aMuze! launches Communication Training for Museum Professionals

Stockholm
16 June 2009

aMuze! Interactive now offers hands-on training in communications. Our first training session was hosted by the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm, and was attended by educators from 5 other science centers around the country.

"The exercises were rewarding, relevant, and enjoyable. I laughed so hard at one point I literally fell off of my chair. You did a really great job getting the group to feel at ease with each other, and you had a lot of experience to share with us." Science Center Educator

Interactivity has become the watchword of the modern museum and science center. And there has been an explosion of interactive technology that both meets and drives the demand for engaging visitors in the content and messages of exhibitions.

But the most important interactivity of all is the face-to-face communication that occurs amongst visitors and museum staff. As pointed out in books like “The Museum Experience*,” by John Falk and Lynn Dierking, and more recently in “Thriving in the Knowledge Age**,” by Falk and Beverly Sheppard, customer service is a key offering for achieving institutional goals. Making visitors feel welcome, appreciated, important, participative, listened to… are critical to building loyalty and attraction. And responsive customer service places demands on the communication skills of all staff members, externally and internally.

Even in purely pedagogical terms, personal communication is critical to success. Broad understanding, the construction of meaning, and the acquisition of knowledge and skills, can only occur in a social context where ideas can be shared, tested, and given resonance. It is in the face-to-face meeting where transformation occurs.

So, it seemed only natural for us at aMuze! Interactive to add communication training to our offering of interactive solutions and extended experiences.

We’ve developed a 2-3 day training experience tailored specifically to the needs and demands of museums, science centers, heritage sites, and other informal, free-choice learning institutions. The courses are suitable for everyone working in the field, regardless of whether they are working internally in administration, collections, archives, design; or externally in visitor services, education, guiding, reception, security.

Our training sessions are active, hands-on, participatory, fun, memorable, and very practical. They include group and individual exercises, covering all aspects of personal communication, including listening, speaking in front of groups, dealing with conflict, getting your ideas across. We use video as a tool for analysis and development.

Our training leaders are seasoned communication experts with broad experience in the performing arts and education, who can work with each institution to tailor-make training sessions that meet the unique needs of each institution and group.

For more information, contact

Cecilia Haglund: cecilia [@] amuze-interactive [dot] com

* The Museum Experience (www.amazon.com/gp/product/0929590074)

** Thriving in the Knowledge Age: New Business Models for Museums and Other Cultural Institutions. (www.amazon.com/gp/product/0759107580)