THOUGHT What’s art got #178,768 to do with...

What’s art gotto do with it?

THOUGHT #178,768

Contemporary Art Volunteering Project 2013

In 2013, with funding from Grants for the Arts, Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) developed a a bespoke training package which aimed to skill and empower volunteers to deliver extra visual arts interpretation to museum visitors for eight weeks during the summer.

RAMM has a varied temporary exhibition programme and a firm commitment to contemporary arts programming. Because of its nature as both a museum and an arts venue RAMM attracts a wide variety of audiences. This project met two existing needs: many students and young people wish to access volunteering and development opportunities during the summer and RAMM wanted to provide extra interpretation to encourage its diverse audience to engage with its art exhibitions. This project built upon the success of a similar but smaller project in 2012 which engaged six volunteers to work with artist Volkardt Muller on the exhibition Any High Street. The three exhibitions featured in this project were: Masters of the Moor: William & FJ Widgery, Gillian Ayres (printmaking) and Wasted: artworks by Gina Czarnecki

Twelve young people were recruited to become Art Interpretation Volunteers, all of them looking to gain skills, knowledge and experience to support their future careers. Gill Nichol, a practitioner with experience of delivering contemporary art interpretation training (including British Art Show 7), devised and delivered a training package specific to RAMM’s summer art exhibitions. The volunteers attended fourteen training, networking and engagement sessions as well as support meetings and social gatherings.

Although the planned length of the project was eight weeks, over a third of the volunteers chose to stay for an extra four weeks. At the end of the project the volunteers had given 1,020 hours of their time in the galleries. The volunteers also used a survey to capture visitor views.

Visitor feedback and the volunteers statements, reflections and artwork have been put together in this portfolio. We hope this will not only demonstrate the positive effects of art interpretation, volunteering and the importance of similar projects in the future but also celebrate the twelve volunteers who brought their enthusiasm, skills and knowledge to RAMM in the summer of 2013.

Alice MacGregor Haywood

RAMM Volunteer Coordinator, September 2013

IntroductionRAMM’s Contemporary Art Volunteering Project 2013

VolunteersMeet the Art Interpretation

AshleyA presence in the museum and art world is something I’ve always aimed for. My education in art began at school where I studied it at GCSE and spent my free time trawling as many galleries and museums as possible!

I’m about to begin my studies at Brighton university in Museum and Heritage studies so spending the summer in the galleries at RAMM was the best decision I could’ve made, I’ve gained so much from my short time there and am so grateful for having the chance to do it.

My experience at the museum has taught me there is no right or wrong way to critique contemporary art, that everybody has their own opinion and it’s okay to have a different view on a piece. Some responses I had to the questions Gina Czarnecki’s controversial exhibition “Wasted” put forward (whether tissue donation to an artist was ethical) were interesting- some doubted whether it was art at all or even if art had any purpose. Other patrons thought the work was beautiful and that a person should be able to decide in life or death what should become of their body. Before working at RAMM I was not entirely confident with being able to talk to people about art but as time passed it became easier.

I hope to use the skills I’ve gained from the volunteer work in my degree and later on my career.

RAMM’s Contemporary Art Volunteering Project 2013

Kathleen I’m currently half way through an English Literature Degree at the University of Exeter and heard about the Summer Contemporary Arts Interpreters project through a university department e-mail.

I was interested in the project because I didn’t really have much planned for the summer and was looking for something that might look good on my CV, but be enjoyable for me at the same time. The Summer Contemporary Arts Interpreters seemed perfect.

It appealed to my interest in contemporary art and how it is perceived and interpreted by it’s audience. I’m particularly interested in Graphic Novels; the way they combine language and images into a new art-form, and the way they are encountered and interpreted by audiences, so I was excited to talk to visitors to the RAMM museum about how they reacted to contemporary artwork, and art in general. I also felt that the project would add to my CV and give me transferable communications skills, while being an enjoyable and fun experience.

I hoped that the project would give me skills to add to my CV as well as greater confidence in talking to people about, and interpreting, contemporary art.


Carmen My name is Carmen Marín, I am 32 years old and I am from Spain. I am passionate about arts and creativity and a deep love of society an education.

I have worked in the arts administration field during the last eight years. Being involved in the production of artistic projects within museums, public institutions and cultural centres.

Furthermore, I have my bachelor’s degree in Art History and a postgraduate masters in cultural management, both from the University of Valencia, Spain.

