The Bowes Museum Blog

I started volunteering in October last year as a Swan Explainer during the conservation of the Silver Swan automaton. As a mature art student, I was interested in learning about the museum industry, conservation and art history. This initial volunteering experience certainly developed those interests. I became very knowledgeable about the unusual history of the Swan and shared this with visitors. Explaining some of the bizarre facts and stories surrounding the Swan, gaining awe-inspired reactions, and creating meaningful moments between visitors and objects is a fantastic feeling. I learnt all about how conservation was conducted on the clockwork mechanism from talking directly with the Cumbria Clockwork Company, who were restoring the Swan. This sparked my own interest in conservation, which I am now thinking of pursuing as a career. It was an incredibly unique experience to witness the Swan transformed from tiny pieces and put back together again, and the magical first public playing of the Swan following the conservation. Recording visitors’ memories of the Swan gave me meaningful insights into how art can impact lives and the emotional responses objects can provoke. As an artist, this was incredibly enlightening.

Up-close look at the face and neck rings of the Swan

In January, a group of volunteers and I had the amazing opportunity to curate a new gallery space, the HIVE, with guidance and support from the Museum’s staff and volunteers. We had the creative freedom to develop stories we were interested in exploring through the Museum’s collection and archive. We curated our object selections around these themes. When I discovered Joséphine Bowes, the Museum’s co-founder, was an actress, this immediately excited me as one of my passions is theatre and performance. We built our narratives by researching the contexts of our selected objects supplemented with specialist knowledge from Museum staff. My chosen archival material from the Theatre Josephine acted at was written in French, so the volunteer French translation group at the Museum translated important excerpts, which gave me a much deeper understanding of life at the theatre during the Victorian Era.

Our narratives were presented through writing the object labels and story panels. We used the Museum’s interpretation framework to inspire what themes we wanted the HIVE space to showcase. We handled and cleaned our chosen objects, ready to be put on display. Seeing the transformation of the objects from being in the store rooms to being dusted and then put on display was an incredibly special feeling. We were bringing light onto objects that had potentially never been displayed before and unearthing hidden narratives into the public light. Conservation was a key consideration throughout this project; one of my chosen objects, a pencil sketch of a knight and woman in costume, was too faint to be displayed due to the light levels in the gallery, but this gave me the incredible opportunity as an art student to reinterpret the design and create my own version, which is now on display in the HIVE alongside a facsimile of the original. Finally, we carefully planned and experimented with how to arrange our objects within the gallery space, which was actually the trickiest bit! The whole experience was an incredibly fascinating and exciting behind-the-scenes look at the hidden processes and parts of the Museum. Truly an experience I will never forget!

Standing next to my reinterpreted design of a knight and woman in costume alongside a facsimile of the original in the HIVE.

I also volunteered with the conservation preparation for the new spaces, which opened in April. We received specialist training on how to clean different types of objects and how to condition report. In particular, I helped with cleaning furniture in the vaults. Spending time working with the objects up close gave me a much greater appreciation of the skilled handiwork behind the objects, allowing all the overlooked details to be seen, as well as the incredibly satisfying process of seeing an object shine again.

In April, I started my new role as a Curiosity Activator, welcoming visitors into the new spaces and helping spark curiosity, creativity and conversation. I also assisted visitors by providing them with more in-depth details about the HIVE, the themes within the space and the process of curating. Talking to artists giving workshops in the Create space and seeing how they approach their creative practice is fascinating. Seeing how contemporary artists inspire people of all ages and backgrounds in a space informed by creatives of the past is a very unique environment to work in. I love how meditative the Conversation room is and how it opens up the opportunity for contemplation.

My favourite space is Curiosity; it’s heart-warming to see the visitors’ excitement when they see the domestic objects they relate to and can reminisce across generations about. These dynamic connections we all share are very special to witness and facilitate. Volunteering in HIVE gives me a huge sense of pride; seeing how people interact with a space I helped design means so much to me!

I have really enjoyed being immersed in the Museum and learning so many new things. It is amazing to see visitor’s reactions to objects and the stories they spark. I have gained so much practical experience and confidence; volunteering has given me a safe and supportive environment to learn the ropes of the arts industry. There is a really strong sense of community; there is always a friendly face to have happy conversations with or help you. It is a very welcoming and homely group of people to work with. I learn new, unusual and interesting facts every time I come into the Museum. It is incredible to meet and talk with diverse and fascinating people and to provide and gain that sense of connection that can often feel far away in the modern hustle and bustle. Even the Museum’s setting is very calming; it’s remarkable and strangely comforting to be surrounded by the objects and lives of people who have come before.

So, if you are thinking of volunteering, go for it! It is the loveliest community of people to be part of. I have learnt so much and experienced so many things I never thought I would do. There are so many exciting opportunities and happy memories made here. I couldn’t recommend it more!

And don’t forget to try the soup and scone in the Café – it’s worth volunteering for!

Written by Lucy Readman, May 2024