Jon Sleigh
@jonsleigh.bsky.social
Arts Educator & Learning Curator working nationally freelance. All views my own. (he/him) Author of ‘What Are Museums For?’ book link https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/what-are-museums-for
Beautiful day working with my friends at Sheffield Museums on exhibtion development / consultation. Head full of ideas, heart full of sharing and my belly…. full of tea and biscuits 🤓huge thanks to all who joined us today.
October 30, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Beautiful day working with my friends at Sheffield Museums on exhibtion development / consultation. Head full of ideas, heart full of sharing and my belly…. full of tea and biscuits 🤓huge thanks to all who joined us today.
Had THE loveliest time working with my friends at The National Gallery tonight 🙌I was such a lucky chap to be in conversation with Verity Babbs celebrating her wonderful, funny and deeply kind new book.
October 24, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Had THE loveliest time working with my friends at The National Gallery tonight 🙌I was such a lucky chap to be in conversation with Verity Babbs celebrating her wonderful, funny and deeply kind new book.
Uplifting and emotional day with my friends at Culture Leicestershire filming for a piece on the exhibtion ‘Villiers Relvealed’. Could not be more proud to have been its guest curator as I reflect on two years of work, progress and friendship 🥹
October 17, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Uplifting and emotional day with my friends at Culture Leicestershire filming for a piece on the exhibtion ‘Villiers Relvealed’. Could not be more proud to have been its guest curator as I reflect on two years of work, progress and friendship 🥹
Meaningful day working at the National Portrait Gallery on forthcoming exhibtions 🙌 tea, biscuits and ending the day on gallery daydreaming with one of my favorites in the collection - unknown artist c1613 Princess Elizabeth Stuart. I’m always struck by the likeness to her father king James here 👌
October 16, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Meaningful day working at the National Portrait Gallery on forthcoming exhibtions 🙌 tea, biscuits and ending the day on gallery daydreaming with one of my favorites in the collection - unknown artist c1613 Princess Elizabeth Stuart. I’m always struck by the likeness to her father king James here 👌
Very meaningful day working with colleagues at York Museums Trust. Fascinating and important conversations I was honoured to be part of. Plus a wander around the city with a coffee being an architecture detective ☕️ I felt at times like a character in a novel 🤓
October 14, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Very meaningful day working with colleagues at York Museums Trust. Fascinating and important conversations I was honoured to be part of. Plus a wander around the city with a coffee being an architecture detective ☕️ I felt at times like a character in a novel 🤓
Inspiring morning interviewing the magical duo of artist Jermeny Deller and curator Emily Stone to explore the recent piece ‘The Triumph of Art’ c2025 at The National Gallery. A mindful conversation covering folk art, festivals, belonging, class, landscapes and our bodies 🤓🙌
October 10, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Inspiring morning interviewing the magical duo of artist Jermeny Deller and curator Emily Stone to explore the recent piece ‘The Triumph of Art’ c2025 at The National Gallery. A mindful conversation covering folk art, festivals, belonging, class, landscapes and our bodies 🤓🙌
Utterly joyful day working with my friends at Sheffield Museums on an exhibition consultation, using art to express identity. Of the many masterpieces I got to use my hands down favorite is this cheeky Satyr cup, c19 century maker unknown. What a face! 👌thanks to all who joined us
October 9, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Utterly joyful day working with my friends at Sheffield Museums on an exhibition consultation, using art to express identity. Of the many masterpieces I got to use my hands down favorite is this cheeky Satyr cup, c19 century maker unknown. What a face! 👌thanks to all who joined us
Beautiful day hosting ‘Silver Sunday’ at The Wallace Collection - craft, conversation and a tour from me in the Great Gallery set to music and storytelling. I was so moved at how many came and deeply engaged with us, massive thanks! My art highlight today has to be Van Dyke’s Paris c1628 🤓
