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Volunteers are a vital part of arts institutions
The arts and culture sector is unfortunately often the first target when it comes to cutting costs and today even the most prestigious museums, galleries and libraries rely heavily on volunteers to run them. Volunteers are therefore a vital part of the team and it is a respected and rewarding experience. In the UK specifically, volunteering has become a way to gain professional experience – similarly to an internship – and it is a way into re-employment for many people.
This also means that being a volunteer in museums, galleries and libraries has become increasingly important for aspiring arts sector professionals and the selection process is very competitive and professional – even for these unpaid volunteering positions! I handed in CVs, motivation letters and had thorough interviews before being accepted to volunteer. I also know of some applicants who were turned down as the demand for volunteering positions is high because it is often the only way to gain relevant professional experience in the arts sector.
Volunteering in a gallery
I was part of the Talbot Rice Gallery’s volunteer team from May to end of August 2019. This gallery is the University of Edinburgh’s contemporary arts exhibition space and showcases creations from renowned artists as well as a yearly exhibition of student artworks.
I worked between two and three full days a week and gained a hands-on experience on how galleries manage their exhibitions, visitor experience and the possible challenges of setting up an exhibition in a non-white cube space.
This experience allowed me to discuss arts with enthusiastic visitors and to answer the most unexpected questions. One memorable experience was when an upset visitor interrogated me on the use of contemporary art. It wasn’t easy to point out to them that the “use” of contemporary arts is to question things. Experiences such as these have taught me that people respond very strongly to arts that make them ask questions, rather than giving them answers.
Other than one angry visitor, most visitors were lovely, and it was great to hear their feedback about the exhibitions. The artists whose works were exhibited also gave regular visits to the gallery, so the team could ask questions directly from the artists. Hearing the artist’s interpretation of their art was very useful and eye-opening. I always took notes and used these later when visitors asked me about the exhibition, because there were a few tricky artworks that had quite complex messages.
Volunteering for film festivals
Another volunteering experience which I had in 2019 was with film festivals. Edinburgh is dubbed the “festival city” and for a good reason – think Fringe, the Edinburgh International Festival and so many more! I participated in the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival and the Edinburgh international Film Festival and as both festivals had a focus on Spanish cinema, I was very excited to gain an insight into this new field.
For the Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival especially, I really felt part of the team of the organisers and had an overview of the programming of the festival as well as the adjacent cultural events. For the Edinburgh International Film Festival, my role was customer-facing which really boosted up my confidence in speaking with people and taught me how to use the until-then mysterious ticketing system; not to mention getting free film tickets for some beautiful screenings.
For me, volunteering in Edinburgh was also a great way to become engaged with the community and to meet some amazing people and learn from them. As a student, I otherwise would not have been in much contact with the people outside the university, but this way I gained a better understanding of what it means to live in Edinburgh.
Disclaimer and some advices
Volunteering in the arts sector is unpaid. And this is a source of frustration for many.
The customer-facing skills and the time volunteers donate to the institutions make them the “back-up troops” of culture, as Simon Jenkins puts it in this article. Therefore, institutions shouldn’t take volunteers for granted and should make their best to offer a rewarding experience for volunteers.
I was able to donate my time for free, however, some volunteering positions can be truly exploitative, and the volunteer is expected to do the job of a paid worker – without a salary. This is an unacceptable situation where regulations are scarce and volunteers often don’t raise their voice about this, fearing that it might affect their job prospects.
My advice is to only volunteer for organisations that represent the principles you believe in, such as supporting local or emerging artists, engaging with a wider audience, accessible for all etc. It should be an opportunity where you can gain relevant professional experience. Only volunteer for institutions that are responsive and transparent about what is the volunteer’s exact role. They should also support the volunteers’ career and skills development through for instance induction and further trainings. They should not expect you to work full time or force you to do inconvenient shifts.
And most importantly: the effort you put into volunteering should really be proportionate to what you gain out of the experience.