I would like to continuing working on projects which enhance people’s creativity and encourage to think outside the box. Moreover, I would like to contribute connecting artists, arworks and audiences and engaging public with contemporary art practices, especially children and youth. As I really believe that arts and creativity are basics skills for personal transformation, community empowering and greater understanding.

Furthermore, I am very interested in creative learning and artistic education, so I would like to develop some initiative in this field.


Kit Hello I’m Kit and I am a Fine Arts Graduate who will be beginning a PGCE at Cambridge University in order to become an Art and Design Secondary School Teacher. Along with volunteering at museums and galleries both in my university city of Newcastle and at The Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Devon, I have recently competed an internship at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, where I worked within the curatorial and education departments.

I was keen to be involved with this project as I am interested in engaging members of the public in contemporary art. I was looking forward to speaking with people of all ages and backgrounds about the work that will be on display at RAMM in order to develop my communication skills and challenge my own views on contemporary art.

I was especially looking forward to the training opportunities that the project would bring; the opportunity to speak with the artists, meet the people at RAMM and to learn from and work alongside the other volunteers participating in the project - I was not disappointed.


Maddi I am currently in my third year of studying English at Exeter University. I usually try and split my summer holiday time between reading, sea swimming and earning enough money to keep myself in Nutella. I thought this project would be a wonderful opportunity to gain more knowledge of the Heritage sector, be part of something that is both interesting and beneficial in my University city, and to simply get to talk about art, both with people who share my interest, and people who might need some persuading. I have always had a consuming interest in art, and have drawn from an early age, so I could think of nothing I would enjoy more than getting the chance to spend hours in a gallery, when it is usually so easy to rush them.

I loved the idea that we as volunteers would have the chance to change views on the importance and validity of modern art, and also become part of the amazing cultural resource that is the RAMM. I think I may have started this project with quite separate ideas of what the benefits would mean to different people. I thought that for me, it would be a brilliant chance to reacquaint myself with art, and would give me valuable experience in talking to the public. I could see that for the visitors to the RAMM, we would enhance their experience of the art and the galleries. However this in turn has benefitted the artists, museum, and the art itself. I love how easily this project has slipped into the everyday life of the galleries, and feel proud to have been a part of the first group of Contemporary Art Interpreters.


Sean I am a 29, Eurasian, born in Geneva - Switzerland. I grew up in England where I went to Blundell’s boarding school and then Exeter College to study a GNVQ in ICT & Leisure & Tourism. I have worked for the Express & Echo as an Office Temp. I have also lived and worked in Canada. I worked for Radioshack (The Source) as well as Bosley Real Estate Ltd whilst living in Toronto, Ontario.

I am currently a self-employed Magician specialising in close-up magic. I perform for all corporate and private events. I enjoy salsa dancing, creative writing, travelling and meeting new people as well as learning about different cultures in other countries. I also like to go swimming and in my spare time I enjoy walking, playing the piano, writing poetry and going to the gym. My favourite sports are skiing, badminton and tennis.

I have been performing magic as a hobby since the age of 19 but I have always had an interest in Meteorology and spheres to do with the different weather conditions as well as observing the sky. The magic of snowflakes and their design is one of the magical wonders of the world.

I have performed in many different countries for a wide range of private and corporate events. Performing magic is a great ice breaker for me to meet new people and interact with the public because I am naturally a shy person.


Sophie My name is Sophie and I am 19 years old. I am currently an English Literature Student studying at the University of Exeter where this September I will be entering into my second year. One of the main benefits of my course is its creative nature and this complements my interest in art.

My creativity allows me to have a critical eye; I am a keen observer of the world around us, and this interest is reflected through my outlook on life. I find engaging with and forming an emotional response with art a satisfying experience.

Having studied Fine Art at A Level I was encouraged to make both pertinent and personal responses to various artists in question that related to my own practical work. Through doing so, I have learnt the importance of supporting and valuing not only well-known, respected artists, but also the value of the smaller, up and coming artists.


Steve Career background: Audit manager for financial and performance audit in the public sector.

Volunteer at Spacex contemporary art gallery, Exeter

Completed Access to Higher at Exeter College, July 2013

Starting Foundation Degree in Fine Art at Exeter College, September 2013.

Author of an occasional blog http://instantsteve.blogspot.co.uk/


Sarah Fine art and art history student, 3rd year at Plymouth University.

Aiming to start career as an artist once graduated.

My favourite things include environmental installations and horses.


training to talking

From

Lightsgoingon exists to make contemporary art accessible. It comes from a belief in the power of dialogue to engage with visitors. The training I offer focuses on seeing visitors as active learners and participants, not passive, thus establishing a more confident audience for contemporary art in the future.