October 5, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Beautiful day hosting ‘Silver Sunday’ at The Wallace Collection - craft, conversation and a tour from me in the Great Gallery set to music and storytelling. I was so moved at how many came and deeply engaged with us, massive thanks! My art highlight today has to be Van Dyke’s Paris c1628 🤓
Beautiful experience today interviewing acclaimed artist Robert Taylor reading Queerness, class and belonging in uk art collections. Revisiting ‘Permissable Beauty’ c2023 at Historic Royal Palaces was deeply moving, as was our piece in focus ‘Ebony Rose Dark’ picture here ❤️
September 24, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Beautiful experience today interviewing acclaimed artist Robert Taylor reading Queerness, class and belonging in uk art collections. Revisiting ‘Permissable Beauty’ c2023 at Historic Royal Palaces was deeply moving, as was our piece in focus ‘Ebony Rose Dark’ picture here ❤️
If you literally look beyond the politics it’s a reminder of the STUNNING artwork the government has at Chequers 🙌
September 18, 2025 at 6:26 PM
If you literally look beyond the politics it’s a reminder of the STUNNING artwork the government has at Chequers 🙌
Lovely day working with my friends at the National Portrait Gallery full of wonder and sharing 🙌 the ‘magic’ time for me though is wandering the galleries at lunchtime, seeing works and spaces that feel like old chums I’m reunited with ❤️
September 11, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Lovely day working with my friends at the National Portrait Gallery full of wonder and sharing 🙌 the ‘magic’ time for me though is wandering the galleries at lunchtime, seeing works and spaces that feel like old chums I’m reunited with ❤️
Really special morning interviewing the brilliant artist Sunil Gupta exploring the intersection of social class, ethnicity, sexuality and belonging. Our starting point was the deeply moving Untitled #02 from the ‘London 1982’ series pictured at the Government Art Collection pictured here 🙌
August 5, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Really special morning interviewing the brilliant artist Sunil Gupta exploring the intersection of social class, ethnicity, sexuality and belonging. Our starting point was the deeply moving Untitled #02 from the ‘London 1982’ series pictured at the Government Art Collection pictured here 🙌
Session 3/4 of my dementia friendly storytelling residency at The Wallace Collection ❤️ such a mindful afternoon of discovery around Jan Van Huysum ‘Flowers in a Vase’ c1726 pictured here, lovingly remade in clay over tea and laughter ⭐️
July 29, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Session 3/4 of my dementia friendly storytelling residency at The Wallace Collection ❤️ such a mindful afternoon of discovery around Jan Van Huysum ‘Flowers in a Vase’ c1726 pictured here, lovingly remade in clay over tea and laughter ⭐️
LGBTQ+ magic last night with my friends at The National Gallery delivering a members talk on coded messages in art 🌈 a stand out in terms of emotion with the audience was Minerva and Mercury conduct the Duke of Buckingham to the Temple of Virtue Peter Paul Rubens before 1625
June 27, 2025 at 12:02 PM
LGBTQ+ magic last night with my friends at The National Gallery delivering a members talk on coded messages in art 🌈 a stand out in terms of emotion with the audience was Minerva and Mercury conduct the Duke of Buckingham to the Temple of Virtue Peter Paul Rubens before 1625
My lovely dementia friendly residency at The Wallace Collection continues - today an exploration of Rembrandt, light and emotion. Then playful use of pastels and blending. Such a nice vibe! Thanks to our lovely group for joining us in the storytelling and making ⭐️
June 24, 2025 at 5:12 PM
My lovely dementia friendly residency at The Wallace Collection continues - today an exploration of Rembrandt, light and emotion. Then playful use of pastels and blending. Such a nice vibe! Thanks to our lovely group for joining us in the storytelling and making ⭐️
A delightful morning interviewing Dame Kelly Holmes exploring being a sitter for the National Portrait Gallery 💖 together we spoke of becoming national art history, LQBTQ+ togetherness, a shared history of grown up working class, representation and uplifting others.
June 12, 2025 at 1:48 PM
A delightful morning interviewing Dame Kelly Holmes exploring being a sitter for the National Portrait Gallery 💖 together we spoke of becoming national art history, LQBTQ+ togetherness, a shared history of grown up working class, representation and uplifting others.
