The Wonder House
Sushma Jansari
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Listen and subscribe to a new podcast series that shares innovative ideas for people-centred projects so that we are all empowered and inspired to learn and experiment – one conversation at a time.
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@TheWonderHouse
www.TheWonderHouse.co.uk
Available episodes
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Feb 23, 2021
Object Journeys with Kayte McSweeney
Kayte McSweeney, Community Partnerships Manager at the British Museum, talks co-curating, co-production and participatory practice. We also chat about Object Journeys - a project that challenged and shaped my own approach to curating.
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Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari - Produced/Edited by Julia Letts - Music by Dalbir Singh Rattan
Jan 26, 2021
Autism in Museums with Claire Madge
Claire Madge, blogger extraordinaire at Tincture of Museums, talks about founding Autism in Museums and what museums can do to create autism-friendly events and visits. Links to the resources we discuss are included in the episode blogpost - https://thewonderhouse.co.uk/claire-madge
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Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari & Produced/Edited by Julia Letts.
Jan 19, 2021
Egypt's Dispersed Heritage with Heba Abd el Gawad
In Ep.19, I speak to Heba Abd el Gawad, Egyptian Egyptologist and postdoctoral researcher on the Egypt's Dispersed Heritage project. This innovative and exciting project aims to ensure that Egyptians in Egypt benefit from the UK-based findings on the dispersal of Egyptian heritage and knowledge exchange about these collections and histories.
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Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari & Produced/Edited by Julia Letts.
Dec 31, 2020
Artefacts of Excavation with Alice Stevenson
Alice Stevenson, Senior Lecturer in Museum Studies at UCL, talks about ancient Egyptian collections and their colonial era dispersal into museum collections globally, as well as their 20th and 21st century afterlives.
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Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari & Produced/Edited by Julia Letts.
Nov 26, 2020
Planning for an uncertain future with Dan Simmons
In this special episode, I speak to leadership coach Dan Simmons about how we can plan for an uncertain future.
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Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse & Produced by Julia Letts.
Sep 7, 2020
Furlough #MuseumHour with Zey Kussan
Today, I'm chatting to Zey Kussan about a special #MuseumHour all about Furlough that we co-hosted. It was a very honest discussion that gave all of us in the museum sector something to think about. In this episode, we discuss some of the questions and responses from #MuseumHour and also talk about how furlough - or, in Zey’s case, not being furloughed - affected us as well.
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Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Aug 31, 2020
Coffee & Catch Up with Dan Vo
In this week's Coffee & Catch Up, I chat to Dan Vo, founder of the award-winning LGBTQ+ volunteer-led tours at the V&A and Project Manager & lead researcher for the Queer Heritage and Collections Network.
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If you love our work, consider becoming a Patreon or sharing a cup of virtual Ko-Fi!
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Aug 17, 2020
Volunteer-led LGBTQ Tours with Dan Vo
In Episode 14, I speak to Dan Vo, Founder of the award-winning LGBTQ+ volunteer-led tours at the V&A.
More info: https://thewonderhouse.co.uk/dan-vo
Support The Wonder House
* One time cup of virtual coffee
* Regular donation via Patreon
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jul 28, 2020
Coffee & Catch Up with Prof. Margot Finn
Today, I'm chatting to Margot Finn, Professor of Modern British History at UCL and President of the Royal Historical Society.
Margot tells me about the two new schemes that the Royal Historical Society have set up to help UK-based early career researchers (ECRs) in History:
* RHS Adams Matthew Digital Collections Subscriptions
* RHS COVID-10 Hardship Grants for UK Early Career Historians
You can also make a donation to the RHS hardship fund through their JustGiving page, which will also go towards supporting Early Career Researchers.