Many museums and galleries wish to empower staff through building their confidence, knowledge and skills to engage visitors with contemporary art. In the last year I have worked with Aspex gallery in Portsmouth; Ikon Gallery in Birmingham; Knowle West Media Centre in Bristol; New Art Gallery Walsall; Plymouth Arts Centre; Spike Island in Bristol, and many others, along with two National Trust properties showing contemporary art for the first time in their historic houses.

For RAMM, the training looked like this:

A whistle-stop tour of art of the past 100 years, in order to understand why contemporary visual art looks the way it does (ie it hasn’t just ‘landed’ here);

A look at the three exhibitions

Communication - ways in which to engage with visitors and make them feel comfortable about asking questions of contemporary art.

We ended the day working in groups spending around twenty minutes looking at, and asking questions of, one work by Gillian Ayres. Many people really enjoy learning about communication techniques. This includes understanding rapport – how we mirror and match each others behavior when we feel comfortable or in tune with one another. There are a number of techniques that can build rapport such as matching your body language, maintaining eye contact and matching voice tone. Other key aspects of good communication are asking open-ended questions and active listening.

Gill Nicholl Independent Arts Consultant


visitors’ thoughtsCollecting

“ Volunteering in the galleries provided opportunities for fascinating discussions, particularly in the Wasted exhibition, which provoked some controversial opinions from staff and visitors alike”

“Is it such a good idea to keep people alive? Western culture is obsessed with death as a negative thing, there is already a crisis on feeding, housing, and caring for the elderly, the worlds resources simply can’t cope. With this in mind is it so ethical to donate our bodies to science?”

“It’s not really art, is it...”

“Perhaps the progression and regression of the structures height symbolises our development from child to adult, and subsequent decline from adult to elderly”

“I would donate my tissue to art as long as it wasn’t like Damien Hirst’s cow or that artist who dissects bodies for show, making an exhibition of it. What he [Gunter Van Hagens] did, bodies don’t really look like that”


Expanding the audience


Survey resultsRAMM Art Exhibition surveys carried out with museum visitors to the exhibitions titled Wasted and Gillian Ayres. Visitors were asked to respond to the following questions, after interaction with an Art Interpretation Volunteer in the galleries. Art Interpretation Volunteers were on hand to offer their personal insights and expertise on the exhibitions.

Visitor

Surveys were carried out on three separate days as follows:

13/08/2013 21 surveys 16/08/2013 26 surveys 20/08/2013 17 surveys Total N 64Note: Some respondents gave multiple answers to questions, for example, an ‘Art practitioner’ who also answers ‘Formal art study’. Therefore, response counts for multiple choice questions may not equal N.

Survey Results

1. Why did you decide to visit RAMM today?

Specific ExhibitsWasted 1 Gillian Ayres 7 Widgery 0 This City Centre 0 Permanent Exhibits 6

General VisitRepeat visitor 12 Family/Children 16 Art/Museum interest 24 Reopened RAMM 3

OtherAd-hoc 4 Holiday 4

17

6

416

34

12

24

Wasted

Gillian Ayres

Permanent Exhibits

Ad-hoc

Reopened RAMMHoliday

Family/Children

Repeat visitor

Art/Museum interest

Reason for Visit

2. How would you describe your relationship with art and art exhibitions?

Museum/Gallery regular 17

Formal art study 7

Art practitioner 6

Strong personal interest 14

Knowledge of particular exhibits 4

Minimal – Looking to improve 23

Minimal – Little interest 2

OtherOK 2

Respondents divided into two groups based on these responses:

Those whom indicated Museum/Gallery regular, formal study, practitioner or strong personal interest are characterised as Stronger Interest/Engagement = 35

Those whom indicated Exhibit Knowledge, Minimal: Improve, Minimal: Little, or Other: OK are characterised as Weaker Interest/Engagement = 29

Stronger Interest, 35

Weaker Interest, 29

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70


3. What have you gained most from your interaction with a volunteer today?

Social interaction 17

Insight into artist 14

Insight into Artworks 38

Increased understanding of exhibition 22

Other/Nothing 1

1714

38

22

10

10

20

30

40

Social interactionInsight into artistInsight into ArtworksIncreased understanding of exhibitionOther/Nothing

