National Docents Symposium Council
Dedicated to providing an ongoing forum for docent education and the exchange of ideas since 1981
Interchange
New Articles in the Series (August 2018)
Wanda Nanibush, AGO Curator, Canadian and Indigenous Art, and Garry Sault, Elder, Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. Inclusion and Diversity - Creating space for multiple and diverse voices
Cultural institutions across North America are working to diversify their audiences and become more inclusive and welcoming places for everyone. The role of the docent or guide is becoming more dynamic. We hope that these articles will provide you with ideas and examples on the training, touring and engagement skills required in this new vision of a cultural place.
New Articles about Inclusion and Diversity Initiatives:
Building Empathy Through Art - Michelle Carpenter, a docent at the Phoenix Art Museum and NDSC Regional Director, shares her experience at a workshop regarding what empathy-building might look and feel like in a museum setting. Read it here.
Inclusion at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) - The AGO is undertaking a number of initiatives to better present Canada's historical and current narratives from multiple perspectives. Fran Bleviss, AGO Gallery Guide and NDSC Regional Director, reports on these efforts to make all of Canada's people feel welcome and included. Read it here.
Find all articles on inclusion and diversity here
Find online resources on inclusion and diversity here
We welcome your docent ideas and experiences. Share them by:
-- submitting an article to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
-- joining the National Docents Forum Facebook group, an interactive forum for docents and guides.
Mina Shea, President, National Docent Symposium Council
More Docent News/Sharing Ideas and Experience
The Docent Handbook 2 - A Must Buy, See Why!
The revised edition of our popular docent handbook - The Docent Handbook 2 - is now available for purchase. This valuable resource for docents, guides and interpreters from museums and cultural institutions of all types in the US and Canada is a stimulating and informative "nuts and bolts" manual.
“this is not an academic treatise but rather a wealth of clearly-presented suggestions any docent can easily incorporate into their own practice".- Mica Meadow, Docent,San Antonio Museum of Art
Read more of Mica's remarks and learn what other purchasers have to say about The Docent Handbook 2
For more information and ordering instructions, click this LINK
Washington, D.C., is an exciting place to visit. Considering attending the next symposium? Learn more about your 2019 hosts, their partners, and the pre-symposium tour venues here.
What is the National Docent Symposium?
Jan Thorman, Regional Director, National Docent Symposium Council (August 2018)
The Directors of the National Docent Symposium Council (NDSC) not only are active docents in their respective cultural institutions but they are frequent and ongoing participants in the symposia over many years. They offer their insight from their experiences at the symposia and how the NDSC offers cultural institutions throughout the United States and Canada an excellent forum for the exchange of new ideas and best practices.
Wondering about what the symposium is and whether you should attend the next one to be held in Washington D.C. in 2019? Get some insider tips from the National Docent Symposium Council members who have attended and benefited from numerous symposia. Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Jan Thorman explains what the National Docent Symposium is.
New Contributions (August 2018)
Many docents are adventurous travelers. We continue a series on docent travels to unique places and interesting museums with a visit to the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, which you can find here.
More New Travel Stories from Docents: A Cultural Journey to British Columbia, A Docent Travels to the Motherland, Dakar, Senegal, A 5-Star LA Art Trip, and A Summer Visit to Calgary.
Find PowerPoint Presentations and Handouts at the Symposia menu tab above or click here
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NDS 2019 Washington D.C.
October 24 - 27, 2019
NDS 2019 has issued a call for workshop and poster session presenters. Find out more here.