You may remember that I first interviewed Margot in Episode 6 of The Wonder House podcast about the Society’s Race, Ethnicity and Equality in UK History Report. Since speaking to Margot this summer, the Society has advertised a new post-doctoral position to support and continue the Society’s equalities work, with an especial focus on race and ethnicity. The application deadline is 5th of August 2020:
* Past & Present Postdoctoral Fellowship: Race, Ethnicity & Equality in History
Support The Wonder House
* One time cup of virtual coffee
* Regular donation via Patreon
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jul 27, 2020
Coffee & Catch Up with Thanh Sinden
For today's Coffee & Catch Up, I'm chatting to Thanh Sinden, Chair of the Museum Detox Executive Committee, and museum consultant.
We talked about work, family and health, as well as a recent Museum Detox survey about the impact lockdown had on its members, and the Museum Detox Hardship Fund – to which people from across the sector have donated so generously.
This Hardship Fund has reopened, so if you'd like to make a donation, you can through this link - Museum Detox GoFundMe.
Support The Wonder House
* One time cup of virtual coffee
* Regular donation via Patreon
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jul 17, 2020
Coaching for a challenging time with Gaylene Gould
Today, I'm speaking to Gaylene Gould, Creative Director of The Space to Come and coach. I am drawing on her coaching expertise in this episode.
The question I put to Gaylene was: How do we go about planning in an environment of almost total uncertainty on every possible level?
Starting with the point that change is the only thing that is constant, and with the idea of self compassion at its heart, Gaylene suggests ways in which we can harness this moment to reevaluate our key priorities, motivations and, importantly, find a way to sit still in a time of uncertainty.
Support The Wonder House
* One time cup of virtual coffee
* Regular donation via Patreon
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jul 15, 2020
Coffee and Catch-up with Sara Wajid
After a sudden, scary lockdown, I wanted to check in on the lovely people I interviewed in Season 1. Today, I’m chatting to Sara Wajid, Head of Engagement at the Museum of London. We talked about taking long walks, looking at beautiful flowers and getting through this time as best we can - one piña colada ice lolly at a time!
I hope you enjoy this light-hearted break from the world.
Support The Wonder House
* One time cup of virtual coffee
* Regular donation via Patreon
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jul 8, 2020
Coffee & Catch-up with Subhadra Das
After a sudden, scary lockdown, I wanted to check in on the lovely people I interviewed in Season 1. For the first episode of Coffee & Catch Up, I caught up with Subhadra Das, Curator of the Science Collections at UCL and part-time freelancer.
I hope you enjoy this light-hearted break from the world.
Support The Wonder House
* One time cup of virtual coffee
* Regular donation via Patreon
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jul 2, 2020
Reconnecting: Protests, Breaking Barriers & Windrush Waves with Arike Oke
In Episode 8, I catch up with Arike Oke, Director of the Black Cultural Archives. Arike talks about the BCA’s response to the Black Lives Matter protests, including the creation of a new Black Lives Matter digital archive. We also talk about the Stories of Black Leadership II: Breaking Barriers exhibition that was on display at BCA and which has now been made available on their website. Arike tells me about the series of online events that BCA brought together in recognition of the annual Windrush Day that is on June 22.
Support The Wonder House
* One time cup of virtual coffee
* Regular donation via Patreon
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jun 29, 2020
Decolonising the archives with Arike Oke
In Episode 7, I speak to Arike Oke, Director of the Black Cultural Archives. We talk about the people-centred core values that Arike brings to her work and the resilience required to push forward a challenging agenda of change to an organisation.
Support The Wonder House
* One time cup of virtual coffee
* Regular donation via Patreon
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Feb 17, 2020
Help us with the British Podcast Awards!
After an amazing reception for Season 1 of The Wonder House, we have decided to enter the *British Podcast Awards*!!
To do this, let us know on Twitter: What are your favourite clips from Episodes 1-6?
If you'd like a recap, listen to Subhadra Das, Miranda Lowe, Sara Wajid, Rachael Minott, Sadiah Qureshi and Margot Finn again here: https://thewonderhouse.co.uk/podcasts
Jan 27, 2020
Race, Ethnicity and Equality Report in UK History with Margot Finn
In Episode 6, I speak to Margot Finn, Professor of Modern British History at UCL and President of the Royal Historical Society ('RHS') about the Race, Ethnicity & Equality Report in UK History and The East India Company at Home, 1757-1857 project.