Stronger interestPractitioner, Formal Study, Strong Personal, Regular

Before After Difference

791063887558888876145631786218668767

891087.5998689889888878865787899778897

10024.5111131001012733234002681110130

Weaker interestMinimal: Weak, Minimal: Improving, Exhibit knowledge, Other: ok

Before After Difference

14326231671422260650n/a44054267

256510631786566584787n/a77667578

11334400115144324137n/a33613311

4. How would you rate your knowledge and engagement of art before today and now?

Mean before 6.1

Mean after 7.9

Mean difference +1.8

Mean before 3.4

Mean after 6

Mean difference +2.6

From 1-10, 1 being minimal and 10 being in-depth


5. Is it helpful to have someone to discuss art with?

Yes 60

No 3

Unsure/Qualified answer 1

93%

5%2%

YesNoUnsure/Qualified Answer

6. How has your interaction with an Art Interpretation Volunteer developed your experience of art today?

Note: Four weaker respondents and six stronger respondents did not answer this question.

Comments below have been divided into weaker and stronger respondents and assessed thematically. Some comments have attracted more than one theme. Thematic response categories

a. My understanding of the exhibits/artworks has been enhanced.

b. My enjoyment in visiting the gallery has been enhanced.

c. Discussing art in this way has been a new experience for me.

d. My experience hasn’t been significantly affected.

e. I developed a social interaction concerning art.

f. I have developed a stronger interest in art.

g. Interaction has been detrimental to my experience.

Comment – Weaker Interest Thematic rating

They offer a good focus for understanding the art work. a

Really enhanced enjoyment of the gallery experience. Have never experienced someone coming up and taking the time to explain/discuss art – very helpful.

b, c

Good, because you don’t know about it otherwise! a

Now I know what it means. a

Exposure of art, not really learnt generally about art but more about this exhibition.

a

Sometimes it’s helpful, but art isn’t really my thing. Yes, good. They knew about it and told me, still not very interested in art.

d

Much more knowledgeable and made trip/experience more interesting, increased knowledge and understanding of art processes.

a

Very helpful, sometimes it’s hard to understand what you are looking at a

Nicer to talk to someone who understands about the pieces. e

Good knowledge, new understanding. a

Better. b

Inspired me to try producing art myself. f

Engagement. I like the conceptual pieces. b

Nice to speak to someone about it. e

We liked the discussion display. It does really help to talk to people. a, b

Great. To interact with the volunteer has helped me with the details about what I was looking at.

a

You can use art works to engage people in very creative thought processes and discussions. It’s a great idea, a marvellous idea.

a, b, f, e

Better understanding, interest in something I wouldn’t normally look at. a

Never been in a museum with volunteers before – really helped interpret exhibits

a, c

Prefer to take it individually, it’s Ok, some good points but nothing new d

Is my view the right one? I love how interactive it is. b

Wouldn’t have known about it, interesting facts for the child. a

Interesting for me while family is distracted! a

Better understanding, just looked last time I was here. My friend enjoyed it/was horrified!

a

I didn’t like it, but now I know why it’s here at least! Otherwise you might not quite appreciate the reasons behind an exhibit.

a


Stronger Interest

I would have preferred to make my own conclusions, but its ok d

If you don’t know what it’s about, it’s good to know where it came from. a

Good to understand different techniques, use of colour and prints f

We wouldn’t have stopped for this one if not! b

Nice to discuss works. e

Good to understand. a

Some good insights into exhibition. a

I’m interested in body parts. I collect teeth and dental moulds and I’ve always wondered if it’s weird or whether other people do it too.

e

Interaction, conversation, hard to write about without cliché, Art exhibitions in street, breaks through ‘snobbery’ barriers

b, e, f

I wish I had longer to chat. It goes from being a couple of chairs to something I’ve spoken about and understand.

a, e

It’s always nice to have interaction. e

I wish they were paid e

Depends on type of art. d

More interesting and better understanding. a

More interesting, better understanding. a

Very happy, a good experience made better. Good to have another view b, e

Different perspectives. a, e

Good for understanding. a

Great to have an in-depth conversation with someone knowledgeable and contact for outside museum.

a, e

Nice to have human interaction, understand more about art works a, e

It makes you look at things differently, it works on all levels. a

More enjoyable and informative, in context. Sometimes it’s better for personal reflection.

