Jazz, Creativity, and Imagination: A conversation with Dr. Bill Banfield and Vaughan Bradley-Willemann
Big and Little Podcast
In this next episode of the Big & Little Podcast’s Creativity Series, two music professionals dive into the transformative power of jazz music and its impact on children and communities. Vaughan Bradley-Willemann, lifelong Violinist and Boston Children’s Museum’s Senior Director of Arts and Social Impact, sits down with composer, professor, author, and conductor of the Jazz Urbane Collective, Dr. Bill Banfield, to uncover the magic that happens when young minds engage with the art of improvisation and musical expression. Discover how jazz music sparks children’s imagination, the...
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Captivating Creations with Bernie Zubrowski
Big and Little Podcast
has dedicated his career to science education, both in and outside of the classroom. He has contributed to science curricula at the Education Development Center and designed numerous children's science books, exhibits, traveling exhibits during his time at Boston’s Children’s Museum, including Bubbles and Raceways. Beyond science education, Bernie has spent the last 25 years designing and exhibiting kinetic sculptures, continuing to inspire creativity and scientific exploration. In this next Creativity Series episode, Museum President and CEO Carole Charnow interviews Bernie about...
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Music as Expression, Exploration, and Celebration
Big and Little Podcast
In this fifth installment of our Creativity Series, Carole Charnow, the Museum’s President and CEO interviews Ashleigh Gordon the co-founder, Artistic Director, and violist of Castle of our Skins, a Boston-based concert and educational series devoted to celebrating Black Artistry through music. Carole and Ashleigh discuss the intersections between music, education, and creative expression, the inspiration behind founding Castle of our Skins, and how to encourage musical exposure and exploration for children. Learn more about Castle of our Skins at:
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Lifelong Kindergarten, Lifelong Creativity
Big and Little Podcast
Today on the show, Boston Children’s Museum President and CEO Carole Charnow interviews in the next installment of our Creativity Series. Mitch Resnick is the LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research at the MIT Media Lab and develops new technologies and activities to engage people (particularly children) in creative learning experiences. His Lifelong Kindergarten research group developed the Scratch programming software and online community, used by millions of young people around the world. Carole talks with Mitch about his new project , the value of Kindergarten style learning,...
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Creativity through collaboration
Big and Little Podcast
The Museum’s Creativity Series continues with a conversation on the importance of connection, collaboration, and community. Through a grant from LEGO, called the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network, institutions across the country were tasked with creating a community of practice that focused on playful learning Joining us today are three representatives from LEGO’s community of practice who connected over a shared interest in Tinkering Inventive Playsets, Nick Villagra from the , Michael Wong from the , and Brendan Takenaga from . Tune in to learn about how a community of practice...
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A creative platform for the children, by the children, of the children
Big and Little Podcast
The Children's Art Museum of India, or CAMI for short, is an online platform and virtual Museum space that enables young artists to submit their art and share their creativity worldwide. Manya and Krish founded CAMI in 2022 when they were 14 and 12 years old, respectively. Since then, the two have been working tirelessly to create and expand CAMI’s reach and continue to carve out this important space for children’s creativity. What began as a local initiative for Indian children to share their art has since grown into an increasingly global movement. Today on the show, Carole Charnow, the...
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Cultivating the Components of Creativity
Big and Little Podcast
We’re bringing some creative exploration to the podcast with a special Creativity Series! Our first guest, Laura Petrovich-Cheney, is an artist, maker, educator, and the Museum’s current Gallery artist. Her exhibit, Weathered Shapes, Wooden Quilts brings together the traditional crafts of wood sculpture and quilt making to show the potential of rebuilding and hope. In today’s episode the Museum’s President and CEO Carole Charnow talks with Laura about the inspiration behind her art, the key components of creativity, and advice for parents, caregivers, and educators! Learn more about...
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Bringing light to the world through stories
Big and Little Podcast
In today's episode, Boston Children’s Museum’s Vice President of External Relations, Charlayne Murrell-Smith talks with Research Scientist, Technologist, Filmmaker, Architect, and Educator, Topper Carew. Topper recounts his experience growing up in Roxbury, starting out as an architect and filmmaker, and his advice for crafting compelling stories. Listeners may be familiar with Topper from his popular TV sitcom Martin, but it might surprise you to learn of his rich and varied experiences beyond the film industry. Later in the episode, we also discuss his upcoming project, This Little...
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Designing for Play
Big and Little Podcast
How do we design for play? For two decades Cas Holman has been designing playthings and playspaces that encourage exploration, imagination, and collaboration. Through her company Heroes Will Rise, Cas creates intuitive toys that inspire creative, open-ended play, including the award-winning , a line of playful building kits used in schools and public spaces worldwide - and our very own Boston Children's Museum. An educator of 13 years and former Associate Professor of Industrial Design at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Cas travels the globe to collaborate with thought and industry...
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Lifting Our Communities UpTogether
Big and Little Podcast
What happens when we're given the resources and freedom to choose where our money goes? Tune in to find out. In this episode, the Museum's President and CEO Carole Charnow talks with Jesús Gerena, the CEO of , about the importance of investing and putting trust in the people we serve. UpTogether is a national organization on a mission to change policies, systems, and underlying beliefs so that all people in the United States are seen and supported. Leaning into our community, social networks, and relationships can make more of a difference than we might think. By investing in people from...
info_outlineThe Museum’s Creativity Series continues with a conversation on the importance of connection, collaboration, and community. Through a grant from LEGO, called the LEGO Playful Learning Museum Network, institutions across the country were tasked with creating a community of practice that focused on playful learning
Joining us today are three representatives from LEGO’s community of practice who connected over a shared interest in Tinkering Inventive Playsets, Nick Villagra from the Connecticut Science Center, Michael Wong from the Exploratorium, and Brendan Takenaga from Boston Children’s Museum. Tune in to learn about how a community of practice operates, where creativity exists in our work, the power of inspiration, half-baked ideas, open communication between peers, and more!
Learn more about this partnership on the Exploratorium Blog. Or connect with our guests by emailing Nick at [email protected], Michael at [email protected], or Brendan at [email protected].