**Support us on Patreon!!** https://www.patreon.com/TheWonderHouse
Follow Margot @EICatHome
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jan 20, 2020
Race, Display and Empire with Sadiah Qureshi
In Episode 5, I speak to Dr Sadiah Qureshi, Senior Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Birmingham, about: 1) the Royal Historical Society's Race, Ethnicity & Equality Report; 2) NPG exhibition George Catlin: American Indian Portraits; 3) Sadiah's book Peoples on Parade.
**Support us on Patreon!!** https://www.patreon.com/TheWonderHouse
Follow Sadiah @SadiahQureshi
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Jan 13, 2020
Decolonising museum practice with Rachael Minott
In Episode 4, I speak to Rachael Minott, Inclusion and Change Manager at The National Archives, board member of the Museums Association and visual artist working on Jamaican national representation as a form of artistic exploration. We talk about how Rachael’s artistic practice informs her curatorial work, including in the recent exhibition ‘The Past Is Now’ (2017) held at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
**Support us on Patreon!!** https://www.patreon.com/TheWonderHouse
Follow Rachael @RachaelMinott
Presented/Produced by Sushma Jansari @TheWonderHouse
Produced by Nick Harris @2ndThoughtTank
Nov 20, 2019
The past has never been more present with Sara Wajid
In Episode 3, I speak to Sara Wajid, Head of Engagement at the Museum of London, about her sector-changing approach to 'The Past Is Now' (2017) exhibition at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Infused throughout our conversation are references to Museum Detox, a networking group for BAME professionals in museums and heritage that we are both members of and which Sara co-founded when she was working at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.
We talk about how Sara brings her journalism and literary studies background to inject powerful storytelling into the projects she works on to explore and further develop decolonial methodology in a museum and display context. A key part of this approach is the two-way collaboration between people who work in museums and members of the wider community, including artists and activists, and the 'emotional sledgehammer' this type of work can bring to a display like 'The Past Is Now'.
Experimentation and the freedom to fail is so important and…
Nov 13, 2019
Nature Read in Black and White with Miranda Lowe
In Episode 2, I speak to Miranda Lowe, Principal Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the Natural History Museum – and, yes, I ask her what ‘invertebrate zoology’ means! I have long been inspired by Miranda’s work unearthing stories about the important contributions that people of colour have made to the study of natural history and science, as well as associated collecting and collections, over the centuries. Miranda does not keep this knowledge within the narrow boundaries of academia or museums but, instead, she presents her research in many different ways to many different audiences.
Recently, Miranda distilled her extensive knowledge and experience into an article she co-authored with Subhadra Das – I spoke to Subhadra about her work in Episode 1. The title of the article is: ‘Nature Read in Black and White: decolonial approaches to interpreting natural history collections’, Journal of Natural Science Collections, Vol.6, pp.4-14. It is fundamentally changing the way n…
Nov 6, 2019
BRICKS + MORTALS: Marie Stopes, and How Eugenics Was Going to Make the World a Better Place
Subhadra Das has kindly let us share the first episode of Bricks + Mortals, a history of eugenics told through a walking tour of UCL's buildings. While Marie Stopes is widely celebrated as a feminist icon and champion of birth control, this episode explores her eugenic motivations which are less well-known.
Link to all of the Bricks + Mortals episodes - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/projects/bricks-mortals
Presented/Written by Subhadra Das
Produced by Cerys Bradley
Nov 6, 2019
Challenging the narrative, one building at a time with Subhadra Das
To kick off this new series, I speak to Subhadra Das (@LittleGaudy), Curator of the Science Collections at UCL. Subhadra is doing some really exciting work re-assessing UCL’s scientific and natural history collections and bringing them to wider public knowledge in new and innovative ways – from not-so-traditional exhibitions and gallery interventions, to stand-up comedy shows.
For more info: https://thewonderhouse.co.uk/episode-1-subhadra-das-bricks-mortals
Produced by Sushma Jansari (@TheWonderHouse) & Nick Harris (@2ndThoughtTank)