In this episode, host Claire Bown is joined by Menka Sanghvi, researcher, writer, guide and founder of Just Looking. Menka’s work explores attention through science, culture and creativity, and encourages us to slow down and notice more in our everyday lives.

Together, we talk about why ordinary moments matter, how our attentional filters shape what we see and the social dimension of noticing. We also explore the pull of digital technology, the difference between algorithmic seeing and intentional looking, and how small shifts can help us reclaim our attention.

Whether you work with visitors in museums, guide groups through artworks or simply want to nurture a more spacious way of looking, this conversation offers practical ideas you can apply directly to your facilitation practice (and to your life!).

The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown. Support on Patreon

Menka is the founder of Just Looking, a global community of people looking at everyday life with slowness and curiosity. She is also the co-author of Your Best Digital Life. Her work invites people to notice more, reflect more and reconnect with both the digital and physical worlds.

Just Looking newsletter

Just Looking’s Instagram

60 Experiments in Looking

Your Best Digital Life

Menka Sanghvi’s website

✨ If you've enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting The Art Engager on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngager

Or pick up a copy of my book, The Art Engager, for step-by-step guidance on creating meaningful, interactive guided experiences https://www.theartengager.com/

Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengager

In this special episode created in collaboration with NEMO – the Network of European Museum Organisations, I’m sharing voices and ideas from the 2025 NEMO European Museum Conference ‘Who Cares? Museums, Wellbeing and Resilience’ in Horsens, Denmark.

Recorded during the conference itself in the unique setting of the FÆNGSLET Prison Museum, this episode features eight speakers from across Europe and beyond.

Together, we explore how museums are engaging with wellbeing and care – for their communities, their staff, and the wider world.

You’ll hear from museum professionals, researchers and cultural leaders reflecting on what care looks like in practice – from building organisational resilience to creating spaces for recovery, reflection and connection. The episode weaves together their experiences to to show how museums are finding new ways to care for people and communities.

• How museums are rethinking their roles in wellbeing and resilience
• Practical examples of care-centred work in action
• The emotional and organisational challenges of supporting wellbeing
• The importance of caring for the people who care for others

Julia Pagel (Germany) • Vera Carasso (Netherlands) • Elizabeth Merritt (USA) • Inga Surgunte (Latvia) • Sinéad Rice (Ireland) • Yurii Horpynych (Ukraine) • Roberto Casarotto (Italy) • Dr Nuala Morse (UK)

The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown. Support on Patreon

• NEMO – Network of European Museum Organisations
• NEMO 2025 Statement on Museums and Wellbeing
• Conference webpage with recordings

✨ If you've enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting The Art Engager on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngager

Or pick up a copy of my book, The Art Engager, for step-by-step guidance on creating meaningful, interactive guided experiences https://www.theartengager.com/

Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengager

In this episode of The Art Engager, I’m talking with Dr Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson, Executive Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and a visual neuroscientist whose work explores the intersection of art, perception and leadership.

Zab’s research asks one key question: how does what we see guide our decisions, actions and behaviours? Her work combines neuroscience, visual perception and museum-based learning to show how what we see shapes how we think, communicate and lead.

At Wharton, Zab leads sessions for business executives that bring slow looking and perspective taking together — helping leaders strengthen empathy and communication through shared experiences of looking at art.

We talk about her journey from researching colour and form processing in the brain to designing slow art experiences that build leadership skills. You’ll hear why museums are ideal for practising perspective taking, what happens when groups spend an hour with a single artwork, and how slow looking in dialogue with others fosters deep learning and connection.

We also discuss the neuroscience behind these practices, the ‘no pointing’ rule, and why words like ‘obviously’ can shut down conversation.

This episode offers plenty to think about for anyone interested in how collective looking can enhance empathy, attention and leadership.

The Art Engager is written and presented by Claire Bown. Editing is by Matt Jacobs and Claire Bown. Music by Richard Bown.

✨ If you've enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting The Art Engager on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArtEngager

Or pick up a copy of my book, The Art Engager, for step-by-step guidance on creating meaningful, interactive guided experiences https://www.theartengager.com/

Buy it here on Amazon.com: https://tinyurl.com/buytheartengager

Episode Links

https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/perspective-taking-brain-hack-can-help-make-better-decisions/

Visual Marketing: A Practical Guide to the Science of Branding https://www.routledge.com/Visual-Marketing-A-Practical-Guide-to-the-Science-of-Branding--Retailing/Kahn-Johnson/p/book/9781032731322

Dr Elizabeth (Zab) Johnson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-johnson-phd-a3160932/

Wharton Neuroscience website:https://neuro.wharton.upenn.edu/

In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown celebrates the one-year anniversary of The Art Engager book with our first-ever Ask Me Anything format. She answers 10 practical questions from listeners about facilitating guided experiences in museums.

From how long to let people look at artworks to building psychological safety with established groups, Claire tackles the real challenges educators and guides face every day. Does everyone have to talk to be actively engaged? How do you pull a group back when disengaged? What's a good way to redirect someone who's going on too long? When should you share the artist's perspective if the group's discussion is quite different?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Book anniversary quick survey
• The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums (Claire's book)
• Episode 148: How to create active engagement on guided experiences
• Episode 142: Building Trust and Psychological Safety on guided experiences
• The 10 Questioning Practices (QPs) from The Art Engager
• The Thinking Museum® Approach

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.

