Gallery Steward

Volunteer Gallery Steward

Special Exhibitions: Elisabeth Frink: A View from Within

Responsible to:  Exhibition Manager

Purpose of role

From 2 December 2023 – 21 April 2024 Dorset Museum presents a major new exhibition Elisabeth Frink: A View from Within. The role of the Gallery Steward is to steward the exhibition, which is held in the Museum’s Special Exhibition Gallery, welcome visitors and provide guidance and support when needed.  The Gallery Steward is responsible for answering visitors’ enquiries, helping with way-finding, alerting the Visitor Services team to any maintenance or security issues that may arise, and encouraging visitors to complete exhibition visitor surveys.

Key Tasks for this role may include:

• Welcoming visitors to the exhibition and helping to ensure that every visitor has an exceptional experience
• Promoting public understanding of the work of Elisabeth Frink, and her connection to the wider story of Dorset
• Providing information and direct visitors as required
• Ensuring the gallery is kept clean and tidy, alerting the Visitor Services team to any maintenance problems
• Developing an understanding of access needs of visitors within the galleries
• Encouraging visitors to complete visitor surveys for the exhibition

We are looking for someone who:

• Is friendly and engaging, a good communicator and able to work under pressure
• Enjoys working and interacting with the public
• Understands the need to provide an exceptional experience for every visitor
• Is security conscious
• Has an interest in art and sculpture, and the wider history of Dorset

Support and training

Volunteers for this role will be provided with induction training to the Museum, as well as to this specific role and a tour of exhibition before it opens.

Rewards

• 10% discount in the shop and café
• Unlimited free entry to the Museum with one guest
• Free refreshments when on duty
• The chance to learn new skills and build up existing ones
• The opportunity to make new friends and work within a team
• Regular social events
• Monthly volunteer Newsletter
• The opportunity to work with, and support the preservation of, a nationally important collection
• The opportunity to be part of a major new exhibition in Dorset

Volunteer hours

Gallery steward shifts are usually for half a day (3.5 hours), with one break. We would expect volunteers to commit to at least one shift per week.

General

• To comply with the Museum’s Health and Safety Policy and to bring to the attention of the Visitor Services Manager in the first instance any issues relating to the health and safety of employees, visitors or volunteers.
• To comply with the Museum’s Safeguarding Policy and to bring to the attention of the named Safeguarding Officer any issues relating to Safeguarding of Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults.
• To comply with the Museum’s Volunteer Policy and the terms of the Volunteer Handbook.
• Ensure that your name badge is visible at all times when working in the public areas of the Museum.

Expenses are not available for this role, unless for a short-term placement where the volunteer is in full-time education.

The details contained in this volunteer role description reflect the content of this volunteering role at the date of being prepared.  It is however possible that over time the nature of the role will change.  Therefore, this volunteer role description may, from time to time, be revised.

The existence of this role description neither intends nor implies that any employment relationship is to be created either now or at any time in the future.

Contact [email protected] for more details and an application form or to ask any questions about the role.