Evaluating Arts Education and Engagement: New and Innovative Approaches / The National Gallery
Rooms 2/3 Education Centre, National Gallery, London
Are you tired of the status quo in evaluation of arts education and public engagement? This workshop presents innovative alternative methods you can use. This small-scale event (less than 30 delegates) at the National Gallery will include presentations on the state of the art interdisciplinary methods of evaluating quality of experience and impact. It also provides practical perspectives on evaluating arts education from both an evaluator and institutional perspective. Keynote speakers will introduce idiographic (case-by-case analysis) evaluation options, new technologies for evaluating arts and culture and new methodological frameworks for analyzing evaluation data.
Brady Wagoner Professor
Professor Brady Wagoner (University of Aalborg) is a world-leading expert in idiographic methodology and memory. He is Director of the Cultural Psychology MA programme at Aalborg University. He did his PhD at the University of Cambridge, where he developed innovative new methods to study cultural and constructive processes.
In particular, he has done work on conversational remembering, impact evaluation in zoos and art museums, therapeutic encounters, among others. Additionally, he has devised research strategies that synthesise qualitative and quantity methods by using the latter to situate and contextualise cases analysed qualitatively.
Eric Jensen
Dr. Eric Jensen is an internationally-recognised social scientist specializing in innovative methods of conducting impact evaluation research in informal learning and public engagement contexts.
Jensen is author of Doing Real Research: A Practical Guide to Social Research (SAGE). He has extensive experience in evaluation of impact and quality of experience. He has advised leading cultural institutions and universities including the University of Cambridge, National Gallery, London Zoo, Natural History Museum, Imperial War Museum, Cheltenham Literature Festival, the British Museum, University of Cambridge Museums, Oxford University Museums, Exploratorium, San Diego Zoo and Bronx Zoo. Dr. Jensen holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Cambridge (UK). |
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Gill Hart Head of Education
Gill Hart has worked in museum and gallery education since 2000. Her roles have included working at the National Gallery, Glasgow Museums and the Fitzwilliam Museum.
Nicola Buckley University of London, Education Dept.
Nicola Buckley (University of London, Education Dept.) has worked in public engagement roles for the University since 2004 and has been the head of the public engagement team since 2010.
Her role includes overseeing the annual Cambridge Science Festival, Cambridge Festival of Ideas, other public events and public engagement initiatives. These include the Cambridge Community Knowledge Exchange, which matches research requests from civil society organisations with student dissertation opportunities.
Nicola is studying part-time for a PhD at the Institute of Education, University of London, investigating opportunities and challenges in co-creating student social science research projects with civil society organisations.
Nicola has a BA in History and an MPhil in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Science and Society from the Open University. Prior to her current role at the University, Nicola worked in fundraising and communications roles in the UK voluntary sector, for Addaction, Fight for Sight and Breast Cancer Haven.
Participation notes
Workshop participants will also be invited to ‘Bring your own data’ and practical challenges to discuss and find solutions. This is your opportunity to get input from leading research methods experts with experience in arts education and engagement evaluation, and to hear how the National Gallery is evaluating its arts education work.
Hamilton House, Bristol, United Kingdom

Professor Brady Wagoner (University of Aalborg) is a world-leading expert in idiographic methodology and memory. He is Director of the Cultural Psychology MA programme at Aalborg University. He did his PhD at the University of Cambridge, where he developed innovative new methods to study cultural and constructive processes.

Dr. Eric Jensen is an internationally-recognised social scientist specializing in innovative methods of conducting impact evaluation research in informal learning and public engagement contexts.

Gill Hart has worked in museum and gallery education since 2000. Her roles have included working at the National Gallery, Glasgow Museums and the Fitzwilliam Museum.

Nicola Buckley (University of London, Education Dept.) has worked in public engagement roles for the University since 2004 and has been the head of the public engagement team since 2010.