Museum present and useful. Conference for teachers

Why does the presence of art in everyday life and work with students make sense? How can a museum's collection affect our psyche and even how we feel pain? Can the museum also be present outside its premises? What tools to use to freely use and be inspired by art? Do you need specialist knowledge to do this?

In our conferences, we usually try to find answers to similar questions in order to encourage people working with children and young people to include art in their activities and to use the collections of museums and cultural institutions. This time we will present further methods and tools, we will tell you about the new project hidden in the title of the conference and we will share our experiences. We invite you!

from 15:00 — Registration | hall in the Main Building of the National Academy of Sciences

15:30 — Official opening of the conference — Tomasz Ostrowski — Deputy Director for Strategy and Communication of the National Academy of Sciences and Marta Hernik — Head of the Education Department of the National Academy of Sciences

15:45 — Opening lecture Psychology, Art and Life

Conducted by Prof. Przemysław Bąbel

Psychologist, full professor at the Institute of Psychology of the Jagiellonian University and vice-dean for scientific affairs at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University. He is one of the most influential scientists in the world, having been ranked three times by Stanford University and Elsevier's 2% of the most cited scientists. His research has been featured in “The New York Times,” “New York Magazine,” CBS News, and “The Sunday Times.” He is the author of more than 160 scientific publications and more than 100 popular science, including the books “12 principles of effective education. How to teach in order to teach?” and “Memory training. Coach's Handbook”. He collaborated in the creation of the books “Children and Art” and “Teenagers and Art”. In his latest bestselling book, “The War on Psychotherapy. Between science, practice, business and politics” combines the popularization of psychological knowledge with essays on Caravaggio's painting. Art for him is the experience of what is difficult to describe in words.

16:15 — Presence. Survey of young audiences — about research in the field of needs analysis and deepening knowledge about expectations, preferences and ways of perceiving art by children and adolescents.

Hosted by: Anna Orzeł

A graduate of the Art History of the Jagiellonian University and a museum educator. She graduated from the Fine Arts High School in Bydgoszcz. He has been working at the National Museum in Krakow since 2010. It creates educational programs accompanying permanent and temporary exhibitions for different groups of recipients. Co-curator of the experimental exhibition “The Power of the Museum” dedicated to the perception of art and the ways of its experience by the public. He currently leads the Partnership Action Team in the Education Department. In her professional work, she is interested in the relationship between people participating in the educational process. He likes to create alternative routes of exploration. What pleases her the most is the flash in the eye of the visitor, surprised by the unexpected change of roles. Privately a lover of gardening and mountain trips.

Art for her is a mysterious interweaving of people, emotions and ideas that can delight, surprise and lead to depth.

Conducted by: dr Agnieszka Szymczak

Cultural manager, researcher, PhD in the field of social sciences in the discipline of management and quality science. She works as an assistant professor at the Institute of Culture of the Jagiellonian University. Member of ICOM and the Committee on Culture and Media Management of the Polish Academy of Skills. She is a co-founder of the Institute for Research of Cultural Organizations IBOK, and in the first years of its activity she served as treasurer and vice president. In the years 2004-2022 she worked at the Krakow Museum, where she was engaged in fundraising, promotion and management support. In the years 2008 — 2015, she headed the Strategy and Development Section and coordinated the creation and implementation of subsequent development strategies of the Museum. Scholarship holder of the Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport in the competition for creative scholarships and scholarships in the field of dissemination of culture for 2021 (project “Private museums. Management and Financing”).

Art for her is beauty, respite and an element of heritage that I deal with professionally.

16:35 — Art Terenowa — about the MNK project aimed at teachers and students from smaller towns, which aims to increase participation in culture by embedding museum content in a local, well-known context and strengthening teachers' competence in activating children around art.

Hosted by: Jagoda Gumińska-Oleksy

A graduate of art education at the Faculty of Art at the University of the National Education Commission in Cracow. She works in the Education Department of the National Museum in Krakow, where she co-creates educational offers for children, families, adults, schools and other groups of recipients and implements educational projects. He conducts trainings and workshops on art and museum education. She is the author of Tales of Objects, or fairy tales overheard in the museum, co-author of Trochębajek about Jan Matejka, as well as materials and educational paths accompanying the exhibitions. Awarded by the Children's University in the “Lecturer of the Year” plebiscite, winner of the “Meritorious for Polish Culture” award.

For her, art is a respite and a rescue, and sometimes a door to a safer world hidden in the wall.

16:55 — Here and Now — about an educational and relaxation tool supporting attentive and reflective communication with art to deepen contact with one's emotions, develop awareness of the need for rest and take care of mental well-being.

Hosted by: Anna Berkowicz

She works in the Partnership Projects Team in the Education Department of the National Museum in Krakow. Engaged in cooperation with business partners and third sector organizations. She leads projects in European consortia, coordinated the Spektrum project. She works at the intersection of museum education and the social responsibility of the cultural sector, official coordinator for ESG at MNK — initiatives in the field of social, environmental and management responsibility. Graduated in philosophy and curatorial studies. Advocate for new forms of education for wider access to culture.

Art for her is the language of communication.

Hosted by: Anna Stypuła

Graduate of psychology at the Jagiellonian University. Professionally associated with the CRESCO Child and Family Development Center in Krakow, where she works therapeutically with schoolchildren and adolescents, conducting parental consultations, performing psychological examinations and dealing with the diagnosis of children and adolescents, especially non-neuroatypical (on the autism spectrum and with ADHD). Her professional experience includes: psychological work in kindergartens of various educational profiles, in primary school, at a university, in her own office, participation in scientific research, conducting trainings and workshops for children, parents and specialists, creating publications. She is currently pursuing a four-year school of psychotherapy in the cognitive-behavioral current. Her curiosity about people and the world makes her invariably fond and fascinated by itswork. He is looking for new knowledge and methods of work that are useful to customers. One of her discoveries in this area is the elements of working with the body, related to mindfulness or relaxation.

Art for her is a wonderful and extremely enjoyable way to explore worlds and experiences — other people and her own. It is also a very effective therapeutic and self-therapeutic “tool”.

17:15 — Discussion and closing of the plenary session (including evaluation)

18:00 — Coffee break and receipt of certificates

18:30 — Workshops: Self-knowledge, empathy, mindfulness — how to develop them with “Here and Now” cards

School is a place where people involved in both the learning and teaching process spend a great deal of time. In addition to acquiring knowledge, they acquire and develop social skills. During the workshop we will creatively use the “Here and Now” cards and with their help develop relationships with oneself (self-knowledge), with the people around (in which empathy helps) and with the whole environment (that is, mindfulness). These are the first such original cards on the Polish market, we invite you to co-create the first experiences with their use.

Hosted by: Monika Witalis

Historian, cultural scholar, educator at MNK Kraków, teacher in high school and primary school. Co-author of educational publications, most recently (2025) from the international project B-Shapes organized by the European Network Memory and Solidarity. Co-author of many international educational projects under the Erasmus programme. Teaches by design method. It combines history and art in teaching.

Art, for her, is the answer to chaos.

18:30 — Visiting exhibitions: Obywatelka Cepelia and In the mirror of Dante. Temptation and warning

Do you have any questions? Coordination of the event: Katarzyna Maziarz-Górka and Jagoda Gumińska-Oleksy: szkolawmuzeum@mnk.pl

The Current and Useful Museum project is implemented in cooperation with the PZU Foundation