As mentioned in the episode, share what's been most helpful from The Art Engager book and what you'd like to see next: Share your input here.

https://clebown.typeform.com/to/l9e6mzN9

In this episode of The Art Engager Claire Bown talks with Tina Demirdjian, a poet and educator who has spent over 30 years transforming how people connect with poetry and visual art.

Tina is someone who in her own words 'changes people's minds' about poetry, about themselves and about their capacity for creative expression. Working primarily with second language learners and immigrant communities in Los Angeles she has developed unique approaches that use visual art as a gateway into poetry writing.

The conversation explores why museums are 'sacred spaces' that support creativity, practical techniques for facilitating poetry writing in galleries and how to help people overcome their intimidation about writing.

Listen to this episode if you want to:

• Learn practical techniques for poetry programming in museums, including spine poetry and found poetry using curator and wall texts
• Discover why the museum environment uniquely supports creative confidence and expression
• Explore how visual art can serve as a bridge to poetry for diverse audiences
• Understand how to help visitors overcome intimidation about poetry and writing

This episode offers practical insights into poetry programming and how to create the 'ease' that helps everyone discover they have at least one powerful poem in them.

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.com

‘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

Episode Links:

Art inspires youth poetry at MOCA

ARTful Conversations

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-demirdjian-a102488/

https://www.instagram.com/poetinastudio/

https://www.poetryconsults.com/museums-libraries

In this episode of The Art Engager, Claire Bown talks with Ciaron Wilkinson, Head of Partnerships and Engagement at Manchester Museum — one of the UK’s largest university museums and recent winner of European Museum of the Year.

After a values-led redevelopment, Manchester Museum has reimagined how a museum can engage with its community. Its mission is to be the most caring, imaginative, and inclusive museum people will ever visit - a place where everyone belongs.

Ciaron shares how this vision has reshaped the museum’s spaces and ways of working: co-curating the South Asia Gallery with 30 community members over five years, celebrating faith and culture through the Manchester Museum Celebrates series, and opening the Top Floor hub, shared with 25 local organisations dedicated to social justice and climate action.

This conversation offers practical insights into co-curation, community engagement, and the values-led decisions behind creating cultural spaces where everyone feels welcome.

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.com

‘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

Episode Links:

Manchester Museum website

Manchester Museum Instagram

Article on European Museum of the Year

Article on decolonisation

New York Times article following reopening

In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown shares practical strategies for overcoming the most common fears about inquiry-based teaching in museums.

From handling uncertainty and awkward silences to managing participation and time, she guides you through simple, actionable ways to build confidence and make inquiry feel rewarding- for you and your participants.

Inquiry-based teaching works. It creates the kind of museum experiences where participants lean in, ask questions, and make personal connections with art and objects. But despite all these benefits, why do many people feel hesitant about giving it a go?

We’ll explore common concerns - like losing control, time management, participation, or not having all the answers - and I’ll walk you through strategies to move past them.

Here’s what I cover in today’s episode:

• Why understanding your own relationship with inquiry is the first step
• How to develop comfort with uncertainty and not knowing
• Why it helps to start small and build confidence gradually
• The role of flexible structures (like Questioning Practices) in supporting inquiry
• Practical ways to manage time, participation, and group dynamics
• Building your facilitation toolkit step by step
• Why practice and reflection are essential for growing your skills
• How to reframe “failure” as a valuable learning opportunity

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums (my book)
• Episode 143: Uncertainty: Finding Wonder in Not Knowing with Maggie Jackson
• Episode 137: How to Use the Universal
• Episode 142: Building Trust and Psychological Safety on Guided Experiences in Museums
• Episodes 95 & 96: The Power of Silence in Guided Experiences
• Episode 66: 7 Ways to Improve Your Active Listening Skills
• Every single episode of The Art Engager podcast webpage: https://thinkingmuseum.com/every-single-episode-of-the-art-engager-podcast/

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✨ If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting The Art Engager on Patreon. Or pick up a copy of my book, The Art Engager, for step-by-step guidance on creating meaningful, interactive guided experiences.

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/buytheartengager

The Art Engager book website:

In today's solo episode, host Claire Bown explores what wonder is, why museums are perfect spaces for fostering it, and shares eight practical ways to create wonder-filled moments in your guided experiences.

How can we reawaken that natural sense of wonder that we had as children? What happens when we intentionally create space for amazement and discovery in our museum experiences?

In this episode, we're exploring wonder as a fundamental human capacity. Claire distinguishes wonder from awe and curiosity, introduces different types of wonder we might find in the museum from intellectual and sensory to historical and reflective—and examines why adults often lose their capacity for wonder.

Claire shares eight practical strategies for inviting wonder into guided experiences and reminds us that wonder is about slowing down, opening up, and helping participants surprise themselves as they see things anew.

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.

‘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

Every single episode of The Art Engager podcast webpage: https://thinkingmuseum.com/every-single-episode-of-the-art-engager-podcast/

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

Episode 151 - The Complete Guide to Slow Looking

Episode 32 - 6 Ways to Create Awe-Inspiring Experiences with Art and Objects

Episode 38 3 Key Ways to Foster Curiosity in your Programmes

Episode 39 - How to stay curious in your practice

Episodes 95 -...