The Thinking Museum® Approach in Practice
A live online course for guides, docents and museum educators with Claire Bown, founder of Thinking Museum®
Six live sessions on Zoom, once a month from January to June 2027
Early bird price €345 until 18 December (then €395)
Practical tools for designing and facilitating inquiry-based guided experiences, explored together with guides and docents from around the world.
The course is built around the 8 Practices of the Thinking Museum® Approach, set out in full in my book The Art Engager, and each month we’ll go deeper into one of them.
Perhaps you’re near the beginning and hoping to grow in confidence, or perhaps you’ve already started working this way and want to take it further. Either way, you’re welcome to join on your own or with your team.
What we’ll explore
Each month we’ll go deeper into one of six Practices.
All sessions take place on Tuesdays, 7.00–8.30pm CET. Click a session to read more.
Session 1: Questioning Tuesday 26 January
We’ll begin with questions, the heart of a guided experience, looking at what helps a question open up looking and conversation and trying out Questioning Practices together with an artwork or object.
Session 2: Facilitation Tuesday 23 February
We’ll explore what facilitation means in a museum setting, the different roles a facilitator might move between during a guided experiences and the tools and techniques you could draw on to support a group’s conversation
Session 3: Creating a community of collaboration Tuesday 23 March
We’ll explore group dynamics and how building rapport and psychological safety might help everyone in a group feel comfortable sharing and building on each other’s ideas.
Session 4: Multimodality Tuesday 20 April
Looking and talking are only some of the ways people engage, so we’ll explore how offering different ways in might widen participation in your groups
Session 5: Intentional information Tuesday 25 May
We’ll explore the what, when and how of sharing information intentionally, so that it sparks curiosity rather than closing it down.
Session 6: Deliberate design Tuesday 22 June
In our final session, we’ll explore the three phases of a guided experience, Entry, Exploration and Exit, and the design choices that shape each one.
The other two Practices, practice and coaching and reflective practice, run through every session.
What each session offers
- Live exercises and discussions around artworks and objects, so you experience the Approach for yourself
- A closer look at the ideas behind each Practice, and what it might take to make it part of your everyday work
- Fresh material from my work with museums since the book came out
- Time for your questions, with guidance from me
Between sessions
The weeks between sessions give you time to try out ideas in your own context and notice what happens. Over the months, we’ll learn from each other’s experiences as a community of practice.
Early bird price €345 until 18 December
Six live sessions on Zoom, all recorded, once a month from January to June 2027
Who it’s for
For anyone who leads or supports guided experiences in museums and heritage sites of every kind, including:
- Docents and volunteer guides
- Guides and mediators
- Museum educators
- Visitor experience teams
You’re welcome whether you know The Art Engager well or are coming to it for the first time. Teams are welcome too, with a team booking for up to eight colleagues.
Dates and times
Tuesdays, 7.00–8.30pm CET
26 January · 23 February · 23 March
20 April · 25 May · 22 June 2027
Every session is recorded, so you can catch up if you miss one.
In your time zone:
UK and Ireland 6.00pm
US: Eastern 1.00pm · Central 12.00pm · Mountain 11.00am · Pacific 10.00am
On 23 March only, US times are one hour later.
Joining from Asia, Australia or New Zealand? Every session is recorded, so you can follow along in your own time.
NB: Names and email addresses for all participants will be requested upon registration for team sign-ups.
If you’d prefer to enrol a larger group, please get in touch for tailored group pricing.
VAT will be calculated automatically at checkout according to your location. Stripe handles this securely and in full compliance with EU and international VAT regulations.
INDIVIDUAL
€345
early bird until 18 December, then €395
TEAM
€2,200
for up to eight colleagues booking together
FAQs
Do I need to have read The Art Engager?
It isn’t essential, as each session introduces the Practice we’re focusing on, but I’d warmly recommend having a copy to hand. The course is built around the 8 Practices set out in the book, so it makes a very helpful companion: you can read more about each Practice before or after a session and come back to it as you try things out with your own visitors.
I guide tours or walks outside art museums. Is this course for me?
Yes, very much so. The course is about guided experiences wherever they happen, whether that’s a museum, gallery, historic house, heritage site or a guided walk outdoors. The Thinking Museum® Approach works wherever you guide groups, so you’re very welcome whatever your setting.
What if I can’t attend live?
You’ll receive a recording of every session, so you can take part at a time that suits you.
Can I join from Asia, Australia or New Zealand?
Yes, you’d be very welcome. The live sessions fall in the early hours of Wednesday morning in Australia and Asia, so you might prefer to watch the recordings and join the conversation between sessions.
How much time do I need to commit between sessions?
There’s no required homework, but you’ll get the most from the course if you spend a little time trying out ideas between sessions. Even a few minutes of reflection or experimentation can make a real difference.
How long will I have access to the recordings and resources?
You’ll have access to all session recordings and resources until the end of August 2027, two months after the final session. That gives you time to revisit the material and keep trying things out in your own context, even after the last session. After that, access will close, as I’m not able to store video files indefinitely.
Can my organisation pay by invoice?
Yes. If your organisation needs to pay by invoice instead of card, just get in touch and we’ll arrange it.
What if English isn’t my first language?
You’re very welcome. My facilitation style is clear, paced and accessible, and participants join my online courses from all over the world. We always enable live closed captioning upon request (which you can toggle to your preferred language).
Will the sessions include breakout rooms?
Yes. This is an interactive course and most sessions include short breakout discussions so you can try out ideas in a smaller group. These moments are an important part of the learning experience, because they help you practise, reflect and hear a range of perspectives.
I understand that there may be times when it’s harder to join a breakout, but I encourage you to take part whenever you can as the more you participate, the more you will gain from the course.
Do you offer a reduced price?
The early bird price of €345 is available until the end of 18 December 2026, so booking before then is the best way to save. If cost is a real barrier for you, please get in touch.
When does booking close?
Booking closes on Friday 22 January 2027, or sooner if the course is full.
How can I use what I learn on the course?
The course is for your own professional development, and you’re welcome to use what you learn in your own guided experiences. All course content, materials and recordings remain my intellectual property. You may not use them to run your own training sessions, workshops or presentations, or share them with others in any format, without my written permission. This is not a train-the-trainer course. If you’re interested in training for your team, please get in touch. Full details are in the terms and conditions.
What is your cancellation policy?
You can cancel for a full refund until 12 January 2027, or within 14 days of booking if that’s later, minus any sessions that have already taken place. After that, refunds aren’t possible, but you’re welcome to pass your place to a colleague. If illness or an emergency means you can’t continue, please get in touch and I’ll help you catch up or join a future run. If the course can’t go ahead, you’ll receive a full refund. Terms and Conditions.
Will I get a certificate?
Yes. You can request a PDF certificate of completion after the course.
About Claire
I’m Claire Bown, founder of Thinking Museum® and author of The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums. For more than 25 years, two questions have shaped my work: what brings a guided experience to life, and what makes a great guide? Those questions led me to develop the Thinking Museum® Approach, a practical framework now used by guides, docents and educators in museums and heritage sites around the world. Today I work with teams across Europe, the US and Australia, helping them design and lead guided experiences that people remember.