Claire Bown

After five years and 166 episodes with listeners in 91 countries, this is the final episode of The Art Engager – for now, at least.… Read More »The future of museums with Elizabeth Merritt

In March 2026, I travelled to Atlanta for the National Convening on Art and Social Connection, a two-day event hosted by the High Museum of… Read More »How can museums build meaningful social connection?

What does it take to guide visitors through histories that are genuinely contested and emotionally charged? In this episode, I’m joined by Brandon Dillard, Director… Read More »Reimagining Guided Experiences at Historic Sites

In this episode Claire Bown is joined by Dr Beth Daley, novelist, creative writing tutor and editorial advisor at Europeana, to explore how digital cultural heritage… Read More »Creative engagement with digital heritage

In this episode, Claire Bown is joined by Georgia Close and Harriet Body from the National Gallery of Australia, alongside Naomi Zouwer from the University… Read More »Co-Designing a Pedagogical Approach at the National Gallery of Australia

In this episode Claire Bown is joined by Clare Murray to explore how early encounters with art and museums shape the way people learn to participate, belong,… Read More »Early encounters with art and museum habits of mind

In this episode, Claire Bown is joined by Laurie Kilgour Walsh, Head of Programs and Learning at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, to explore what it takes… Read More »Designing person-centred museum experiences for people living with dementia

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… Read More »Reclaiming our attention with Menka Sanghvi of Just Looking

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… Read More »The Art Engager x NEMO: Who Cares? Museums, Wellbeing and Resilience

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… Read More »Slow looking, leadership and the neuroscience of perspective-taking