We Are All Curators Now

At the STRAAT Museum in the Netherlands, Geoff Thatcher and his wife came across a story about Johanna van Polanen, who became a countess at the age of 11.

The museum gave them the outline. But it left out the question they immediately wanted answered: how old was the count she married?

So they did what more and more audiences now do. They took out their phones, asked AI, checked the answer, and filled in the missing context themselves.

That small moment is the heart of this Campfire.

Thatcher’s argument is that AI is changing the balance of power inside museums, attractions, cultural spaces and live experiences. Audiences are no longer just receiving the story chosen for them. They can question it, extend it, challenge it, compare it, and in some cases re-curate it in real time.

In other words: we are all curators now.

This raises useful questions for anyone designing experiences.

• What do professional curators, storytellers and institutions still uniquely provide when the audience has a research assistant in its pocket?
• Does AI deepen curiosity, or fragment shared meaning?
• How do we design for people who can go off-script at any moment?
• And where is the line between audience interpretation and the hijacking of a story?

The piece also draws a provocative comparison with journalism: a profession reshaped by technology, declining trust and the loss of control over distribution. Thatcher asks whether museums and experience designers are about to face a similar disruption.

There is a further layer to this Campfire.

The article this Campfire is based on was originally written as a TEDx Savannah talk. You can read it here » https://geoffthatcher.substack.com/p/canceled-by-tedx-savannah

Thatcher says the talk did not go ahead after he declined to remove a line that an editor considered “provocative and offensive.” This isn’t the reason for running this Campfire, but it does make for an interesting case study: a talk about audiences taking control ran into the content-control process of the platform that was due to host it.

Read the piece before the Campfire and bring your questions, your pushback and your own examples.

We are all curators now. What should we do with that power?

About Geoff Thatcher:

From Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island to the Coastal Heritage Society in his hometown of Savannah, Georgia. Geoff Thatcher’s work transcends borders.

His career spans brand experiences at FM’s Science & Technology Center, theme parks like Doha’s Quest and museums like the Ozark Mill. Most recently he and his firm led the design of The Humanitarian Center Tour in Salt Lake City.

Other recent projects include the AI experiences at the College Football Hall of Fame, renovation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum and the JEA H2.O Purification Center.

He got his start in the experience industry as a teenage “clean-up boy” at Utah’s Lagoon Amusement Park and after a brief stint as a journalist later worked on the CNN Studio Tour for Jack Rouse Associates, the Rio 2007 Opening Ceremonies for Five Currents and the Lockheed Martin Space Experience Center for The Brand Experience.

He founded Creative Principals in 2017. Geoff is author of The CEO’s Time Machine, creator of Ask.Buzz, writer on hot topics, podcast guest and a regular speaker at industry conferences.

After leading the groundbreaking work that turned guests into football players, coaches and cheerleaders, he can often be heard online talking and writing about how AI will transform experiences.

How to watch this Campfire:

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Timings:

Campfire #1 is suitable for those in the APAC region or Europe, but everyone is welcome! Here’s when we kick off in your time zone:

• London: 9:55 – 11:25 (BST)
• Paris: 10:55 – 12:25 (CEST)
• Dubai: 12:55 – 14:25 (GST)
• Mumbai: 14:25 – 15:55 (IST)
• Shanghai / Singapore: 16:55 – 18:25 (CST/SGT)
• Tokyo: 17:55 – 19:25 (JST)
• Sydney: 18:55 – 20:25 (AEST)
• Auckland: 20:55 – 22:25 (NZST)