a, b,

Good – know a lot more – particularly about an unfamiliar artist. a

Yes. b

More confidence to engage. Good to have a mixture of old and new. b, e

Up to a point. d

Happy to return, challenged ideas, want to learn more. e, f

I don’t see the point of the volunteer and find it annoying. g

Art is social, good to discuss. b, e

My understanding of the exhibits/artworks has been enhanced. W=16, S=13

My enjoyment in visiting the gallery has been enhanced. W=6, S=7

Discussing art in this way has been a new experience for me. W=2, S=0

My experience hasn’t been significantly affected. W=2, S=3

I developed a social interaction concerning art. W=3, S=13

I have developed a stronger interest in art. W=2, S=3

Interaction has been detrimental to my experience. W=0, S=1

0% 10%

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100%

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0% 10%

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0% 10%

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abcdefg

Combined

Weaker

Stronger


“ Throughout the exhibition of the Wasted works at RAMM this summer the staff and volunteers at RAMM have been exceptional. I have never worked at a place where the volunteers were so well informed and so clearly well valued. Their commitment to their work meant that the public have a far better experience with the show and it has been an honour working with such professional people. I’d really like to thank all the staff at RAMM for making this exhibition happen.”

Gina Czarnecki – Artist, Wasted Exhibition

Visitor survey conclusions

The project was warmly received by those members of the public interviewed, bringing increased knowledge and enjoyment of art to a diverse public. Many respondents expressed an enthusiastic appreciation of having someone to discuss artworks with, enjoying both finding out about the artworks and artists themselves as well as the social aspect in itself.

The fact that many of the respondents had little prior interest or knowledge of art specifically and yet came away enthused and more engaged with the exhibitions showed that the volunteers provided a useful role that had benefitted the visitors’ experience. This is precisely the advantage of running such engagement activities in a museum/art gallery setting as this location attracts both those with a

strong pre-existing appreciation of art and those who have come to visit the museum collections in other areas. That being said visitors with a stronger pre-existing interest were also found to have appreciated the experience.

A few isolated cases highlighted that this type of interaction is not for everyone, but this was very much the minority. On the whole the results below suggest that the project was a success, with the presence of volunteers bringing tangible benefits to the overall museum experience.


Nature of respondents

The museum attracts a good mix of visitors including those with little prior knowledge or interest in art. This provided a good opportunity to engage with weaker respondents which perhaps wouldn’t arise at a dedicated art gallery.

The majority of respondents attended RAMM for a general visit, with significant numbers attending for a family visit or based upon a previous art and museum interest (1). Seven respondents attended specifically for the Gillian Ayres exhibit, one for the Wasted exhibit, and six for permanent exhibits, giving a ratio of 1:4 between specific:general visits. This suggests a good knowledge of specific RAMM exhibits amongst attendees prior to their visit.

Thirty-five respondents indicated a stronger interest/engagement with art and art exhibitions, while twenty-nine indicated a weaker interest/engagement (2). This relatively equal split provides a good base for drawing conclusions, and is thus taken forward when assessing subsequent questions where appropriate.

Respondent experience

Two-thirds of respondents indicated an increased understanding of the artist or artwork, while the social aspect is highly appreciated.

The sixty-four respondents indicated a total of ninety-two gains through their interaction with volunteers. Of these, two-thirds gained an increased insight into the artist or artworks. Twenty-two respondents gained an increased understanding of the exhibition, while 17 respondents most appreciated the social aspect of discussing art. One respondent indicated that they didn’t gain anything from the interaction (3).

4 in 5 respondents experienced an increased knowledge of or engagement with art, with a slightly greater increase seen amongst those with a weaker prior knowledge or engagement.

Overall there was a marked rise in respondent’s assessments of their knowledge of and engagement with art, with stronger respondents rise attaining a mean of +1.8 and weaker respondents gaining +2.6 (4). Of sixty-four respondents, eleven, or 17.2%, indicated no rise. Discounting those whom indicated no rise, stronger respondents indicated a mean rise of +2.5 and weaker respondents indicated a rise of +2.7.

Respondents generally found it helpful to discuss art with a volunteer.

The vast majority of respondents, 93.8%, indicated that it was helpful to have someone to discuss art with, while three respondents indicated they did not find it helpful (5). One respondent indicated that it depended upon the context of the art discussed – f or them, art with a more conceptual aspect could benefit from additional interpretation while traditional forms of art did not benefit from engagement.

Over half of weaker respondents and over one third of stronger respondents indicated that their understanding had been enhanced.

Six percent of weaker and seven percent of stronger respondents indicated that their experience hadn’t been significantly affected.

Those with a stronger prior interest were more likely to indicate an appreciation of a social interaction concerning art than those with a weaker prior interest.

Two respondents indicated a preference to experience art individually without interaction.

