Ceri speaks with Dhikshana Turakhia Pering, who has over 18 years of experience in museums, galleries and the wider cultural and creative world. As Head of Creative Programmes at London Museum, Dhikshana talks to Ceri about her journey from Science Museum explainer to cultural leader and reveals how her neurodiversity shaped her approach to leadership. She discusses the importance of joy and hope in creative programming, authentic leadership and making culture accessible to all. Throughout the episode, it is clear that Dhikshana’s mission is closely aligned with her own experiences and upbringing, giving her authentic passion in everything she does.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Dhikshana manages her neurodiversity through good preparation, practising presentations three times, detailed scripting, and developing organisational systems that help her lead effectively while maintaining high standards
• Throughout her career, Dhikshana has developed programming based on starting from a place of empathy and respect, actively listening to communities, and ensuring representation becomes embedded in institutional structures
• Her leadership style evolved from recognising that being authentic means maintaining consistency across all interactions while learning to set boundaries between her professional and personal life
• She created the "triangle model" framework at London Museum, focusing on intellectual depth, lived experience, and universal themes to build strong creative programmes that resonate with diverse audiences
• Her involvement with Museum Detox has shown her the vital importance of professional networks in providing support, solidarity, and advocacy for diversity in cultural institutions
• Dhikshana's career transitions were guided by listening to her gut instinct while building support systems that allowed her to make bold moves when necessary
• At London Museum, she combines programming that sparks joy and hope while addressing serious social issues and civic action, drawing from her personal experiences growing up in Camden
• Her approach to team leadership focuses on creating psychological safety while maintaining clear structures, drawing from both positive and challenging experiences throughout her career journey

BEST MOMENTS

"If you can hold the attention of 14 year old boys while you're on stage delivering a show about digestion, where you're talking about poo, like you can pretty much hold the attention of anyone."

"I'm glad we're in a world now where 12 year old me right now somewhere would find out they were dyslexic and be like, cool. Like, what do I need? How do I do it?"

"I was told I would never be a leader because I smile too much...The smile is a big thing. It makes people feel welcome and comfortable with me. And then they tell me lots of stuff that's really helpful."

"Being your authentic self means being genuine to everyone around you...They know, they meet you, they hear you, they hear what you're interested in and how you're going to do this."

"The way I am, my empathy, the way I love chatting to people, the way that I can listen to someone and then retain loads of information is really important."

EPISODE RESOURCES

Guest Resources:

https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/

https://uk.linkedin.com/in/dtpering

PODCAST HOST BIO

With over 30 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals.

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