This 2023 - 2026 partnership with the National Trust supported conversations about colonial artefacts and global histories with staff, volunteers and visitors.
Heritage Sites
The Tiger Hunt: Philosophical Enquiry with the National Trust
Critical conservation
Thoughtful began working with Attingham Park in 2023 as part of a project to conserve a rare early nineteenth-century French wallpaper depicting scenes from colonised India. Known as The Tiger Hunt, this striking piece became the catalyst for the entire project, sparking philosophical dialogue and creative exploration around themes such as colonialism, pride, culture, appropriation, and homeland. These themes resonate deeply with visitors of all ages and backgrounds, yet require thoughtful, sensitive engagement.
Heritage enquiry
To explore how such conversations might unfold, staff from Attingham Park and Kedleston Hall took part in two days of training followed by an online workshop. Together, we developed what we called Heritage Enquiry: a collaborative approach to thinking about heritage artworks, artefacts, and architecture. The training created space to reflect on some of the contested issues within the National Trust’s work, while also introducing practical tools to help staff engage volunteers and visitors in more open, curious, and meaningful conversations.
Building on this foundation – and in response to participant feedback – staff were invited to take part in a large-scale event at Calke Abbey Here, volunteers were introduced to the same themes and conversational approaches over the course of a day. This provided a valuable opportunity for staff to observe how volunteers engaged with complex ideas, while also developing their own confidence in facilitating enquiry-based discussions.
Curating curiosity
Inspired by the training, the Attingham team began incorporating philosophical techniques into the visitor experience. They curated new ways of engaging with The Tiger Hunt, alongside an installation of three plinths displaying artefacts accompanied by thought-provoking questions written by the team. These interventions encouraged visitors not just to observe, but to reflect, question, and connect.
Three plinths with philosophical provocations displayed at Attingham Hall
Wonder workshops
Throughout 2024, the Attingham team received further support to deliver four Wonder Workshops for volunteers. These shorter, two-hour sessions introduced key skills in a more accessible format, helping volunteers feel more confident engaging visitors in thoughtful dialogue. This ongoing coaching aimed not only to build individual confidence, but also to embed these facilitation skills more widely – equipping staff to share and sustain this approach across their teams.
Feedback from participants highlighted the impact of this work:
“It was very useful to consider my role from a different vantage point – philosophical enquiry rather than information provider. I felt stimulated to review and reflect on my usual way of thinking.”
“I found the workshop very interesting. The content and activities were excellent and relevant. It would be a valuable addition to training offered to volunteers throughout the National Trust.”
“The workshop was very relevant to our role and made me realise I should stop shying away from controversy.”
“Extremely interesting – this will be invaluable to upcoming projects, particularly the Regency wallpaper we’re preparing to display.”
“It was refreshing to discuss ideas with colleagues and explore useful approaches to both people and artefacts.”
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to converse creatively with staff and other volunteers – something that doesn’t usually happen. Similar workshops would be very useful.”
“I would like to see this rolled out across the National Trust.”
To conclude this phase of the project, Helen Rowse and Simran Sandhu took part in a roundtable discussion at the 2024 SAPERE conference, reflecting on what has been learned through the partnership so far and looking ahead to future possibilities.
Engaging schools
In June 2025, Dr Grace Lockrobin returned to Attingham Park for a workshop with secondary school students from Telford. Together we used philosophical enquiry techniques to tease out themes and ask questions inspired by The Tiger Hunt wallpaper and the National Trust’s decision to conserve it. These initially shy students, none of whom had visited the site previously, grew in confidence across the day and ended the workshop with a powerful discussion about racist stereotypes and the balance to be struck between facing them and perpetuating them.
You can read a full account of the workshop in this blog written by Grace.
Challenging conversations
In January 2026, Thoughtful trainers Rosie Wilson and Dr Grace Lockrobin, developed the project further with an event at Kedleston Hall for staff and volunteers.
This workshop explored how philosophical enquiry can help heritage organisations engage visitors with complex and contested histories. Developed to support staff and volunteers preparing for How Did We Get Here?, Kedleston Hall’s exhibition of Tibetan artefacts from Lord Curzon’s collection, the workshop examined the journeys these objects have taken and the historical, cultural, and ethical questions they raise. Created in collaboration with members of the Tibetan community in Britain and accompanied by Encounters, a film by British-Tibetan artist Nyima Murry, the exhibition invites visitors to consider previously untold stories surrounding the collection.
Using philosophical dialogue, participants explored themes including ownership, looting, heritage, justice, repatriation, cultural appropriation, conservation, and the legacy of empire. Alongside these substantive issues, the workshop developed participants’ skills in facilitating open, inclusive, and non-directive conversations, equipping staff and volunteers to support thoughtful public dialogue about difficult histories and the contemporary relevance of heritage collections.