Thematic analysis of comments suggests that interaction with a volunteer is in general an enjoyable experience which brings the benefit of increased understanding (6). Amongst all respondents less that ten percent indicated that they were unaffected by interaction with a volunteer. For those with a stronger prior interest in art, an appreciation of the social interaction was indicated regardless of whether understanding was increased.

Two respondents did not appreciate interaction with a volunteer, and both expressed a preference for experiencing art on a personal level. One respondent indicated that they felt interaction was detrimental to their experience. For future projects of this type volunteers should be aware of this and be prepared to seek tacit approval before sharing their insights and expertise, even as this response remains a small minority.

Two respondents explicitly indicated that discussing art with a volunteer in this way was a new experience. This aspect could be explored in future project assessment, as other respondents may or may not have experienced such interaction previously.


Survey resultsVolunteer

Eleven feedback sheets were completed by Art Interpretation Volunteers at the end of this successful project, asking for ratings and comments on various aspects.

Skill and knowledge development

Feedback Sheet Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Skill and knowledge development 10 = most, 1 = least

Museum sector knowledge - before 2 6 3 6 5 7 5 2 1 6 2

Museum sector knowledge - after 8 8 7 8 7 8 7 7 6 8 6

Contemporary art knowledge - before 4 8 1 8 4 9 7 3 6 7 5

Contemporary art knowledge - after 9 9 8 8 7 9 8 6 8 8 8

Interpretation skills - before 3 6 3 7 7 9 7 1 7 4 5

Interpretation skills - after 8 7 7 7 9 9 8 7 8 6 8

Public speaking and interaction - before 3 5 5 8 8 8 5 3 5 3 3

Public speaking and interaction - after 8 7 8 8 9 8 7 8 8 6 6

The responses show that all volunteers developed their knowledge of the museum sector, and most volunteers saw a rise in their knowledge of contemporary art, interpretation skills, and public speaking/interaction. Two volunteers did not indicate a rise in interpretation and public speaking/interaction skills or contemporary art knowledge, although in both these cases these indicators were at a high level prior to the project. Overall, the project has contributed to increased skill, knowledge and confidence of all the volunteers involved.

Volunteer 1:

“A really valuable experience, I learnt so much”Training


Training 10 = most useful , 1 = least useful

Initial training 10 8 7 9 9 10 8 9 9 7 10

Vocal training 4 - 7 - - - 9 6 - - -

Widgery training - - - 4 - 3 6 - - 4 5

Ayres training 9 9 - 8 8 7 8 8 10 - 9

Czarnecki training 7 10 6 7 7 8 8 8 10 5 9

Blind Ditch training 5 - - 5 5 5 - - - - -

Learning and Skills meeting - 4 - 5 - 6 5 - - 6 4

Creative programmer meeting 8 - - 8 8 9 - - - 9 -

Contemporary art panel meeting 6 9 n/a 7 8 4 n/a n/a n/a 8 8

Not all volunteers attended all training sessions, with the exception of the initial training session delivered by Gill Nichol, which was very well received. There were many highly positive comments relating to this training in particular.

Volunteer 2:

“ It was inspirational to be spoken to by someone as passionate about something they obviously love”

Volunteer 11:

“ It was a very thought provoking day run very well”

Vocal training scores varied, suggesting certain volunteers were more in need of this type of training than others, one of the key aims of providing a comprehensive training catalogue was that volunteers could develop areas that they felt would be more useful to their future careers. Training for the Master of the Moor and Blind Ditch exhibition received average scores suggesting that the general staff briefs used for these events specifically were not in depth enough for the volunteers. The Creative programmer and Contemporary art panel meetings were well received by all. The meeting with learning and skills scored averagely but again this was due to relevance – for the two volunteers who wished to continue in learning and skills within the heritage sector it was very useful.

Volunteer 5:

“ More contact time with staff please – I found that to be really useful”

For ideas for improvement next time four volunteers commented that they felt greater access and time spent with museum staff, particularly curatorial staff, would have been beneficial in the development of their skills and understanding of the museum environment. Three volunteers requested additional or varying activities during quiet periods in the galleries, and felt their skills could be put to use more efficiently during these quiet periods.


Overall the training was well received with six volunteers explicitly commenting that the training was an enjoyable, detailed and useful experience. The chance to network was also an important aspect of the training sessions and certainly an unexpected benefit of the project.

