Rosie Fuller: Museum learning and public engagement

About Rosie

A woman rolling down a grassy hill. Families are playing on the grass in the background.

My work is mostly museum-based, focussing on learning through objects, places, and stories. I began my career as an archaeologist, and this has led me in all sorts of different directions: to archives, heritage, the built environment, art galleries, gardens, universities and STEM.

I often work with archaeology, anthropology and social history collections. I also work with art and design collections; as well as medical, science and engineering collections; and academics and their research.

I live in London, and divide my time between being a desk-based consultant (writing, developing workshops, managing projects); and a freelance facilitator (leading workshops, giving tours, teaching). So in the picture above I am rolling down a hill and it is work.

Writing

I research and write content for websites and printed materials such as teachers’ packs and family trails. Examples include:

National Portrait Gallery’s schools hub
Writing new learning resources for Key Stages (KS) 1-4; adapting and repurposing existing content; writing titles and blurbs; and alt text picture descriptions for screen readers.

Art UK’s learning portal
Writing lesson plans and activities for KS 1-4. Using the Content Management System to upload resources. Working with content created by partner museums and galleries, and audio descriptions by VocalEyes. Consulting with teachers on the content they want to see on the site.

Unit meeting activities for Girlguiding
Writing activities for unit meetings and badges based on girls’ suggestions and tested by girls.

Family backpacks
I worked with a botanical garden to develop a set of activity cards and a “tool kit” for visitors under five to use as they explore, learn and have fun in the garden with their parents and carers.

Video resources for UCL Culture
Devising and filming short videos (starring museum staff and objects) for primary teachers to use in the classroom, and writing supporting resources.

Online activities for Imperial College, London
Devising and writing preparatory activities for a Public Engagement course for undergraduates. I worked with the team at ICL to create interactive content and tasks that students can complete online, using HP5.

Co-created resources for London Transport Museum
Working with local primary schools to evaluate on-site sessions and devise downloadable pre-and post-visit activities.

Teaching History with 100 Objects
Bringing together input from curatorial and learning teams to write resources, information and teaching ideas focussed on objects from museums across the UK.

Workshops and tours

I devise and deliver workshops, tours and public engagement activities which might include object-handling, making, storytelling or play. My sessions inspire curiosity and creativity, and spark discussion and enquiry. I like to facilitate learning through exploration and practical discovery – asking lots of questions and getting hands-on.

Examples of workshops I have developed and delivered include:

Audio description

I write and lead audio description tours for blind and partially sighted visitors to museums. I currently deliver tours at the British Museum. I have led tours at the National Portrait Gallery, and have also written alt text for screen readers describing images on their website.

Public engagement events

In 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024 I managed the Family Zone of the Great Exhibition Road Festival, an art and STEM festival led by Imperial College, London in partnership with museums and organisations in South Kensington including the V&A, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Royal Parks. The weekend-long festival is attended by over 50,000 people per year.

You can watch the highlights from the festival in 2023, and there is lots of lovely footage of the family zone in this video: Science and the Arts Flourish at the Great Exhibition Road Festival 2024 . In 2020 and 2021, when everyone was mostly staying indoors, I worked with the Public Engagement team at Imperial to plan and deliver live online events.

After several rewarding years of looking after a large, busy and complex festival zone I no longer work in a zone manager role, but I will bring my experience and expertise to smaller scale roles and projects. This includes:

  • Copywriting text for web and print, including event blurbs.
  • Curating, editing and supporting the development of activity packs.
  • Creating visual stories.
  • Co-ordinating relaxed sessions for neurodivergent visitors.
  • Training and supporting researchers to engage with families.
  • Briefing and co-ordinating volunteers.
  • Fostering collaborations between artists and researchers.
  • Evaluation.
  • Methodical, practical event planning, risk assessment, event management, and calm, resilient, cheerful troubleshooting.

Projects

Consultancy projects have included:

A fascinating summer collecting evaluation data for Royal Museums Greenwich during their holiday family programme. This included structured observation; conducting interviews; and collecting feedback through surveys.

I worked in partnership with the British Museum and a local college towards a Museum Takeover Day. I prepared and ran a series of workshops with college students and supported the students on Takeover Day when they delivered hands-on activities for primary school groups at the museum.

The photo at the top of this page is from a project I ran for Kenwood House with families who attended a children’s centre, producing a book of photographs and activity ideas. I planned our sessions in consultation with children’s centre staff; led the sessions; supported families as they took photos and devised content for the book; put the book together; and, crucially, taught families how to roll down the hill at Kenwood.

Need some words to promote an activity?

If you are looking for some information about me to include in marketing or signage copy, my bio page is for you!