Cultural Mediation with Alexis Andrew
Source: Culture Days – Fête de la culture
In this short interview, Alexis Andrew from the Canada Council for the Arts shares her perspective on cultural mediation and its role in connecting people with art.
She describes cultural mediation as a process that supports the public in engaging with artworks and artists more deeply—through tools that help bridge understanding and create richer, more meaningful experiences.
A key idea highlighted in this conversation is that cultural mediation is not a one-way transmission of art to an audience. Instead, it is a two-way dialogue, where both the public and artistic practice influence each other. This approach opens space for genuine interaction, participation, and co-creation of meaning.
🔹 In this video, you will explore:
- What cultural mediation means in practice
- How it supports deeper engagement with art
- The importance of tools that bridge understanding
- Why cultural mediation is a reciprocal process
- How audiences can actively shape artistic experience
This reflection offers a concise yet valuable entry point into understanding cultural mediation as a dynamic and relational practice.

MeWell Talks Episode #3 | Slowing Down, Sensing and Meaning-Making with Karen Vanhercke
In this episode of MeWell Talks, cultural mediator Karen Vanhercke introduces the practice of art-based dialogue as a method for deepening perception, expanding awareness, and reconnecting with our senses.
Framed as both a dialogue method and a form of liberation from habitual ways of seeing, this session invites participants to slow down and engage with art beyond quick judgment and surface interpretation.
At the core of this approach are three interconnected dimensions:
- Embodiment – experiencing art through the body
- Time – allowing perception to unfold gradually
- Language – sharing and shaping meaning through dialogue
Through a guided collective viewing of a sculpture, participants move between observation and perception, exploring associations, sensations, and interpretations. The process demonstrates how meaning is not fixed, but emerges through shared attention, presence, and dialogue.
🔹 In this video, you will explore:
- How slowing down transforms the way we experience art
- The relationship between observation and perception
- How embodied attention deepens engagement
- The role of dialogue in meaning-making
- How art-based dialogue supports awareness, agency, and reflection
- Why there is no single “correct” interpretation
This episode also highlights how art can become a space for both wellbeing and disruption—where participants can feel, reflect, question, and connect in a safe and open environment.
🙏 Special thanks to all contributors and participants involved in the session.




