Volunteer 9:

“ The training that I was able to attend was brilliant; good use of museum resources to make it varied and broad”

Volunteer 5:

“ So inspiring talking to each other – this is a really good opportunity to make connections”

Supervision and Support


Supervision and support 10 = most, 1 = least

Felt supported by RAMM team 10 8 8 8 7 9 9 9 10 10 10

Felt individual needs were met 10 7 7 7 8 9 9 9 9 8 8

Volunteers broadly felt very well supported by the RAMM team and that their individual needs were met. The front-of-house team was widely praised, as were members of staff for helping volunteers really feel part of the team. Occasional minor operational issues such as gallery closures were cited and the request for more time to be spent with museum staff was echoed. The suggestion was made that daily activities were more strongly defined and advertised to help both volunteers and members of the public understand the project and be prepared for interaction, and will be looked at next time the project is repeated.

Volunteer 8:

“ The front-of-house staff were all very friendly and welcoming, which made the whole experience much more enjoyable”

Volunteer 7:

“Lots of training, no pressure, very good fun!”The question was raised by two volunteers about claiming expenses for accommodation costs in the place of travel expenses. Although volunteers can claim expenses for travel under the volunteer agreement, this provision is not covered for those who choose to find temporary accommodation in order to avoid travel costs. This issue has been discussed with the volunteers earlier on in the process and the volunteers understand the reasons for this distinction.

Skill and career development


Skill and career development 10 = most, 1 = least

This project will help my ongoing study/career 10 10 8 7 9 9 9 7 10 8 8

Would recommend to others (Y/N) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

Permission to contact for follow-up? (Y/N) Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

All volunteers considered the project to be beneficial for ongoing study and career prospects, and would recommend the project to others. Ten volunteers remarked upon improved levels of confidence during the project, while seven cited improved communication skills. A higher level of knowledge of the museum sector was indicated by many of the volunteers.

Volunteer 3:

“ Confidence has improved, and I gained experience in assisting visitors and interaction with the general public”

Volunteer 6:

“ Confidence, approaching people, interpretation. Learning about audiences and the way a museum works!”

All volunteers are happy to be contacted at a later date to follow up these results.


CarmenIn my case, doing this interpretation project at RAMM in a second language has been a very challenging and inspirational experience.

As I do not speak with visitors in my native language, I have had the opportunity to strengthen my listening skills even more than my speaking skills. In addition to realize how important is active listening in an interpretation role. Focused on visitors’ comments and opinions and especially, how they feel when they are in front of an artpiece, and by this emotional connection to engage them with the exhibit.

Furthermore, I have develop my observing and analytical skills in terms of visitors behaviour, including body language, what I consider is paramount before starting a conversation

I would like to continuing working on projects which enhance people’s creativity and encourage to think outside the box. Moreover, I would like to contribute connecting artists, arworks and audiences and engaging public with contemporary art practices, especially children and youth. As I really believe that arts and creativity are basics skills for personal transformation, community empowering and greater understanding.

Furthermore, I am very interested in creative learning and artistic education, so I would like to develop some initiative in this field.

Steve A better understanding of how the museum works

The opportunity to talk to more visitors than I had previously dealt with at Spacex ( a significant number of whom were not interested in the art – in contrast to Spacex where the numbers are small but visitors are almost always interested in what is being exhibited).

The opportunity to talk with and discuss technique with a number of artists and printmakers who visited the Gillian Ayres exhibition

The opportunity to meet and question Gillian Ayres and Gina Czarnecki and to question members of the Contemporary Art panel and museum professionals

The experience of working in a team comprising both the contemporary art volunteers and regular staff from the museum.

It has been a fun, worthwhile, and valuable learning experience for me. I will take forward the experience into the work I do for my fine art degree from September 2013.

What do the volunteers believe they gained from the project?

“ I will take forward the experience into the work I do for my fine art degree”


Sophie Within the RAMM, this volunteering opportunity exposed me to a greater variety of art, coming across ethical issues and matters of consent that were as important in the portrayal of the art to the audience as the practical art work itself. I enjoyed witnessing the mixed reactions to the art that ranged from surprise and joy to disgust and dismissal. I relished hearing other people’s individual opinions about the art, since as a strong believer in morality and fairness, each is entitled to their own opinion. My sensitivity helped me to be empathetic to the visitors whilst also allowing me to gently encourage any close minded visitors to open their minds to contemporary art.

Volunteering on the Contemporary Visual Arts Project has helped to develop and refine a variety of skills; those in particular related to people and communication skills. As a naturally shy person this project has really helped me to gain the confidence and the ability to comfortably have conversations with strangers. I have also had the privilege of meeting a fantastic array of people, both the other volunteers and staff at the museum and the general public.

