me most is how these small

Claire Bown:

shifts can lead to really big changes.

Claire Bown:

So something as simple as giving people 30 seconds to really look, or

Claire Bown:

pausing after you ask a question, or spending a moment really connecting with

Claire Bown:

people before diving into any content.

Claire Bown:

These tiny adjustments can completely transform an experience.

Claire Bown:

So small intentional changes in how we observe, question,

Claire Bown:

connect and design our programs.

Claire Bown:

These really create the kind of meaningful engagement that stays with people

Claire Bown:

long after they've left the museum.

Claire Bown:

So as we look ahead to the next 150 episodes, I wanna thank everyone who's

Claire Bown:

been part of this journey so far.

Claire Bown:

Now, one of the reasons I created the Art Engager podcast back in 2021 was

Claire Bown:

to recognize and elevate the value and importance of museum education work.

Claire Bown:

I hope this podcast plays a small part in sharing the incredible

Claire Bown:

work happening in museums around the world with a wider audience.

Claire Bown:

So whether you've been listening since episode one, or you've just discovered

Claire Bown:

this podcast, your engagement, your curiosity, really fuel this work.

Claire Bown:

Knowing that this podcast serves as a helpful resource that changes people's

Claire Bown:

practice, that inspires new approaches and sparks fresh ideas, make the work involved

Claire Bown:

for creating every episode worthwhile.

Claire Bown:

So thank you.

Claire Bown:

And I know many of you use the back catalog as a resource, so I've now

Claire Bown:

created a complete episode list on my website to make it easier

Claire Bown:

to find exactly what you need.

Claire Bown:

You can search by keyword or browse chronologically,

Claire Bown:

whatever works best for you.

Claire Bown:

I'll link to the resource in the show notes.

Claire Bown:

And this milestone also feels like the perfect time to ask for your support.

Claire Bown:

So creating this podcast twice a month involves real costs and time.

Claire Bown:

And the best way to help sustain this work is through a monthly Patreon subscription.

Claire Bown:

Now if that's not possible, even a one-time donation makes the difference.

Claire Bown:

So if you found value in any of these 150 episodes, whether it's changed,

Claire Bown:

how you facilitate, whether it's inspired a new program, or simply

Claire Bown:

given you new ideas to try, please consider supporting the Art Engager.

Claire Bown:

I'll put the details in the show notes.

Claire Bown:

Finally, don't forget to visit my website to learn more about The Art Engager book

Claire Bown:

available now, wherever books are sold.

Claire Bown:

That's it for today.

Claire Bown:

Thank you so much for joining us on this special episode.

Claire Bown:

See you next time.

Claire Bown:

Thank you for listening to the Art Engager podcast with me, Claire Bown.

Claire Bown:

You can find more art engagement resources by visiting my website,

Claire Bown:

thinking museum.com, and you can also find me on Instagram.

Claire Bown:

@thinkingmuseum, where I regularly share tips and tools on how to bring

Claire Bown:

art to life and engage your audience.

Claire Bown:

If you've enjoyed this episode, please share with others and subscribe to the

Claire Bown:

show on your podcast player of choice.

Claire Bown:

Thank you so much for listening, and I'll see you next time.

All Episodes Previous Episode

About the Podcast

Show artwork for The Art Engager
The Art Engager
Master the art of meaningful engagement in museums and cultural spaces

Listen for free

About your host

Profile picture for Claire Bown

Claire Bown