Museum as Lab, with Ann Neumann

What if we're doing community engagement ... wrong?

How long should the process really take for a museum or exhibition? What’s the difference between demographics and psychographics? What does it mean to “move at the pace of community”? Why do community engagement experts sometimes cringe when they hear the word “charrette”? And what exactly does “community” mean?

Nu Goteh (Founder and Principal of ROOM FOR MAGIC, and Co-Founder of Deem Journal) joins MtM host Jonathan Alger (Managing Partner, C&G Partners) to discuss “Community Engagement Misconceptions.”
Along the way: Red Bull, lived experience experts, and Burnt Caramel Cookie Crumble.
Talking Points:
1. What Does Community Mean?

2. Moving at the Pace of Community

3. Engagement Isn’t Free

4. Finding Partner Organizations

5. Charrettes Are One Tactic (They’re Not a Strategy)

6. The Inherent Tensions

7. The Ice Cream Test

How to Listen:
Listen on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/making-the-museum/id1674901311Listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/6oP4QJR7yxv7Rs7VqIpI1GListen at Making the Museum, the Website:https://www.makingthemuseum.com/podcastLinks to Every Podcast Service, via Transistor:https://makingthemuseum.transistor.fm/
Guest Bio:
Hi, I’m Nu—a designer, strategist, and educator dancing between design, culture, pedagogy and socially-engaged art. My practice integrates and reframes design beyond aesthetics. I’m interested in how design can serve as a catalyst for meaningful social change, informed by my Liberian heritage and a commitment to counter-culture ideals. I believe in the regenerative power of creativity to reimagine what is possible and to shape more inclusive and sustainable futures.
As the Founder and Principal of ROOM FOR MAGIC (studio practice) and the Co-Founder of Deem Journal (research & narrative practice), I see design as more than a tool—it's a language that connects people, places, and histories, offering pathways to restore and reshape the world. For me, design carries within it the life of communities, the rhythm of culture, and the potential for social regeneration.
I am passionate about creating projects that not only spark imagination but also nurture a sense of being, becoming and belonging. Whether building platforms for dialogue or designing systems for change, I am driven by a vision of community-focused spaces that invite others to participate, collaborate, and thrive. Design, at its best, becomes a bridge—a way to reclaim agency and envision new possibilities.

About Making the Museum:
Making the Museum is hosted (podcast) and written (newsletter) by Jonathan Alger. This podcast is a project of C&G Partners | Design for Culture.
Learn more about the creative work of C&G Partners:
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/

Links for This Episode:
Nu via Email:

[email protected]

Room for Magic:https://www.roomformagic.com

Nu’s Personal Website:
https://www.nugoteh.com

Deem Journal:

https://www.deemjournal.com

@deemjournal (Instagram)

Links for Making the Museum, the Podcast:
Contact Making the Museum:
https://www.makingthemuseum.com/contactHost Jonathan Alger, Managing Partner of C&G Partners, on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanalgerEmail Jonathan Alger:
[email protected]C&G Partners | Design for Culture:
https://www.cgpartnersllc.com/ Making the Museum, the Newsletter:
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