I have learnt the importance of supporting and valuing not only well-known, respected artists, but also the value of smaller, up and coming artists.

Looking to the future I am very interested in pursuing a career that combines both my English Literature degree and my interest in art. The skills gained on this volunteering opportunity will be invaluable to my future.

SarahI became bolder and more con fident when talking to people, which improved the length and depth of conversations. This gave me a broader range of responses and therefore a greater understanding of interpretations, which in turn should hopefully have enhanced the visitors experience. During the project I learned to communicate more effectively by listening more, and talking less about what I thought people wanted to know.

During the course of the project, I realised I always felt more positive after a volunteering session than beforehand. This was because the ability to improve others and my own understanding of art just by talking was hugely satisfying.

The project provided the opportunity to meet a variety of people - visitors, staff, and fellow volunteers, some of which have become good friends and others who I hope to work with in the future. The time spent in the galleries also allowed me to meet some interesting contacts, and proved useful for networking: one visitor invited me to join their printing society in Plymouth.

“ I learned to communicate more effectively by listening more, and talking less about what I thought people wanted to know.”


KathleenAt the beginning of the Summer Contemporary Art Interpreters project I had hoped to gained some transferable skills and experience that I could add to my CV, and greater knowledge and confidence in talking about contemporary art. I feel that I achieved both of those things over the six weeks that I was volunteering at RAMM, and a lot more besides.

Firstly volunteering in Wasted, Gillian Ayres and Masters of the Moors reminded me how much I like to discuss art. I found engaging with the artwork and hearing other people’s opinions on it fascinating and incredibly enjoyable. I also loved spending so much time in the galleries, as it allowed me to continue to develop my ideas about the art over a much longer period of time than I might have done otherwise, and to incorporate visitors comments and ideas into my view of the art. The longer I talked about the art with people, the more confident I felt that my opinions of the artwork were valid and engaging, as much as anybody else’s, and I now feel that I am much more confident and enthusiastic when talking about art, even if I really have very little idea about the technical side of the work it’s still incredibly fun to discuss interpretation.

I did feel that I gained skills, in communication, interpretation and audience engagement for example, and experience that added to my CV may make me more appealing to employers and I’m glad that I achieved those skills. However, over the course of my volunteering I felt that the other things I gained from the experience meant more to me.

A lot of really interesting conversations with people, whether it was specifically about the art in the three galleries at RAMM, about art more generally, about their time in Exeter or about their childhood dental experiences. I did have some bad conversations, but over the course of the entire project I felt that I had an enormous amount of positive ones, and I’d like to think that the people I’d talked to felt that I had made their day at RAMM, or at least in the art galleries more enjoyable or comprehensible. Although it would be difficult to quantify, I feel that the quality and number of interesting conversations I had over was something positive that I gained from the experience.

Through the project I’ve met a wonderful group of people and gained some incredible friendships. Everyone I met through the project was extremely welcoming as well as interesting and easy to talk to, which made the project a lot more enjoyable and fun. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to meet such wonderful people during the volunteering.

Finally, spending my summer volunteering at RAMM provided me with an enormous amount of creative ideas and questions which I am excited to continue exploring.

“ My summer volunteering at RAMM provided me with an enormous amount of creative ideas and questions which I am excited to continue exploring.”


SeanVolunteering has been a great opportunity to meet new people and work with others. I would definitely consider doing this again or recommend this to anyone seeking voluntary work. I have spoken to many visitors from other countries. When I came across French visitors - I would greet them in French, same for Spanish & Germans too etc. This has made them feel happy & welcome, which makes me feel happy knowing they’re happy. - Plus I got to practice speaking other languages too.

I would very much like to continue volunteering at RAMM in the Art Galleries or as a Museum Assistant Attendant/Assistant, even if it was one day a week. Hopefully volunteering at the Contemporary Arts project at RAMM will strengthen any future applications. I will continue performing magic for all corporate and private events, as well as continuing to seek full-time employment. I will put volunteering at RAMM on my CV.

KitTalking to people from all walks of life will undoubtedly aid my future career as an art teacher

This experience has inspired me to pursue my interest in art either in teaching, or being involved in the curatorial process of exhibitions. Both of these would help provide art for different audiences.

“ This experience has inspired me to pursue my interest in art either in teaching, or being involved in the curatorial process of exhibitions.”


THOUGHT What’s art got #178,768 to do with...

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