Andy Whincup
My career in learning began in the 1990s as a Young Archaeologist Club leader at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow and has taken me to such places as Hartlepool, Winchester and Portsmouth. I have designed and delivered learning on a broad range of themes from dinosaurs to Northern Ireland and environmental archaeology to storytelling.
Over the years I have developed and honed my learning craft, boiling it down to some simple concepts.
If I can’t enthuse about it then why should anyone else?
I have developed a delivery style that is energetic and infectiously positive about learning. After all, If I can’t be excited about something, why should anyone else care? This delivery style has been honed delivering orienteering in Glasgow, shanty singing in Hartlepool and Remembrance in Portsmouth. I thoroughly enjoy what I do, I love helping people to learn and get a massive kick out of seeing people discover things.
This positive attitude and good humour creates an environment where everyone is encouraged to engage, to be involved and to learn something exciting.
The right learning style for the audience, the time and the place
There is no “one size fits all” solution to learning provision. Different audiences require a different approach. In my career I have developed the strategies to engage with different audiences and the ability to know what is going to work.
A group of year one students on HMS Victory will require a very different approach to a Uniformed Public Services group from a college at the Royal Marines Museum. An environmental science group by a Glasgow canal is a very different proposition to a family audience in Hartlepool.
I can and have designed and delivered successfully to all of these audiences, priding myself on the adaptability of my approach.
Challenge people’s expectations
Many people have the impression that heritage is not for them, that learning is dull and that they’re not interested.
I really enjoy challenging those preconceptions. The Commando mission sessions for families at the Royal Marines Museum challenged the notion that museums are quiet and studious. Sessions aimed at pupil referral units challenged the expectation that history is only for the academic. Shipbuilding sessions in Hartlepool challenged the expectation that science is hard and boring.
One of my proudest legacy is in showing that these museums and subjects are far more inclusive than people think.
Conspicuous competence: know what you’re talking about
Delivering sessions on Royal Marines History to the Royal Marines Advanced Command Course (prospective Sergeant Majors) was a session where I needed to be rock solid in my knowledge as well as my nuance. Designing and delivering Remembrance sessions for schools where many students have service parents required a delicate handling.
I pride myself in knowing my subjects inside-out, understanding the nuances and sensitivities involved in conveying them to people. I bring this approach to every session I design and every group I work with.
