Making museums accessible for children with barriers to education with Nicky McIntosh

The Art Engager

In this episode host Claire Bown talks with Nicky McIntosh, a museum consultant with over 25 years of experience in the UK museum sector.

Inspired by her own family's experiences, Nicky specialises in making museums more accessible for children who struggle to attend school and is currently developing a toolkit to support museums and galleries in their work with home educators.

Listen in as Nicky shares insights from her Arts Council funded research exploring how museums can better serve the estimated 1.5 million children in England who face barriers to education, and learn about successful case studies from institutions making their spaces more inclusive.

If you're interested in making museums more accessible, supporting diverse learning needs, or exploring ways to engage children facing barriers to education, this episode offers valuable insights and practical recommendations.

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.

Episode Links

Nicky McIntosh on LinkedIn

Website: Museum Learning Works – supporting education outside of school - includes links to the reports and survey results from my Developing Your Creative Practice grant funded by Arts Council England

Information about barriers to school attendance UK

Not Fine in School - School Refusal, School Attendance

Square Peg (teamsquarepeg.co.uk)

Recommended Publications

‘Can't Not Won't: A Story About A Child Who Couldn't Go To School’ by Eliza Fricker

‘A Different Way to Learn: Neurodiversity and Self-Directed Education’ by Dr Naomi Fisher

‘Square Pegs: Inclusivity, compassion and fitting in – a guide for schools’ by Ellie

Costello & Fran Morgan

Links

'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