Two places of worship visited this weekend - both sensational x
May 18, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Two places of worship visited this weekend - both sensational x
Heartwarming day at The Wallace Collection delivering our relaxed dementia friendly opening of the exhibition ‘Delusions of Gradure’ by Grayson Perry - delighted by how many joined us and the emotion we found in the storytelling 🥰 having the gallery to ourselves a huge luxury 🙌
May 6, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Heartwarming day at The Wallace Collection delivering our relaxed dementia friendly opening of the exhibition ‘Delusions of Gradure’ by Grayson Perry - delighted by how many joined us and the emotion we found in the storytelling 🥰 having the gallery to ourselves a huge luxury 🙌
A day working in my beloved brum and chance to see ‘Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White— Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum’ at Birmingham Museums Trust - beautiful, intricate and excellent storytelling.
May 1, 2025 at 2:24 PM
A day working in my beloved brum and chance to see ‘Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White— Prints from the Rembrandt House Museum’ at Birmingham Museums Trust - beautiful, intricate and excellent storytelling.
Lovely prep day working at The Wallace Collection and time in the exhibtion ‘Delusions of Gradure’ by Grayson Perry - fascinating and immersive. Struck a cord with me on many levels, the biggest being how I project myself onto gallery spaces. Loved it 🙌
April 29, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Lovely prep day working at The Wallace Collection and time in the exhibtion ‘Delusions of Gradure’ by Grayson Perry - fascinating and immersive. Struck a cord with me on many levels, the biggest being how I project myself onto gallery spaces. Loved it 🙌
Reading this for work and I have ‘feelings’…. Excellent read and details but the innate privilege of the authors voice keeps snagging with me, especially in some of the expressions. It’s a seemingIy unchallenged confidence that I struggle to connect with. Perhaps I’m projecting. Perhaps not.
April 25, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Reading this for work and I have ‘feelings’…. Excellent read and details but the innate privilege of the authors voice keeps snagging with me, especially in some of the expressions. It’s a seemingIy unchallenged confidence that I struggle to connect with. Perhaps I’m projecting. Perhaps not.
Such a lovely review of my first book with @brisunipress.bsky.social from @gem.org.uk - massive thanks to Katya Provornaya for the immensely kind words 🙌 means so much to me and made me emosh!
April 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Such a lovely review of my first book with @brisunipress.bsky.social from @gem.org.uk - massive thanks to Katya Provornaya for the immensely kind words 🙌 means so much to me and made me emosh!
Double treat today at the Government Art Collection - getting to study / some detective work in the curatorial files of Margaret ‘Peg’ Hughes by William Wissing c1685 plus choccy biscuits and giggles with the wonderful Dr Laura Popoviciu - huge thanks for the time, kindness and care in having me!
April 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Double treat today at the Government Art Collection - getting to study / some detective work in the curatorial files of Margaret ‘Peg’ Hughes by William Wissing c1685 plus choccy biscuits and giggles with the wonderful Dr Laura Popoviciu - huge thanks for the time, kindness and care in having me!
Delicious two days working in London - last night at St Marylebone Parish Church delivering a ‘sense along’ talk featuring the artwork of Benjamin Robert Haydon and then this morning at the National Portrait Gallery delivering a session on actors + playwrights - very lovely audiences in both thanks!
April 10, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Delicious two days working in London - last night at St Marylebone Parish Church delivering a ‘sense along’ talk featuring the artwork of Benjamin Robert Haydon and then this morning at the National Portrait Gallery delivering a session on actors + playwrights - very lovely audiences in both thanks!
A side quest of writing art gallery tours is encountering camp treats such as this book c1950’s. Less of a history resource book and more a case of being ‘sat next to an awful person on the train who won’t stop giving their opinions’… to call this florid is an understatement. Excellent side quest 🤓
March 29, 2025 at 2:53 PM
A side quest of writing art gallery tours is encountering camp treats such as this book c1950’s. Less of a history resource book and more a case of being ‘sat next to an awful person on the train who won’t stop giving their opinions’… to call this florid is an understatement. Excellent side quest 🤓