Training and mentoring

I provide a wide range of courses for professionals from museums, science centres, art galleries, zoos, heritage centres and other visitor attractions. These courses cover: visitor research, evaluation techniques, audience development interpretive planning, exhibition development, learning policy and practice.

Courses involve a mixture of individual and small group activities, discussions and case studies. Participants are provided with electronic copies of the presentation slides, background information and a recommended reading list. In addition the course fee entitles each participant up to 2 hours of free consultancy via email. Additional support and mentoring services can be arranged.

Click here to download the training course

I also offer longer-term mentoring and support for exhibition development, education and visitor research teams including:

• Identifying training and development needs for staff
• Researching and summarising key evaluation reports and academic papers to guide the choice of target audience, content and interpretative approach
• Providing advice and supports on evaluation, interpretative planning, content research and the development of interactive exhibits
• Developing sponsorship proposals, content hierarchies, learning outcomes, interpretation strategies, design briefs and evaluation reports
• Editing questionnaires, observation protocols, focus group topic guides and evaluation reports; advising on data analysis
• Providing advice on how to use visitor research to guide the development of projects and operational plans
• Helping project teams to work effectively with designers, exhibit developers and sponsors

Visitor research & evaluation

I provide specialist visitor research services including:

• Designing questionnaires, surveys and observation protocols
• Analysing data and writing evaluation reports
• Formative evaluation of prototype exhibits
• Front-end and summative evaluation of projects
• Expert appraisal of proposed exhibits, exhibition content and layout
• Desk research producing reviews of previously published academic and evaluation studies

Strategic planning and policy development

Through stakeholder and sector consultation, desk research and by facilitating team discussions I can assist with the development of:

• Education policies
• Audience development strategies
• Visitor research plans
• Exhibition interpretation strategies
• Design briefs for exhibitions and web sites

Sponsorship proposals

I can:

• Researching content for proposals
• Developing ideas for exhibits, on-line resources and live interpretation
• Advise on target audiences
• Recommend strategies for incorporating evaluation, prototype development and audience consultation
• Reviewing and edit draft sponsorship proposals

Workshops and brain-storming sessions

I offer a range of innovative workshops and brain-storming sessions to help project teams to:

• Develop ideas for interpreting objects and interactive exhibits
• Define vision and objectives for new projects
• Organise content for exhibitions and web sites
• Identify target audiences
• Define interpretation strategies for exhibitions and web sites
• Define roles and responsibilities for team members and agree working practices