Object Handling "Talking Tables" Project Training at Weston Park Museum 🖐️

This week, I took part in training for Sheffield Museums’ Talking Tables project — an interactive visitor engagement initiative designed to bring handling objects directly into the galleries. This session introduced the core principles of safe object handling, inclusive engagement, and the vital role volunteers play in creating welcoming, hands-on museum experiences.

The session began with an introduction to the purpose of Talking Tables: using museum objects to spark conversation, exploration, and curiosity. Volunteers sit within gallery spaces — at Weston Park Museum, with Kelham Island Museum — offering visitors the chance to pick up real objects and learn through touch.

The training focused on:

• 👐 Safe handling techniques, ensuring objects are cared for responsibly while keeping visitors comfortable and confident.

• 🏺 Understanding object significance, from materials and context to what stories they can help tell.

• 🌻 Inclusive facilitation, encouraging conversations with visitors of all ages and backgrounds.

• 🛒 Setting up a handling session, from collecting the trolley to choosing objects that work well for discussion.

• 👀 Monitoring object safety, remaining aware of where items are, how they’re being handled, and supporting visitors respectfully.

• 📦 Packing down, returning objects and equipment properly after each session.

We also discussed practical elements: wayfinding support, assisting with visitor queries, and contributing to the overall experience of Sheffield Museums’ spaces.

Talking Tables is an important part of the trusts' accessibility and engagement offer, allowing visitors to interact with collections in an informal, memorable way. For many, handling objects can:

• Build confidence in museums

• Encourage deeper curiosity

• Support hands-on learning

• Create moments of personal connection with the past

For volunteers, the training offers the chance to develop practical and interpersonal skills — from object handling and informal interpretation to communication and visitor care.

I’ll soon be delivering Talking Tables sessions across Weston Park Museum and Kelham Island Museum. I’m excited to put this training into practice, share stories with visitors, and support Sheffield Museums’ mission to make heritage accessible, engaging, and meaningful.

This experience also aligns directly with my curatorial aspirations, giving me hands-on experience with objects, interpretation, and public engagement — all essential skills for a future role in the museum and heritage sector.

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