Why did you want to start volunteering at Kettle’s Yard?
Sheena: Galleries and museums have always been important to me. They were vital when I was teaching in London, and I really valued them for my classes and the way they enhanced my teaching. I feel it is my time and opportunity to give back and support these institutions in a practical manner. I volunteer at the Zoology Museum as well as with the learning team at Kettle’s Yard.
James: Mainly because I love art, live nearby, and Kettle’s Yard is such a special place – an inspiring oasis at the heart of a busy city. And the staff are super-friendly – there’s a genuine sense of community.
What are some of the activities that you have been involved with?
Sheena: I have had the opportunity at Kettle’s Yard to volunteer with all age ranges; preschoolers through to A-level students, and even teachers when a new programme is rolled out. I’ve been thrilled to help with workshops with an amazing range of materials including print, clay, weaving, sculpture, model, painting, fabric, to name just a few – the list is varied and wide!
James: Lots of things! I have helped at the welcome desk, monitored exhibition spaces, and engaged with visitors. I also regularly volunteer at the Studio Sunday art workshops Kettle’s Yard offers to children and parents. Which is fun!
What has been your most memorable moment whilst volunteering at Kettle’s Yard?
Sheena: I have especially loved seeing children who have been coming for years to various workshops with their parents or school. They eventually go on to work experience and it is great to witness their career and journey, sometimes in teaching and always with an appreciation of the Arts!
James: Chatting to the son of one of the artists whose paintings are in the collection. Seeing a handwritten note to Jim Ede in one of the books in the library was really touching too.
Why should someone get involved with volunteering at a museum or gallery?
Sheena: Volunteering is a great opportunity to use your life and professional skills. It’s a joy to see the interest spark and grow in young people when they are introduced – quite often for the first time – to a gallery or museum, when they visit us with their school. Also, in a practical sense as a volunteer you can say yes to sessions that suit your plans and have the flexibility to say no to the ones that don’t.
James: Volunteering at places like Kettle’s Yard is such a privilege. They enrich people’s lives. Even if it’s in small ways, supporting local museums and galleries is nurturing – by the end of shifts I often feel strangely energised! And it’s a great way to connect to likeminded people.
Tell us about your favourite part of the Kettle’s Yard house
Sheena: I have several favourites, but I adore the shelves with the plants and spinning lens – they are different every time you visit and yet there is a consistency too. Every plant grows, the time of year and light changes, the shadows alter, but the type, position and layout are a live, continuous thread right back to Jim and Helen Ede.
James: The recess in the lower extension where an assortment of artefacts are displayed on a stone tabletop. It’s an evocative spot and – with the glass chalice, Lucie Rie bowl, John Clegg fish, and triptych of Italo Valenti collages – looks like a modernist shrine.
Are you interested in volunteering at Kettle’s Yard? We have a range of volunteering areas available to suits your interests, including Gardening, Music, Front of House and Learning and Community.
What's On for Families
Visiting with Families
